The Chills became one of New Zealand's most iconic bands. Photo: 1989 Frans Schellekens
Martin Phillipps, founder of The Chills, has died.
Phillipps, 61, had been battling liver disease for several years and died unexpectedly, a statement from the band announced Sunday.
Close friend Scott Muir told the Otago Daily Times it was "with broken hearts" that family and friends advised of Phillipps's death.
He said it was "unexpected".
"The family ask for privacy at this time. Funeral arrangements will be advised in due course."
— T H E C H I L L S (@TheChills) July 28, 2024
The Chills emerged from Dunedin's febrile post-punk scene.
Phillipps formed The Chills in 1980 with his sister Rachel Phillipps on keyboards, Jane Dodd on bass, guitarist Peter Gutteridge and drummer Alan Haig.
The band soon built a devoted New Zealand following, before branching out overseas and finding success in Europe and the US.
Phillipps' peerless song-writing produced classics such as 'Pink Frost', 'I Love My Leather Jacket and 'Heavenly Pop Hit.'
The band's commercial fortunes peaked in 1990 with the release of Submarine Bells. British music weekly Melody Maker made 'Heavenly Pop Hit' single of the week and called its parent album "a magical experience".
Read more on RNZ about the Chills over the years:
- Martin Phillipps of The Chills interview (2021)
- The Mixtape: Martin Phillipps
- Martin Phillipps of the Chills shows us Dunedin's historic venues
- The Chills live in 2019
- The Chills' Martin Phillipps opens up in new documentary
But as the 1990s progressed The Chills' career stalled, its US label folded and the music scene shifted.
"No one foresaw the impact of the digital revolution, of massive changes in music, with Nirvana, with hip-hop, and all sorts of things, that we could so quickly become redundant and old-fashioned," he told RNZ in 2019.
Saddened at the news of Martin Phillipps death. Last time I saw The Chills, to my delight they played this. It made me cry then - such a fragile, beautiful song. Martin rest in peace I’m off to play this track now. https://t.co/3SgSGysU4x
— Woman on the water (@submarinebells) July 28, 2024
It was around this time Phillipps's drug use started and he retreated to Dunedin and battled depression and drug addiction for much of the next decade.
"It was a few years after we'd re-signed with Flying Nun and toured the Sunburnt album, around '95/'96. We realised it really was over.
"It was after that, retreating to Dunedin, tail between my legs, everyone saying, 'Oh you gave it a good go, time to get a real job,' all sorts of things conspired, but there was some sort of breakdown, mental breakdown involved there."
Martin Phillipps. Photo: Madman
Phillipps' health slowly recovered, and after a lengthy hiatus in 2015 The Chills issued Silver Bullets, their first studio album in 19 years, in 2018 this was followed with their sixth studio album, Snow Bound.
Scatterbrain, the last studio album, was issued in May 2021.
Although a distinctly Dunedin band, The Chills had devoted fans all over the world.
"It was an odd story, because we didn't use the traditional New Zealand pathway and go to Australia and toughen up there and then be allowed to go on further."
"We just went straight for England - and it paid off," Phillips told RNZ in 2019.
A documentary about the band The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, directed by Julia Parnell was released to critical acclaim in 2019. It was an unflinching look at Phillipps' life.
The documentary opens with Phillipps in hospital, being told he may only have months to live, due to the hepatitis C he contracted in the 1990s.
Phillipps was forced to look at himself closely, sometimes opening up old wounds, he said.
"That's been both painful and healing, and I think redemptive too, as the movie shows."
In May of this year, he started selling much of his beloved pop culture collection on TradeMe, including collectable books, comics, posters, toys, CDs, DVDs, and about 3000 rare records.
The Chills Martin Phillipps with one of the records for sale in his collection Photo:
Phillipps talked about how his health problems hung over the band, in a 2019 episode of Musical Chairs on RNZ.
"So even though I'm clear of the hepatitis C, I've only got like 20 percent of my liver still working and I'm not particularly ever going to be Charles Atlas.
"So, we take everything carefully, book the tours carefully. It's not quite taking a day at a time, but I guess there are no plans for world domination anymore, but at the same time we're on such a good wave that we ride the sound and see what happens."
Through it all Phillipps' love of music remained undimmed.
"I believe in rock music in terms of being the most free art form to just pillage and steal and do anything you want with it.
"When I realised I had music in me, I just felt this weight off my shoulders, that there is my path."
