| The Checks | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | Blues Rock soul |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Currently Unsigned |
| Website | Official website |
| Members | |
| Edward Knowles (Vocals) Sven Pettersen (Lead Guitar) Callum Martin (Rhythm Guitar) Karel Chabera Jr. (Bass Guitar) Jacob Moore (Drums) |
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The Checks are a New Zealand rock band formed in 2002 that are well known for their brand of blues-driven and high-energy rock, similar to contemporaries such as The Hives and fellow New Zealanders The Datsuns, and are at the forefront of the North Shore/Devonport sound, along with Brain Slaves, The Electric Confectionaires, and White Birds and Lemons. In 2006 they moved to England to begin work on a debut LP, titled Hunting Whales, which was released on 1 October 2007, and spent four weeks in the New Zealand Top 40 Album Charts, peaking at number 21.[1] The album was produced by Ian Broudie. Their single "What You Heard" debuted at #16 on the UK Indie charts, and peaked at 21 on the New Zealand Top 40 Singles Chart.[1] The band released their second album Alice by the Moon on 8 June 2009 through their own label Pie Club Records. The album peaked at number 13 on the NZ Top 40 Album Charts.[2]
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The band was formed in early 2003, with many members of the band coming from musical backgrounds at Takapuna Grammar School. The first concert that the band played was for a friend's birthday party, and played several cover songs. In March the band entered a school music competition, coming second to the only band to play an original song, which drove them to write their first original song 'The Creek', a live version of which is available on the Take Me There EP. In June of that year Student Radio Breakfast DJ Hugh Sundae visited their school to listen to the winners of the music competition. The Checks also put in an appearance while Hugh was still there. He was so impressed he asked them to perform live-to-air on the BFM Breakfast Bus. The BFM newsreaders later announced that the future of rock'n'roll "is aged 16 and wears yeti-like leg warmers" - in reaction to The Checks front man Ed Knowles' unusual taste in stage wear. In September, the band wrote 4 original songs in 2 weeks in preparation for the Smokefree Rockquest, and the band won the regional finals and qualified for the national final. For the rest of 2003 the band began to generate more buzz by playing a series of sweaty gigs in the fringe bars of Auckland's K-Road. They were invited to play at local indie label Lil Chief's Christmas party, where they impressed Sub Pop founder Jonathan Poneman - the man who discovered Nirvana. In June 2004 the band were hand picked by ex APRA boss, Mike Chunn, to open a live 24-hour TV broadcast of all New Zealand musical talent. They ended the year by winning the 'Most Promising Band' award at the 2004 bNet Radio Network Awards despite being unsigned and unreleased, and also appeared in various international music and fashion magazines and newspapers.
They began 2005 by playing the Auckland Big Day Out. The band managed to generate considerable international buzz for an unsigned New Zealand band, much of it based on rave reviews from their live shows, playing support slots for such bands as R.E.M., after they were personally requested by Michael Stipe after hearing their song "Mercedes Children" on a compilation of New Zealand music.[3] The band were invited to play the NME New Music Tour of England by editor Conor McNicholas in April, and supported Maxïmo Park, Towers of London and The Cribs for 6 nights. While they were away, the band won the 'Most bNet Play' award at the 2005 bNet awards.
In 2006 the band relocated to London to record their debut album, Hunting Whales. They stayed in London for 18 months, and the album was released on Full Time Hobby Records through Sony BMG and produced by Ian Broudie. The album was released on 1 October 2007, and spent four weeks in the New Zealand Top 40 Album Charts, peaking at number 21. The Checks also supported The Hives for two of their shows in Tokyo, Oasis in Australia, Jet and Muse on their Australasian tour. Throughout 2007 the band played 170 shows and played in Europe five times. In October the band played 6 gigs in New York as part of the CMJ Music Festival. The Muse support slots in Australia and NZ began a summer of shows in New Zealand, which was highlighted by a rousing midday slot at the Auckland Big Day Out, where they grew a large crowd of roughly 2000 people. In late March 2008 the band returned to Japan for a mini tour to promote the local release of Hunting Whales.
Upon their return to New Zealand, they recorded new song "There Is A Field" at Neil Finn's studio, with it being released as a digital download in late May, and a video being released in support in September. The song has since gained airplay on The Rock Radio Station. As of late 2008, the band are currently unsigned to a label. In early February 2009, the band began recording their second album at The Lab Studios in Auckland, and was self-produced. Recording finished in March and the first single released to the radio was "You and Me" in March, with the video being released online on 28 April, which was directed by Tim Van Dammen, drummer for the band Collapsing Cities. The band opened for The Killers at their Auckland gig in April before the release of their second album. Alice by the Moon was released on 8 June in New Zealand and was met with positive reviews.[4] The release was followed with a series of sold-out tours around New Zealand. The band performed on the main stages at the Rhythm & Vines Festival on New Year's Eve 2009 and at the Big Day Out. They will also perform once again at the Homegrown Festival in 2010.
The Checks supported AC/DC during the New Zealand leg of their Black Ice World Tour in January/February 2010.[5] Alice By The Moon was announced as one of the five finalists for the inaugural Taite Music Prize, which was won by Lawrence Arabia.[6] In October the band won the NZ Music Award for Best Rock Album, and were also nominated for Best Group.[7] The success was unparalleled, coming over 16 months after the release of Alice By The Moon.