Underground Lovers
| Underground Lovers | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | GBVG |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1988–2002, 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | GB3, Mist & Sea |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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Underground Lovers (sometimes stylised as undergroundLOVERS), are an Australian indie rock, electronic band. The founding mainstays are Glenn Bennie (guitar, vocals) and Vincent Giarrusso (vocals, guitar, keyboard) who had formed the group as GBVG, in 1988. By May 1990 the duo were renamed as Underground Lovers and joined by Richard Andrew (drums), Maurice Argiro (bass guitar) and Philippa Nihill (vocals, guitar and keyboard).
Underground Lovers' founding mainstays Glenn Bennie and Vincent Giarrusso met in a Melbourne suburban high school during the 1970s. Both were influenced by Joy Division, New Order, the Cure and the local underground electronic and experimental scene. By 1988 they formed a music duo, GBVG, while studying drama at university. They released a single, "Blast", in that year. Australian music journalist, Ed Nimmervoll, opined that "Glenn's striking hypnotic guitar atmospheres balanced against Vince's acute pop sense."
Bennie on guitar and vocals and Giarrusso on vocals, guitar and keyboards formed a pop music group, Underground Lovers, sometimes stylised as undergroundLOVERS, in late 1989 in Melbourne. The name is from an Italian surrealist play. Their first gig, in May 1990, was at the Corner Hotel, Richmond, supporting the Macguffins. The line-up was Bennie, Giarrusso, Richard Andrew on drums, Stephen Downes on bass guitar and Philippa Nihill on vocals, guitar and keyboard; Maurice Argiro (ex-No Nonsense) replaced Downes on bass guitar after that first show. Their early talent manager was Craig Kamber.
The members of Underground Lovers funded their self-titled debut album, with Simon Grounds producing; it was released via Shock Records in March 1991. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described its sonation, "melancholy guitar pop ('Girl Afraid', 'Wasted'), rhythmic dance pop ('Yes I Do', 'Round and Round') and reflective, acoustic folk ('My American Accent')." The first two singles from the album were, "Round and Round" (February) and "Looking for Rain" (April). In November they issued a non-album single, "Lick the Boot", which was their first United Kingdom single.
When the album appeared in the UK and United States markets it was re-titled, Get to Notice, after its opening track. For the international version, "Lick the Boot", replaced an album track, "Ascend Up", from the Australian version. By year's end a four-track extended play, Nice, appeared, in addition to "Ripe" on rooArt's Youngblood 3 various artists' compilation album.Beat magazine declared that Nice was single of the week and described it as "pop rich in all the right ingredients" and "awesome". According to music critic, Craig Mathieson via Matthew Levinson, "Kamber, who went on to double as the band's A&R man at the rooArt label, shopped the band to the majors behind their backs."
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