Betchadupa

Despite their young ages the members of Betchadupa are well versed in the ways of the music business. Singer/guitarist Liam Finn and drummer Matt Eccles are simultaneously blessed and cursed by being the prodigy of famous musicians - respectively, the sons of Neil Finn (Split Enz/Crowded House) and Brent Eccles (Citizen Band/ Angels). It started after chance meeting in the summer of 1997 between the 12-year-old Eccles and Finn when their families were holidaying at the same spot. They instantly disliked each other but did discover each other's love of music and spent the summer writing and recording songs. Later, Liam's neighbour Chris Garland was recruited on guitar and schoolmate Joe Bramley added on bass to complete the line-up. Originally they called themselves Lazy Boy. In the meantime Liam had served his apprenticeship at 14 playing drums in his father's band.

Liam's own group played their first show when he was 16. Their name was changed to Betchadupa after objections from a company with a similar name making reclining chairs. Betchadupa "apparently" comes the top line from an eye chart that Liam Finn had to read. Another version of the inspiration for the name says they simply wanted to rhyme with "supa-dupa".

In early 2000 the band released their self-titled first EP on Flying Nun, comprised of songs Liam and Matt had put together after that first meeting. Immediately they found themselves in demand, and hit the road. In 2001 they played the Big Day Out for the second time, Joe joined the others in quitting school, they released their second EP - the 3DEP (the NZ release accompanied by a pair of 3D specs on purchase) - and they shared the stage with some of the music world's most respected names. In April 2001 Neil Finn decided he would celebrate the release of his latest album 'One Nil' with five-night, sold-out series of shows at the Auckland St James Theatre with friends including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Radiohead's guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway, the Smiths' Johnny Marr, Neil's brother Tim, - and Betchadupa - who performed Split Enz' 'I See Red' with Vedder and Tim Finn. Eccles was also working as part of the crew on the five shows, alternating with his drumming duties. Australian Betchadupa performances around the release of the 3DEP followed.

In June 2001 Betchadupa went into hibernation to start a couple of months' work on their first album. They hired a warehouse for two weeks, set up their equipment, and played all the songs available and tried different things to see what would work. No longer teenagers, and having found what they wanted to do together musically they resisting their record company's offer of a name producer the group opted for producing the album themselves with local engineer Sam Gibson, who had worked with them on their EPs. Eighteen tracks were recorded towards the album at Aukland's Revolver Studios. Not all of them made the final release.

'Alphabetchadupa' deputed at No.2 at home in New Zealand, the highest chart entry ever for Flying Nun. The legendary label had received considerable criticism from purists when they first signed these young non-Flying Nin-like upstarts.