Eskimo Joe

In 1997 Kavyen Temperly and Joel Quatermain - schoolfriends and former members of the band Freud's Pillow - formed a band with Stuart MacLeod to compete in the Australian National Campus Band Competition. The first heat was Fremantle punk band Eskimo Joe's first performance. They won the Perth state final and then won the competition - a chance to play at the Livid Festival and a recording session in Sydney. That session, in April 98, produced the band's first EP. The EP's feature song 'Sweater' was aired constantly on Triple J and became so popular it reached 33rd in the Triple J's Hottest 100 of 1998.

After many months of touring the group returned to the studio to record a self titled EP, this featuring the songs 'Ruby Wednesday' and 'Turn Up Your Stereo', again Triple J favourites. The band were voted in at number 2 on Rolling Stone's Brightest Hope For 1999 readers' poll.

A lot had happened quickly. Facing their first album with a new record contract with Modular Records, Eskimo Joe sat around a kitchen table and decided it was time to grow up. While their novelty songs had served them well they wanted to record an album worthy of forever rather than for the moment. The nonsensical songs about stereos, alcohol and farting were replaced by Beatlesque highly relatable songs about the ups and downs about the day-to-day life of Kavyen Temperly and his girlfriend. The album, called 'Girl' was produced by Ed Buller who has worked with Ben Lee, Pulp and Suede. Highly regarded 'Girl' sold Gold Record quantities without bothering the national chart.

Three years on, confident about their songwriting and arrangement skills delivered a worthy follow-up. 'A Song Is A City' was recorded in Sydney with Paul McKercher and Nick Launay then finished off at Debaser Studios in Perth. Joel Quartermain shifting from drums to join Stu MacLeod on guitars and old Fremantle band buddy, Paul Keenan, joined the band's live line up on drums. Again Temperly documented his personal life. His relationship of four years had ended. He was trying to move on, resettled in Sydney while the rest of the band remained in Western Australia.

'A Song Is A City' elevated the band's stature even more, with the first single 'From The Sea' receiving extensive commercial radio support, and culminating in Eskimo Joe's first hit single. When touring 'A Song Is A City' finally wound down the band reassembled in West Australia, enjoying the national success and camaraderie shared with a number of WA acts. Eskimo had seen a lot of the world now as well as Australia, and it was time to make another important career change.

Stuart encouraged the band to produce the next album themselves, thinking they may never be in a position to take that plunge again. That decision shifted the emphasis from the songs and their performance to an over-all sound. The result was 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine', a triple platinum selling No.1 album. As a single the title song stayed in the national Top 40 for 35 weeks.

The band's fourth album was recorded in Byron Bay with UK producer Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters, Maxïmo Park, The Triffids) and engineer Jimi Maroudas. The album's name 'Inshalla' is an Arabic word which means resigning oneself to whatever fate holds. Kavyen Temperly explained that between albums he found himself in Egypt wondering in a dark moment whether to continue his music career or go back to Fremantle. He chose to resign himself to fate. The album was put together in the same spirit, instead of the extremelely focused record they had wanted with 'Black Fingernails, Red Wine' with 'Inshalla' Eskimo Joe let the songs and the music take them wherever they led. Joel Quartermain said in some ways the album was the heaviest thing the group had done, but it also has the most gentle music Eskimo Joe had made as well.

- Ed.Nimmervoll