PHILIPPA NIHILL

Philippa Nihill is a singer, guitarist and keyboard player. In 1989 she joined indie band Underground Lovers playing their first gig in May 1990 at Melbourne's Corner Hotel, supporting The Macguffins. 1992 saw a considerable rise in the band's fortunes. They won Best New Artist at the ARIA Awards for their self-titled debut and supported The Cure and My Bloody Valentine on their Australian tours of that year. In January they entered the studio with producer Wayne Connolly (also of The Welcome Mat), and cut their more layered and experimental second album, 'Leaves Me Blind'. The album came out first in the UK in August through the short-lived 4AD imprint Guernica. By that stage Polydor had signed the Underground Lovers in Australia, going on to release 'Leaves Me Blind' locally in December.

Following an extensive tour of the UK and North America for the first half of 1993, the Underground Lovers enlisted Melburnian electronic producers David Chesworth and Robert Goodge (ex-Essendon Airport) for work on their third album. Richard Andrew left the band around this time. Newcomer, Derek Yuen took his place. 'Dream It Down' would surface in 1994, spawning the Triple J favorite "Losin' It". The album was both critically acclaimed and the band’s biggest commercial success. The band quit Polydor in 1995 and, in a quest for more artistic freedom, set up their own Mainstream label (in conjunction with the big-league indie, Rubber Records).

Also produced by Wayne Connolly, 'Rushall Station', which came out in April 1996, was their most 'bare bones' recording since their debut. Philippa Nihill left the band during the recording of the album (though she recorded vocals for two tracks). After going solo, she recorded two releases - the 'Dead Sad' EP in November 1996, and a full-length album 'A Little Easy' in 2000. In December 2006 she collaborated with Australian singer and film maker Paula Kehoe on the Saoi CD 'This Drowning Is Dreaming'. Also, in this period Nihill teamed up with former bandmate Glenn Bennie as GB3, a side project that produced critically acclaimed albums featuring the likes of Steve Kilbey, Sarah Blasko and Adalita. After a long hiatus Nihill rejoined Underground Lovers reunion concerts in Sydney and Melbourne for the 2009 Homebake festival. In 2013 the band released its eighth album 'Weekend'. In 2023 she released her third album, 'Find Her Way'.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Lovers