Ausie Band Jumps into Mainstream

Kate Ginley, Staff Writer

The band Sheppard formed in Brisbane, Australia in 2009, and has grown into an international success with their most popular song “Geronimo”, which has officially reached the top 30 on iTunes in the United States.

At the ARIA Music Awards, the band was nominated for Best Album, best Independent Release of the song “Let Me Down Easy,” Best Group, Best Video, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Release.

The band was formed by Sheppard siblings, Amy and George Sheppard, by accident when she asked her brother to sing a harmony for her music course.

Their album Bombs Away was released on iTunes.

Songs include “Let Me Down Easy” which anyone in a bad relationship can relate to, and “Hold My Tongue”, which has a rebellious spirit that reminds teenagers of all the times they have had to stay silent. With this ballad, listeners get into a beat that oddly makes one reminiscent of Footloose with the same stubborn teenagers who refuse to obey the rules.

“A Grade Playa” starts with a slow, almost twinkling beat until the chorus when the singer belts out words of hatred for the boy that “played” her. One of Sheppard’s songs, called “Shine My Way,” actually was previewed in The Giver movie. It has a mellow beat with a jazz flare, fitting for a lazy day or a “pick me up.”

Finally, “Flying Away” is more of a techno pattern that would fit a dance.

It would be no surprise if Sheppard won a title at the 2015 Amercian Music Awards.

Personally, their hit song “Geronimo” resonates with me the most since it is all about stepping forward and enjoying life despite any mistakes that may have been previously holding me back.