SILVERCHAIR - SUICIDAL DREAM

SUICIDAL DREAM

SILVERCHAIR

SONGWRITER: DANIEL JHONS

COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA

ALBUM: FROGSTOMP

LABEL: MURMUR RECORDS

GENRE: GRUNGE

YEAR: 1995

Silverchair were an Australian rock band, which formed in 1992 as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales with Ben Gillies on drums, Daniel Johns on vocals and guitars, and Chris Joannou on bass guitar. The group got their big break in mid-1994 when they won a national demo competition conducted by SBS TV show Nomad and ABC radio station, Triple J. The band was signed by Murmur, and were successful in Australia and internationally.

Silverchair won more ARIA Music Awards than any other artist in history with 21 wins from 49 nominations. They also received six APRA Awards, with Johns winning three songwriting awards in 2008. All five of their studio albums debuted at number one on the ARIA Albums Chart: Frogstomp (1995), Freak Show (1997), Neon Ballroom (1999), Diorama (2002), and Young Modern (2007). Three singles reached number-one on the related ARIA Singles Chart: "Tomorrow" (1994), "Freak" (1997), and "Straight Lines" (2007).

Silverchair's alternative rock sound evolved throughout their career, differing styles on specific albums growing more ambitious over the years, from grunge on their debut to more recent work displaying orchestral and art rock influences. The songwriting and singing of Johns had evolved steadily while the band had developed an increased element of complexity.

In 2003, following the release of Diorama, the band announced a hiatus, during which time members recorded with side projects the Dissociatives, the Mess Hall, and Tambalane. Silverchair reunited at the 2005 Wave Aid concerts. In 2007, they released their fifth album, Young Modern, and played the Across the Great Divide tour with contemporaries Powderfinger. In May 2011, Silverchair announced an indefinite hiatus. As of January 2019, Silverchair have sold over 10 million albums worldwide.

In 100 Best Australian Albums (2010) their third album, Neon Ballroom, was placed at Nº. 25 according to its authors. Entertainment Weekly approved of the further advancement in Neon Ballroom, commenting on "plush strings on these adult arrangements". There were once again significant advancements in songwriting; Johns was described as "furious, motivated, and all grown up". However, Rolling Stone said the album seemed confused, commenting that Silverchair "can't decide what they want to do" with their music. Meanwhile, Diorama was seen as an extension of the band's originality, with its "[h]eavy orchestration, unpredictable melodic shifts and a whimsical pop sensibility". According to PopMatters' Nikki Tranter, the album stood out in an otherwise dull Australian music market.

In July 2009, "Tomorrow" was voted number 33 by the Australian public in Triple J's Hottest 100 of all time. As of January 2018, the group have sold 9 million albums worldwide. At the annual ARIA Music Awards, Silverchair holds the record for the most nominated artist, with 49, and the most number of awards won, with 21. Their breakthrough year was in 1995, when they won five out of nine nominations, including 'Best New Talent', and 'Breakthrough Artist' for both album and single categories. Their most successful year was at the 2007 ceremony when they won six of eight nominations.

Frogstomp is the debut studio album by Australian alternative rock band Silverchair. It was released on 27 March 1995, when the band members were only 15 years of age, by record label Murmur. The album features the band's most successful single, "Tomorrow".

In 2015, James Rose of the Daily Review wrote of the album, "As an album in its own right, it's pretty good. As a debut by three 15 year olds, it's about as good as it gets. There are still kids out there today listening to Frogstomp and shitting themselves. And so they should."

The album was ranked #25 on Double J's list of Top 50 Australian Albums of the '90s.

Mixdown listed the album as among the seven best Australian grunge albums.

The Amity Affliction member Ahren Stringer said of the album: "I was obsessed with Frogstomp as a 12 year-old boy. I wanted to be Daniel Johns."

I dream about, how it's going to end,

Approaching me quickly,

Leaving a life of fear,

I only want my mind to be clear,

People, making fun of me,

For no reason but jealousy,

I fantasise about my death,

I'll kill myself from holding my breath,

My suicidal dream,

Voices telling me what to do,

My suicidal dream,

I'm sure you will get yours too,

Help me, comfort me,

Stop me from feeling what I'm feeling now,

The rope is here,

Now I'll find a use,

I'll kill myself,

I'll put my head in a noose,

My suicidal dream,

Voices telling me what to do,

My suicidal dream,

I'm sure you will get yours too,

Dreamin' about my death, dream,

Suicidal, suicidal, suicidal dream,

I'm suicidal,

Suicidal dream.