Opshop

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This article is about the New Zealand rock band. For opportunity store, see Charity shop.
Opshop
Origin Flag of New Zealand Auckland, New Zealand
Genre(s) Rock
Occupation(s) Music
Years active 2002-present
Label(s) Siren Records
Members
Jason Kerrison
Bobby Kennedy
Matt Treacy
Clint Harris
Former members
Tim Skedden
Ian Munro

Opshop is a New Zealand rock band formed in 2002. The Album Secondhand Planet has gone double platinum and also the album and One Day are #1 on Itunes

Contents

[edit] History

Opshop was started by Invercargill born, Christchurch raised, singer/songwriter Jason Kerrison. He based himself in Auckland, writing music while at a residency in a backpacker's bar in downtown Auckland.

Growing tired of the solo shows, he invited guitarist and old school friend, Tim Skedden to join him and share the acoustic vibe that the club and its punters had come to enjoy. In the following year, Kerrison met up with another old school mate and long time jamming drummer, Bobby Kennedy (also from Christchurch) and invited him to join the very young band. In the following few months, another long-term friend crossed Kerrison's path. The band's name was GST (Goldfish Shopping Trolley), but was soon changed to Opshop.

Guitarist Matt Treacy (yet another Cantabrian) was also living in Auckland and was soon to be a member of this emerging act. So with four members in place, jamming, interacting, along with plenty of nostalgia and catching up on the Christchurch days, the Opshop bandwagon was now rolling.

It was then that the band recruited a friend of Jason's that he had met while studying ethnomusicology at Auckland University. English born Ian Munro became Opshop's bass player.

Some of Opshop's success is thanks to the ZM radio station where during the winter of 2003, Opshop were the winners of Project NZM a competition designed to help small bands make it big. Project NZM helped Opshop with the release of their single Saturated by giving the song airplay on the ZM network.

As the band remained behind closed doors, a demo recording of their work found its way into the hands of Adrien de Croy and Tracy Magan, of the newly founded label Siren Records, who are also the record label of Goldenhorse, who liked the band's music.

Siren then offered Opshop an opportunity to record some of their material at York Street Studios in a 'live' demo session. The following night, Opshop played their first ever gig alongside Che-Fu and Ted Clarke at the then Leftfield Bar on the Viaduct in Auckland.

In the weeks that followed, Siren approached Opshop with a deal that would provide both opportunity and artist integrity with the benefits of an independent label, alongside the distribution capabilities of major label Capitol/EMI.

They became a signed act and they continue to receive a good deal of support from NZ on Air and New Zealand's broadcasting community. Opshop finished their new album You Are Here in 2004 and have done many large concerts all over the country. Their first single "Nothing Can Wait" was recorded by Malcolm Welsford at York St Studios.

The single "No Ordinary Thing" did very well in the charts and made it on to Now That's What I Call Music Volume 16.

The Band went through some drastic changes that proved to be very challenging to deal with. Tim Skedden unfortunately had to leave the band due to family commitments and Ian Munro decided to head back home to his native Britain.

This left a void that was eventually filled by Bobby Kennedy's former band mate Clinton Harris on Bass guitar. Clint and Bobby first teamed up as part Christchurch's Hornby High School rock band called Outer Control. The lead singer of this band was Pearl Runga (sister to Boh Runga and Bic Runga). Outer Control was the first ever winner of the New Zealand National High School Rock Quest competition. Bobby and Clint carried on together on the Christchurch Music scene in another band called Gorilla Biscuit with Jason Kerrison singing lead vocals.

Jason Kerrison, the singer, auditioned for Rock Star Supernova but even though he impressed, he wasn't selected for the finals. At the auditions, he was talking to Tommy Lee, who was saying that he loves Snow Patrol, which inspired Jason when making Second Hand Planet (He said this during an interview with The Rock radio station). Coincidentally, Opshop supported Snow Patrol in September 2007 for their 2 New Zealand shows.

With the single "Maybe", they are the first New Zealand band to go to the #1 position on iTunes New Zealand in its history. Beating out Mika, Regina Spektor, Avril Lavigne, Beyoncé & Shakira, The Fray, Silverchair, Fall Out Boy, Justin Timberlake and Snow Patrol. "Maybe" is the first single off the album Second Hand Planet, released in April 2007.

[edit] The band

  • Tim Skedden (Former member - guitars)
  • Ian Munro (Former member - bass)

[edit] Discography

Date of Release Title Label Chart Certification Catalog Number
2004 You Are Here Siren Records 17 - Platinum
2005 You Are Here Special Edition Siren Records - -
2007 Second Hand Planet Siren Records 1 (3 weeks) Double Platinum

[edit] Featured appearances

The group have appeared on a few compilations since 2002. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by the Opshop.

[edit] Singles

Year Single Album Chart Certification
2003 "Nothing Can Wait" You Are Here 17 -
2003 "Secrets" You Are Here - -
2004 "Saturated" You Are Here 39 -
2004 "No Ordinary Thing" You Are Here 22 -
2005 "Being" You Are Here - -

-
2004 "Levitate" You Are Here 20 -
2006 "Oxygen" You Are Here - Special Edition - -
2007 "Maybe" Second Hand Planet 3 - 1 - iTunes singles chart March 2007
2007 "Waiting Now" Second Hand Planet 34 -
2007 "One Day" Second Hand Planet 3 and Itunes 1 Gold

[edit] External links