Amy Meredith

A journey is a fitting way to describe the last few years of life for Amy Meredith. From shaping their sound in a rehearsal room in Sydney’s Sutherland Shire to industry showcases in Hollywood, all before the melodic synth-rock act even had half a dozen songs to their name, their rapid rise has been paralleled by a sharp learning curve. And if there’s any truth in the old adage that the journey is always half the fun, then Amy Meredith have one hell of a ride ahead of them.

But to get to the now, it’s important to first look at the past. The Amy Meredith fire was lit when singer, keyboardist and songwriter Christian Lo Russo found common musical ground with local guitarists Joel Chapman and Cam Laing and bassist Wade Osborn. Enlisting drummer Kosta Theodosis, the creative spark spread like wildfire. With an eclectic love of music, from The Beatles to The Cure and The Smiths, the quartet found their feet in synth-driven melodic rock that would evolve over the years but retain a core sound all their own.

“We believe so much in each other’s talents. We’re very supportive of one another,” Lo Russo explains. “We wanted to make a band that was extremely talented and could go the long haul, rather than people who weren’t necessarily good at their instruments trying to make a buck or trying to tour. We wanted to be accomplished musicians first – before we decided to take on the world!”

It seemed the world wasn’t going to wait for Amy Meredith, though. After just two shows and half a dozen songs penned, the quintet found themselves pursued by A&R from every major label, plus imprints and management teams. Eventually signing a progressive deal with Tsubi/Ksubi and jetting to the US to showcase their wares, Amy Meredith returned home and took a step back on their path to global domination.

While their talent was obvious from the start, the initial deal left the band struggling to get the attention they deserved – so upon returning home the band left the label after releasing just one EP. The dream appeared to be over and the guys returned to the Shire. Joel laid bricks, Cam drove a delivery truck for a printing company, Wade packed boxes for Freedom Furniture, Kosta served at an IGA check-out and Christian waited at a local cafe. The path to true success rarely runs smooth.

Still they believed in the music they were writing and continued to develop their sound and live show. They spent weekends at each other’s houses writing songs and rehearsing. They toured relentlessly building a live fanbase across the country. In 2008 the band performed at over 40 high schools during lunchbreaks before hitting local pubs at night. They spent countless hours online talking to fans on MySpace, Facebook and Twitter amassing a huge committed following, all the while piecing together about 60 songs for what would form their debut album.

‘We are all super ambitious guys with a very strong work ethic and this whole experience was very humbling. I also become aware of how hard we would have to work to achieve the success that we knew was possible. It was like the world said ‘here is what you can have’ then took it away from us and said ‘Now make it happen’ says Christian.

The band’s hard work didn’t go unnoticed – nor did their growing fan base. In 2009 Sony Music offered Amy Meredith a new recording deal, a chance for the band to finally make an album. The dream was finally back on track.

The result was an accomplished set that showcases Amy Meredith’s ear for great pop hooks and their ability to traverse styles yet still have a heart and soul all their own. There’s the sexy, dark swagger of “Lying”, the spacious, melodic anthems “Young At Heart” and “Start All Over”, the fun, upbeat pop-rock of “Porn Star”, a dose of dirty rock in “Faded White Dress” and the irresistible sunny ’60s pop of piano-driven “Highest Walls”. Solid synth lines, pounding rhythms and gorgeous guitar melodies combine brilliantly, while thoughtful arrangements ensure the setting is never cluttered.

In July 2010, the band released their debut album Restless. Off the back of Top 40 single Pornstar, they released lead single Lying which became one of the biggest Australian songs of 2010. It was a Top Ten smash and saw the band go onto to have a Gold Record, 3 Top Ten Airplay songs, Two Aria nominations and sell out venues around the country.

By April 2011, the band had well and truly broken in Australia and relocated to LA to start work on their sophmore record and hatch their international plans. Over the last 6 months, the band have worked with some of the top writers and producers in the US including John Feldman (Panic @ The Disco/The Used), Billy Mann (Pink), Rich Costey (Foster The People) and Tim Pagnotta (Neon Trees). They also began to build their US team, joining the Vector Management staple (Kings Of Leon / Kesha) and confirming US and UK agent representation.

As the band get ready to unleash their brand new single