Twerps

Cheeky, charming and touchingly direct, Melbourne foursome Twerps are international lo-fi pop champions. Formed in late 2008, Twerps were already supporting the likes of Deerhunter, the Bats, the Black Lips, Yo La Tengo and Thee Oh Sees within a few months of their first gig. Their debut EP, released on Chapter Music in late 2009, featured nine short, simple but incredibly infectious tracks, recorded by Eddy Current Suppression Ring/Total Control guitarist Mikey Young. These tracks were also released on cassette by US label Night People (Wet Hair, Peaking Lights).

On the basis of this EP, Twerps began to filter out into the world, and were called “the best new band in Australia” by iconic UK magazine Uncut. In 2011, they released singles on New York labels Under-water Peoples (Mountain Man, Real Estate) and Group Tightener (Best Coast, Cloud Nothings). They also took off on their first US tour that March. A self-titled debut album followed in late 2011, co-released by Chapter Music and Underwater Peoples. Lead tracks "Dreamin" and "This Guy" were premiered on Pitchfork, who gave the album a glowing 7.9 review, then awarded album closer "Coast To Coast" a Best New Track (only the third Aussie band ever to score a BNT, after Cut Copy and Tame Impala).

The band returned to SXSW in 2012, getting written up in the NME, Blllboard and elsewhere, and then toured the US with well-known buddies Real Estate in April. A series of sold out Aussie dates in August followed, with Twerps heading back to the States again in October for CMJ, plus a Stateswide tour supporting their brand new single "Work It Out". The new single was thrashed on BBC6 by Marc Riley, and scored an NME review as well as high rotation on Triple J. Twerps triumphed over summer at Meredith Music Festival, welcomed new drummer Alex Macfarlane in early 2013, then spent much of that year recording album number two. They took time out for the likes of ATP’s Release The Bats festival and some sold out shows with Mac Demarco and shined on the national Laneway Festival tour in 2013. 

The rest of the year saw them appear as surprise guests at Release The Bats festival, and play sold out shows with Canada’s Mac Demarco in Sydney and Melbourne. Twerps signed to Merge Records internationally in 2014 and released effortless eight song EP Underlay in August. Their much anticipated second album, Range Anxiety, is due via Chapter for Australia/New Zealand and Merge for the rest of the world in January 2015.