Musicians and fans from around the world have reacted to the death of Dunedin songwriter and musician Martin Phillipps. Photo: © 2017 Chris Sullivan Photography. All rights reserved.
Musicians, writers and overseas publications have joined in tributes for Martin Phillipps, the late frontman of seminal New Zealand band The Chills.
It was confirmed on the band's social media channels on Sunday that Phillipps had died "unexpectedly".
He was recently admitted to Dunedin Hospital with liver problems, as reported by the Otago Daily Times.
Formed in 1980, The Chills were considered a major musical flag-bearer of the burgeoning Dunedin Sound during the post-punk era.
The band released seven studio albums and served up several releases with quintessential label Flying Nun Records.
Some of their notable singles included 'Pink Frost', 'I Love My Leather Jacket', and 'Heavenly Pop Hit', two of which peaked in the New Zealand Top 10.
1990's 'Heavenly Pop Hit' - the opening track on their second studio album Submarine Bells - would also chart in the United States, the UK and Australia.
Although the band would undergo a number of lineup changes over the years, singer-guitarist Phillips was the mainstay.
Music writer Grant Smithies, who interviewed Phillipps several times, described him as a "thoughtful, eccentric and softly spoken character" whose songwriting was unmatched locally.
"His writing style wasn't really like anyone else that I can think of in New Zealand," he said.
"Especially some of those things like Submarine Bells, which are just really peculiar, inventive things, that are very specific to him.
"Obviously he will be missed by his friends and family and the wider music community but his creative output will be missed as well."
Phillipps spoke to RNZ earlier this year, when he explained he was selling some of his pop culture collection on Trade Me to help pay for repairs to his Christchurch home that he was selling.
Only a fortnight ago he told The Press he was planning on recording and releasing early Chills songs that were not recorded.
Culture writer and critic Kiran Dass told RNZ she had been left stunned and saddened by the sudden passing.
"I did probably the first thing that any music lover would do, and that is reach for your records.
"I just pulled out all my Chills records and had a lovely moment diving in. They're such an important and singular band."
A favourite memory for Dass was when she met Phillipps when working at Hamilton bookstore Browsers years ago.
"He was playing a gig in town and he strolled in and came up to the counter and I said 'You must get this all the time but you're one of my favourite songwriters'," she said.
"He kind of bugged out and looked at me and said 'No I don't ever get that actually'.
"He then leaned in and asked if we had any books on the occult."
In a social media post, Neil Finn described Phillips as "a good friend, wonderful musician and one of New Zealand's greatest songwriters".
"A true original, fascinated by and devoted to the magic and mystery of music.
"His recent work was as good as anything he's done. Martin's songs live on with his spirit."
Overseas media publications including Pitchfork, Stereogum, Rolling Stone and the Los Angeles Times have also reported Phillips' passing.
Pitchfork's Nina Corcoran said Phillipps and The Chills "popularized the Dunedin sound that influenced American groups like Pavement and R.E.M".
Nirvana biographer Michael Azerrad also paid tribute to the artist on X (formerly Twitter).
"One of the endearing things about the late Martin Phillipps was that he wasn't just a gifted songwriter and musician, he was a big music fan: he was one of us.
"He knew the rush we get from hearing a favourite song. In fact, he named his band after that feeling: The Chills."
Bands and artists, both here and overseas, have reacted, including Don McGlashan, The Charlatans' Tim Burgess, Peter Bjorn and John, Cloud Nothings, Nada Surf and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart.
Music journalist Russell Brown met Phillips in 1982 on a Sneaky Feelings tour. His first impression of the songwriter was that he was a slightly mysterious figure, but they became close friends and Brown accompanied them on some tours through Europe and the US: "So I've seen The Chills more than most people have".
The Chills were an important band in the 1980s, and did quite well internationally, Brown said.
"They were an amazing band at that time.
"There was this thing where they really got it right, on a good night those songs would kind of breathe, they were amazing, billowing... songs, like 'Night of Chill Blue' and 'Ghosts'... they respirated. They were not like other people's songs.
"It's actually really nice seeing the response internationally, it does bring home how many people Martin touched with his music."
The story of Phillipps' return was told on screen in 2019's documentary feature The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps.
His funeral will be held Friday 9 August at 2pm at Hope and Sons Dunedin, followed by a private cremation. The funeral will be live-streamed with details to follow.
