This is where my in-depth silverchair biography will be. I'm going to move it from the main Young Modern Station page. I'll keep updating it as I find new information.
Silverchair are a alternative rock band from Newcastle, Australia. The three members are Daniel Johns (vocals and guitar), Ben Gillies (drums), and Chris Joannou (bass guitar). Before their debut, Silverchair were called Innocent Criminals and had a fourth member, Tobin Finnane, who was said to have played rhythm guitar. However, he left in 1993. The band got their debut in 1994 when they won the SBS nomad competition "Pick Me!" and got to record a music video. Their song, Tomorrow, was on their first EP, which sold thousands of records. Silverchair's first album, Frogstomp, released on the 27th of March 1995, was a huge success in Australia and around the world. The members were 15 and 16 at the time. In 1996, Silverchair opened for the Red Hot Chili Peppers at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Silverchair's second album, Freak Show, was released on the 3rd of February, 1997. The band was very active during the year, doing shows and tours all through out. However, as it was their last year of high school, they also had to balance their musical careers with completing their HSCs (Higher School Certificate). Freak Show was a massive success around the world, reaching #1 on the ARIA charts, #8 on RMNZ, and #12 on the US Billboard 200. It's obvious to see (hear?) why, as the album blends their early grunge sound with hard rock and orchestral influences.
During early 1998, the 'Chair weren't that active, only coming together somewhere around the start of the year to record Untitled for the Godzilla soundtrack (which Laruku is on, as well =D).
Although, during this time, Daniel Johns' mental health was getting worse. He already started to develop anxiety and depression at the end of 1999, rarely leaving his house, if only to take his dog Sweep on a walk, and he started to eat less and less, until he got sick with a cold and couldn't get rid of it. He went to his family doctor, who told him that if he didn't eat, he would die. He started taking antidepressants around this time to help. Daniel then started writing poems, over 200 of them, and these poems became the lyrics and themes for Silverchair's third album, Neon Ballroom. (This early 1998 period is also where the demo "All The Time In The World" came from, recorded at night using a four-track while his family were sleeping.)
However, in order for Silverchair to continue as a band, Daniel asked to have creative control over the band's direction. Ben and Chris agreed.
Silverchair then started recording Neon Ballroom in the latter half of 1998, with all the songs being written by Daniel, except for Spawn Again, which was credited to Johns/Gillies. Their first single off Neon Ballroom was Anthem for the Year 2000, released in February of 1999. It peaked at #3 on the ARIA weekly charts. WIP...