Dear Softies,

Yes, it's been too long since I last sent out any update on the world of The Chills but it is a case of "no news is good news". We've recently brought the live reputation up to date (you're old news if you haven't performed for six months or more) with some very strong shows for University orientation gigs in both Dunedin and Christchurch preceeded by a private party. We played subsequently at the Dunstan Trail Classic cross-country cycle thing in the middle of nowhere and that was fun though a lot of effort and travelling for just the one hour and twenty minutes we're performing at present. I also played solo supporting local artist Sola Monday at her CD launch and that was a good opportunity to try out some non-Chills songs (I always try to do material which the band doesn't do at these things).

I recently recorded some music for local poet David Eggleton to read one of his poems over for an album of that kind of thing due out in a few months. The track was called 'Drifting Cone' and the music is meant to convey the impression of the Taranaki area of the North island, starting out at sea then crossing the land, going up one side of the volcano and down the other, across more land and back out to sea. Bryan Spittle once again helped me beyond the call of duty with this one and everyone is happy with it. Most of the other artists doing music for David Eggleton were also involved with the "Baxter" project I participated in. (There is another "Baxter" show coming up in June in Hamilton at the Fuel Arts Festival - more on that nearer the date). A couple of solo studio versions of songs I recorded for N.Z.'s National Radio came out last year on a CD called "Live At Helen's" which features similar performances from a variety of N.Z. performers which were originally recorded to accompany radio interviews over the last few years.

Recently there was a lot of fuss about N.Z.'s "all-time favourite songs" which really became pretty much singles-only which had charted at some point between the late sixties and the mid-nineties - with some exceptions. I was pleased to get "Pink Frost" included at number 14 I think and the whole top-30 was released initially as an industry-only double CD but, sensibly, it has now been released as a proper compilation double CD called (I think - I don't have a copy here), "Nature's Best" named after the beautiful '60s song "Nature" by N.Z. band The Fourmyula which came first. It's a good introduction to a general history of N.Z. pop over the last decades for those of you overseas. I'll get some more details and also, as soon as possible, finally get the proper Chills' discography available for you to peruse.

The Chills are playing at Arc Cafe this Saturday (April 20th) with a new local band Monkey Knife Fight supporting. I'm also negotiating re: the Flying Nun 21st Anniversarry Tour which is scheduled for late May/early June for the Chills to be part of the package. For those of you who thought we were snubbed for the Flying Nun party/recording project in Auckland recently, well - so did I, until I checked my e-mails and found an invite for the whole band to get flown up and participate. My Hotmail had been inaccessable for a while then I was busy then I was tired etc so I hadn't kept on top of my correspondence and that just goes to show what happens! Actually these recent gigs have shown that, while I am definitely getting more energy back every month having officially beaten Hepatitus C (final blood tests just before last Christmas) I'm not sure whether I'll ever again have all the energy needed to run an international career as well as come up with the music and keep the band going. It's a real dilemma - all this other stuff has to be done (promotion, art-work, correspondence, tax etc) but without the amazing work my mother has been doing with the Secret Box distribution and accounts and the ongoing work of Andy Holt at the softbomb.com website (and a few others who do what they can) I'm not sure whether you'd be hearing very much from me at all! I guess I was spoilt having record company and management assistance over the years but there is so much to do just to maintain any sort of international cult-artist profile and the band all have jobs and families to support and I want to keep their energies just for the music anyway. But we'll get there! I am delving into my new Digital Performer 3 programme on my new Mac i-book lap-top and inputting all those hundreds of old riffs so I can soon begin to complete new material and, hopefully, take The Chills into the new technology with pleasing results. Stay tuned, thanks for your support - you all make it worthwhile (if you've made contact and I haven't replied please be patient and I promise that all correspondence gets answered eventually.)

Stay cool,

Martin Phillipps, The Chills, Dunedin, April 2002.