Biography

An indie trio that plays fierce but melodic rock & roll influenced by vintage punk and alternative sounds, Street Chant were formed in 2007 in Auckland, New Zealand by guitarist and singer Emily Littler and bassist and singer Billie Rogers. Littler and Rogers were both teenage rock & roll fans who kept running into each other at shows and lamenting the low quality of bands playing the local circuit (one of which featured Rogers, who was looking for a different gig). The two got to know one another and often suggested they should get together and jam, but when they finally met up, they discovered they were more interested in writing and playing tightly constructed tunes than aimlessly stretching out, and they began practicing regularly. Originally calling themselves Mean Street, they really didn't begin to click until early 2009, when their original drummer left and new percussionist Alex Brown came on board. Adopting the new name Street Chant, they began work on an album, but after several unsatisfying sessions recording themselves on a four-track in their practice space, they teamed up with producer and engineer Bob Frisbee, who was impressed with their approach and began helping them refine their sound in the studio. Recorded in short bits over several months, Street Chant's full-length debut, Means, was released by Arch Hill Records in the summer of 2010, and earned enthusiastic reviews from the local press as well as in Australia and the United States. Means earned Street Chant a number of dates opening for the Dead Weather, and in 2011 the trio came to the United States, playing the South by Southwest Music Festival in the spring and appearing at a special showcase for New Zealand-based bands at the College Music Journal conference in the fall. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi