Charge Group

Sydney band Charge Group formed around 2005 and currently comprises three members of the now-defunct Newcastle outfit Purplene - vocalist/guitarist Matt Blackman (also of Tucker Bs), bassist Adam Jesson (The Instant), and drummer Matt Rossetti (The Instant). The fourth member is violinist/vocalist Jason Tampake (Firekites, Josh Pyke band), also originally from Newcastle. Charge Group have been compared most often to The Dirty Three due to their strongly melodic, emotive, violin-inflected sound.

They have also been compared, perhaps just as inevitably, to Purplene - in which Matt Blackman was also the main songwriter and vocalist - and other Australian indie bands of the late 90s/early 00s, such as Deloris. The band has named Melbourne quartet The Drones as an inspiration, though not necessarily as an overt influence.

In August 2008 Charge Group's debut album, Escaping Mankind, was released via Australian independent label Remote Control. According to the liner notes, it was "recorded between Anzac Day 2006 and Anzac Day 2008". Drummer Bree van Reyk (Darren Hanlon, Holly Throsby), an early member of the band, features on several tracks. To date, the album has attracted very strong reviews in the Australian music press. The band are also noted for their live shows.

Label : Own Records, www.ownrecords.com