Silverchair were one of Australia's most successful alternative rock (and formerly post-grunge) bands. The group has had more top twenty hits during the last decade than any other local artist and they have sold over six million albums worldwide. The band formed in 1992 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. In 1994, at the age of 15, Silverchair got their big break when the band won a national competition called "Pick Me" with the demo of their song, "Tomorrow". ...show more

Silverchair were one of Australia's most successful alternative rock (and formerly post-grunge) bands. The group has had more top twenty hits during the last decade than any other local artist and they have sold over six million albums worldwide. The band formed in 1992 in Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia. In 1994, at the age of 15, Silverchair got their big break when the band won a national competition called "Pick Me" with the demo of their song, "Tomorrow".

The demo became one of the most played songs in the history of the Australian station Triple J, and they played that year's Big Day Out as part of the prize for their win. Silverchair's earlier material is "post-grunge" and the huge influence of contemporaries such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam were incredibly obvious. Daniel Johns insists they have been inspired by bands such as Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple, however these claims are refuted by music fans and critics alike; for example, prominent publications, such as Rolling Stone and Guitar World were quoted as saying "Silverchair's first two albums were radio-friendly, commercial derivatives of grunge music, which was popular at the time". Allmusic.com, while praising the overall sound of the first two albums (both received 4 stars out of 5) and stating "for their age, their instrumental capabilities are quite impressive", describes them as "concentrating too heavily on Pearl Jam and Nirvana" and "their songwriting abilities aren't as strong".

Early on the band were also influenced by hardcore punk and alternative metal groups such as Helmet, Tool, Minor Threat and Black Flag, with the band even covering some of these bands songs. From their third album (Neon Ballroom) onward, the band have tried to experiment with slightly more complex song structures, pop influences, and the usage of orchestral backing on a few songs, most notably on their fourth album Diorama with composer Van Dyke Parks contributing to three of the tracks. This change is shown on their performance in their only live album "Live at Faraway Stables" where the band plays two sets - the first comprising newer material where they are backed by two keyboardists to simulate orchestral arrangements, and the second containing their earlier material. 2007 saw the release of the band's latest album Young Modern, featuring the lead single Straight Lines; the song reached number one on the ARIA singles charts. ...show less