Ed Kuepper

Former member of the legendary Saints Ed Kuepper left that group to become one of Australia's most distinctive, fiercely independent and prolific singer songwriters.

Kuepper was born in Germany in 1956, but grew up in suburban Brisbane, where he formed The Saints with Irish migrant Chris Bailey. Ed recorded three albums with The Saints, the groundbreaking angry young man rock 'Stranded', the more sophisticated r&b 'Eternally Yours' and the dark, restless 'Prehistoric Sounds'. That third album had only just been released when Kuepper and Bailey sat down to compare the songs which might make up the next Saints album. Clearly the Saints' two driving forces were heading in different directions. Physically, Bailey stayed in London to put together a new Saints line-up, the way he saw it, while in late 1978 Ed Kuepper returned to Australia.

Instead of going all the way back to Brisbane he settled in Sydney. At first he wondered about returning to music. Then Kuepper formed a new group of his won, and perversely name it the Laughing Clowns, after one of the songs he and Chris had agreed to disagree about. The Laughing Clowns took up where the Saints' 'Prehistoric Sounds' had left off. Setting an innovative standard for independent bands in the early eighties, contemporaries of Birthday Party and the Go-Betweens, the Laughing Clowns broke up after five years and a diverse collection of mini-albums and albums. Significantly, two of the members went off to become members of the latest Saints incarnation, while Ed Kuepper launched himself into a solo career.

Having had his fill of groups Ed played most of the instruments on December 1985's 'Electric Storm' album himself. To play the music live he formed a group, The Yard Goes On Forever, named after a Richard Harris album. Basically a rock band, the band backed Ed on his next two albums 'Rooms Of The Magnificent' and 'Everybody's Got To'. In October 1990 Ed returned to basics with an acoustic album, 'Today Wonder'. His recordings and tours overseas with the Laughing Clowns and Yard seemed to fall on deaf ears. This album changed the tide. Suddenly he was in favour again.

Ed Kuepper responded with a busy flurry of creative outburst. He performed and recorded with the 'Aints, reclaiming some of the fiery Saints territory. With Laughing Clowns drummer Mark Dawson he also formed an ambient instrumental band, Mephisto Waltz, which never recorded. Dawson had helped him create the unconventional sounds which had marked 'Today Wonder', and the next solo album 'Honey Steel's Gold' was a clear follow-up, containing 'The Way You Make Me Feel', and providing Ed with his first mainstream chart entry in Australia. The next album, 'Black Ticket Day' won him his first ARIA award. The albums were rushing out now. 'Serene Machine' (containing 'Sleepy Head') saw the formation of a new performing group of the same name as the album. In between were Laughing Clowns albums and tours. Ed wrapped up this chapter of his career in 1993 with 'Butterfly Net', a handpicked retrospective of his 'solo' material.

After an uncharacteristic year's break Kuepper returned to the studio for 'Character Assasination' , formed another touring band (The Institute Of Nude Wrestling), before embarking on his first solo tour overseas. His solo records had enjoyed rave reviews internationally. The albums 'A King In The Kindness Room' and 'Frontierland' followed. During that time he also issued two mail order only albums, while early copies of both 'Character Assassination' and 'Frontierland' both contained bonus discs. After a solo tour of Europe, 1997 saw the release of a solo album 'With A Knapsack On My Back', recorded in Germany, and a new compilation album, 'The Wheely Bin Affair', wrapping up another era.

By the time 2000's 'Smile..Pacific' was released, almost unbelievably, there had been a gap of four years between Ed Kuepper studio albums. The record encapsulates everything that has made Ed so listenable and endurable. These four years were not idle of course. There were instrumental albums , music for movies and theatre, and a move back to Brisbane.

August 2004 saw the release 4CD box set' All Times Through Paradise' chronicling the entire Saints output between 1976 and 1978: their first three studio albums (I'm Stranded, Eternally Yours , Prehistoric Sounds), B-sides (all remastered) and a live set recorded at the Hope & Anchor pub in North London in 1977, only recently unearthed. Following that release, Ed then set about reminding everyone of what came next. 'Cruel But Fair', a 3CD release of the entire recorded output of the Laughing Clowns from 1979-1984 in restored audio. In January 2006 Ed then released a 3CD box set of his solo years. 'This Is The Magic Mile' an extended greatest hits, which combined alternate versions, overlooked album tracks and live recordings from Ed's Saints tribute band The Aints.

On stage these retrospective releases coincided with Ed back with former Laughing Clowns drummer Jeffrey Wegener, also known for his work with some of Australia's more infamous punk acts; The Last Words, Young Charlatans and The Birthday Party. As a duo, Ed and Jeff performed selections covering material from Ed's entire career alongside the inevitable cover versions. Late in the piece former Sunnyboys bass player Peter Oxley joined the duo. That line-up was the core group for the recording of Ed's first album of new songs, 2007's 'Jean Lee And the Yellow Dog', loosely based on the story of the last woman hanged in Australia. Chris Bailey rejoined Ed to sing lead vocals on one track, and in July Ed, Chris and Ivor Hay gave two reunion performances as The Saints in Brisbane and LA.

Phew! That's Ed Kuepper.