Even as We Speak

Even as We Speak

Even as We Speak is a Sydney, Australia-based indie band with a line-up that changes over time. The group forms in 1986 and includes founding members Matthew Love, Mary Wyer and Rob Irwin, later joined by Anita Rayner, Julian Knowles and Paul Clarke. Love plays guitar, banjo and vocals, Wyer sings and plays guitar, Irwin plays bass, Rayner plays drums and mandolin, Knowles contributes keyboards, production and guitar, and Clarke plays guitar and sings.

Recording history and releases

The band first issues a series of vinyl releases on Australian independent labels and builds a following on the Australian independent music scene. It then releases several singles and an album on Sarah Records in the UK. Three of those releases reach the Top 5 of the Melody Maker and New Musical Express independent music charts in 1992 and 1993.

Among the Sarah releases is the 7-inch EP Blue Suburban Skies, which includes five tracks and a guitar-led cover of New Order's Bizarre Love Triangle. The band also releases the album Feral Pop Frenzy, a 17-track collection that receives favourable reviews.

Broadcast sessions and recognition

A single from Feral Pop Frenzy, Falling Down the Stairs, receives wide BBC Radio 1 airplay in 1993, although the band does not achieve major commercial success. Between 1992 and 1993, Even as We Speak records three sessions for John Peel and one for Mark Goodier on BBC Radio 1, making it one of the few Australian bands to record Peel Sessions. It also records a session for Radio France.

Style and place in indie music

The band’s music combines accessible pop with more experimental elements. It is associated with indie pop, twee and the Sarah Records scene, and is often placed within the post-C86 underground in the UK. Its broader style sits within rock and indie.