Amyl and the Sniffers


Amyl and the Sniffers are an Australian pub rock and punk rock band based in Melbourne, Australia, consisting of vocalist Amy Taylor, drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Dec Martens, and bassist Fergus Romer. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, their debut, self-titled record won the Best Rock Album category.

Background

The band was formed by housemates Taylor, Wilson, and Martens and former band member Calum Newton in Balaclava, Melbourne. The four wrote, recorded, and released their first EP, Giddy Up, in a span of 12 hours. Calum left the band to pursue solo music and was replaced by Fergus Romer. They take their name from the Australian slang for amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. Amy Taylor compared their music to the drug in an interview with Paul Glynn of the BBC: "In Australia we call poppers Amyl. So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like!". Their sound has been compared to 1970s hard rock groups such as Iggy Pop and The Stooges and The Damned. However, Taylor has cited a number of varying influences including Minor Threat, Ceremony, AC/DC, Sleaford Mods, Dolly Parton, and Cardi B.
The band was signed to Homeless Records in July 2017 and Big Attraction/Giddy Up was released on 12 January 2018. Big Attraction/Giddy Up reached #8 on the UK Top 40 in March 2018. The band was signed to Rough Trade Records later in 2018, and went into the studio to record their debut album with producer and former Add N to drummer Ross Orton. The result was the self-titled Amyl and the Sniffers, which was released on 24 May 2019 and has received generally positive reviews including a 7.2 from Pitchfork and 4 out of 5 stars from NME and Allmusic. In light of the album's release, placed the band at no.9 on their list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now", praising front-woman Amy Taylor for being "one of hardest rocking people on the face of the planet."
At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, Amyl and the Sniffers won the Best Rock Album category. In February 2020, the self-titled album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize of 2019.

Discography

Albums

EPs

Singles