26 (band)

26 (also written as 26 (The Band), [26] and 26(Twenty Six)) is an Australian musical outfit founded in 2004 by friends Nick O'Donnell (lead vocals/guitar) and Drew Fellows (keyboardist/vocals), who later recruited Ross Duckworth (bass/vocals) and Iain Wilson (drums/vocals). Originally categorised as indie rock, 26 has since employed a variety of guest artists and choirs to produce a sound that is unique to the band.

26
Background information
OriginBrisbane, Queensland, Australia
GenresAlternative rock, indie rock
Years active2004–present
LabelsFloodboy Records
MGM Distribution
Websitehttp://www.26theband.com
MembersNick O'Donnell
Drew Fellows
Ross Duckworth
Iain Wilson

History

The band's first album, The King Must Die, was recorded by O'Donnell before he had a band[1] and was released in Australia through Floodboy Records and MGM Distribution, and globally through iTunes, in 2005. The album received national airplay and The King Must Die was honoured as the feature album on Sydney radio station FBI 94.5 FM's The Album Show. With the band's growing popularity, 26 toured Australia in 2006 for the release of their single, "Friendly Fire", which went on to win the 2006 Queensland Song Award for Best Rock Song[2] and was also a finalist in The Courier-Mail People's Choice Awards.[3] The single also received airplay on national youth network Triple J and further exposure on FBI 94.5 FM. With the release of their second album, Births, Deaths & Marriages, in 2008, 26's track "Aloha" was featured on the 3 website, which led to it debuting at #8 on the ARIA Digital Download Charts the following week. That same week, 26 was chosen as one of only forty acts to showcase at Queensland's 2008 Big Sound Conference, one of the most respected and fastest-growing music business events in the Asia-Pacific region.

"A New Beginning", the opening track of Births, Deaths & Marriages, featured in the season finale of NBC’s Rand Ravich-created police procedural drama series, Life.[4][5] The finale aired in the US and Canada to more than 5,000,000 viewers on Wednesday, 8 April 2009, and aired in Australia on Network 10 on 29 April to over 776,000 viewers. The show also aired in another 22 countries. As a result, "A New Beginning", along with other selected tracks from 26's catalogue, went on to receive airplay on numerous US college/alternative/AAA stations.

In 2010, 26 toured the US, Canada, Hong Kong and the UK, as well as performing at the MUSEXPO[6] 2010 in West Hollywood on 26 April.. In August 2011, 26 returned to the northern hemisphere for an extensive national UK tour, including performances at the Y-Not Festival and the Edinburgh Festival.

26's third album, Sunshine Salvation, was released on 26 October 2012, with "The Outside" announced as the album's first single.

Live performances

26 performed at the 2010 One Movement Festival/Conference in Perth, playing alongside artists including Sarah Blasko, Hilltop Hoods, Scribe and Kate Miller-Heidke.[7] Following this, the band was invited to play at Canadian Music Week in March, 2010, which allowed the band to then tour Canada and the USA.

To launch their 2012 album, Sunshine Salvation, the band played an intimate, start-to-finish pre-release show for their Brisbane-based friends, families and fans at the Black Bear Lodge in Fortitude Valley, Queensland.

Band members
  • Nick O'Donnell: lead vocals, guitar
  • Drew Fellows: keys, vocals
  • Ross Duckworth: bass, vocals
  • Iain Wilson: drums, vocals

Discography

Albums
Year Album Out Now On iTunes
2005 The King Must Die
  • Released: 14 July 2005
 Yes Yes
2008 Births, Deaths & Marriages[8]
  • Released: 24 May 2008
 Yes Yes
2012 Sunshine Salvation
  • Released: 26 October 2012
 Yes Yes

References
  1. The Courier-Mail, 21 September 2006, "Voters connect with final four" by Noel Mengel
  2. The Courier Mail, 22 May 2008, "Two Dukes add sparkle to a royal return" by Noel Mengel
  3. The Courier Mail, 28 September 2006, "It's a tough choice for music lovers" by Noel Mengel
  4. "Life - Episode 221 Opening Track".
  5. The Courier-Mail, 29 April 2009, "New beginning gets big boost"
  6. "MUSEXPO 2010". Archived from the original on 5 September 2009. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
  7. "One Movement Festival 2009 Line Up". Archived from the original on 15 September 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
  8. The Courier Mail, 17 July 2008, "Quality releases from close to home" review by Noel Mengel
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