Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs’ is a Martin Phillipps passion project. A dedicated reimagining of his earlier unreleased songs that became his artistic farewell, a lasting legacy, and a reminder of his huge, underappreciated talent. The album has been finalised for release with the love and support of his band, family and friends.
As the subject of an undulating life and times movie – The Chills: The Triumph And Tragedy Of Martin Phillipps – Chills’ singer, songwriter and main motivator, Martin Phillipps spent the last decade releasing studio and live albums while careering into his sixtieth year with typical gusto.
Amid such momentum, Martin was stilling digging through old tapes, searching for the foundations that resulted in global rapture in 1987, an overnight success that took a mere seven years to ignite. These early songs and musings were revisited, revised and finally put to record. As such, ‘Spring Board’ is the final chapter of The Chills, immeasurably significant output.
‘Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs’ is alarming, personal, brittle and at times hopelessly upbeat. This is a man casting his mind back on an esoteric career that led to nothing short of cult status; someone rediscovering his roots, his innermost thoughts, hopes and fears.
The Chills are Martin Phillipps, Oli Wilson, Erica Scally, Todd Knudson and Callum Hampton. ‘Spring Board’ features contributions from Fur Patrol’s Julia Deans, Elroy Finn and Split Enz, Crowded House alumni Neil Finn, Tiny Ruins’ Hollie Fullbrook, Manics producer Greg Haver, Troy Kingi, Shona Laing, Tami Neilson, Dianne Swann (Everything That Flies) and Purple Pilgrims’ Clementine Valentine.
Tracklist:
Side A
A1 Dolphins
A2 Learn to Try Again
A3 If This World Was Made for Me
A4 Juicy Creaming Soda
A5 I'll Protect You
Side B
B1 And When You're There
B2 Declaration
B3 Stay Longer
B4 Slime
B5 Steel Skies
Side C
C1 Jellyhead
C2 Such Self Pity
C3 Meet My Eyes
C4 Bad Eggs
C5 Lion Tamer
Side D
D1 The Other
D2 Since You Left Me
D3 Watching Old Home Movies
D4 I Saw Your Silhouette
D5 I Don't Want to Live Forever
