Gyroscope

They came together as Perth band Gyroscope Sunday in 1997, four would-be musicians who lived in the same area, went to neighbouring high schools and went to the same parties. Learning of each other's interest in music led them to the formation of the group, playing cover songs by the likes of local heroes Jebediah and Regurgitator in the rehearsal songs while they developed their songwriting. Determined to find their own style it was their own songs which formed the basis of their repertoire, but the kind of bands they appeared alongside of saw them labelled with the punk tag. There were a couple of earlier bass players who didn't fit in. When Brad Campbell joined in 1998, the group realized they were onto something and became plain Gyroscope. From the beginning the band became known for their appetite for a seemingly endless gig schedule, becoming known for their tight and energetic shows.

In 2001 Gyroscope took a break. Drummer Rob Nassif chose to study overseas. The group thought about going with him and starting again in Canada. But the state of their finances prevented doing that. Instead, in Rob's absence the rest of the group members reassumed ordinary lives, moving out of home, sharing houses, and taking day jobs. All the while they kept writing songs which they shared with each other, and with Rob by e-mail. With the others' blessing and encouragement, guitarist Zoran Trivic joined another group, Perth rock heroes The Critics. Gyroscope's singer Daniel Sanders and housemate Brad Campbell attended every gig they could. Watching The Critics made Sanders think about his role in Gyroscope. He decided to concentrate on his vocals. Zoran was the guitarist.

When Rob Nassif returned, Gyroscope immediately reassembled in the rehearsal room. The first song written to mark the start of the new beginning was 'I've Been Struck By Lightning Once'. During the break Sanders had actually been struck by lightning while fishing. Gyroscope kicked off 2002 with an invitation to join the Perth end of the Big Day Out. In March they recorded their second EP, 'Take Time', beginning a long-term relationship with "fifth" member, Perth producer Shaun O'Callaghan.

In June 2004, seven years into their career, with major label backing finally, Gyroscope released their first album, 'Sound Shattering Sound'. Five of the twelve songs on the album were remixed rather than re-recorded versions of popular songs previously released on EPs or as singles. Recorded with O'Cannaghan in the same Perth studios they were a seamless match for the new songs. And anyway, Gyroscope are not a group for studio trickery. They wanted their album to sound like the group on stage, like the hard-driving, earnest, versatile rock band Gyroscope had evolved into.

In May 2005, Gyroscope were sent to Los Angeles to record their second album with in-demand producer and engineer Mark Tromboni best known for his work with Jimmy Eat World, The Living End and Blink-182. An album-in-pricess video was shot for 'Fast Girl' in Death Valley. That second album 'Are You Involved?' saw the band moving away from traditional rock templates and occasionally experimenting with drum machines, synth washes, lush harmonies and acoustic guitars. 'Are You Involved?' was nominated for the inaugural J Award, Triple J's Australian album of the year accolade.

Gyroscope spent eight months writing and eight weeks recording their third album 'Breed Obsession' in Liverpool and mixing in London. The video for the first single 'Snakeskin' saw the band playing in their own crop circle made at the same farm near Stonehenge as the crop circle that featured on Led Zeppelin's 'Remasters' cover. The creation of Gryoscope's crop circle was noted and analysed by watchers of such phenomenon around the world.