By Christopher Pickett

There's a gaping chasom of over 8,000 oceanic miles that separates Australia
from the United States mainland. American culture, concepts and perspectives 
do manage to drift over to this South Pacific paradise and infiltrate the thought
processes of "Oz's" 20 million inhabitants--but they often do so with 
slug-like slowness. That's why Australia's favorite rock and roll sons--
Daniel Johns, Chris Joannou and Ben Gillies,collectively known as silverchair--
were rather shocked when they returned to their native soil after spending
the better part of 1996 touring the North American continent. They 
expected to encounter little fanfare, and even less recognition. They
knew they were the home-town-boys-who-made-good,but they also knew that the 
ever-cool Aussie attitude isn't usually one designed for great celebration.
Were they ever in for a surprise.

"We didn't know what kind of reponse we'd get back home,"Johns said."We
stayed in touch with people in Australia, and we knew that our record had
done fairly well at home. But the people here are just a little different.
They're not usually the types to get excited over things like us touring
America. That's why we've been very surprised by the kind of commotion
we've caused since we've gotten back home. It's been great."

Considering that silverchair's debut disc Frogstomp sold over 
four million copies worldwide--attaining either gold or platinum status
in such diverse ports-of-call as the United States,Canada,Great Britan,
Japan,and...oh yes...Australia--it really shouldn't really have shocked
these teenaged rockers that their friends,family and countrymen have gone
more than slightly bonkers over their success.After all, when was the 
last time three 16-year-olds from anywhere rose to the top of the
hard rock charts--especially with their very first album? It was an 
accomplishment whose true merits have been lost to some extent on the 
three young members of silverchair, but not on those nearest and dearest
to the band's members. Their friends and families made sure their
triumphant return to Newcastle (a small city located on Australia's east
coast) was something Daniel, Ben, and Chris would always remember.

"We tried to keep everything very low-key,"Johns related."We just wanted
to come home and kind of get back to a normal life for a little while. 
But everyone at home wanted to make a big deal about what's happened to
us. They all wanted to hear what it was like on tour, and what certain
places around the world were like. It was fun...at least for a while. 
But thankfully, after the first few days, things get more-or-less back
to normal, and we were able to get in a little rest and fun before having 
to get back to work."

Their Australian work load featured the writing and recording of material to
be contained on silverchair's all-important second album. Working in many 
of the same places, with many of the same people that helped turn their
debut into an international sensation, silverchair were well aware that
catching lightning in a bottle for the second time would be far from 
easy. But  these boys are apparently still too young, too naive and too
head-strong to listen to any nay-sayer who might choose to bring up such
unsavory topics as "sophomore jinxes" or "media backlashes". The members
of silverchair don't even want to know about any of that. All these guys
were determined to do was get back into the studio and show off what 
two years on the road--and two years of serious growing up--
had done to hone and refine their musical skills.

"I've already heard some people ask what we're planning to do to top
the first album," Johns said. "Well, I don't think we're going to try
and top that one. We're going to go and make another album that hopefully
shows how we've changed a bit over that last few years. We're not 16
anymore. We've gone out and seen a lot more. We've grown up a bit, and 
I think a lot of that will come across in the new music--at least I hope
it does."

What should be particularly fascinating to note in silverchair's new music
is what new influences have crept into the band's sound. While they were
widely critized (or at least chastised) the first time around for what
was generally perceived as their over-dependence on rehashing certain
key elements of the Nirvana musical catalogue, this time it seems certain
that Johns and his bandmates are determined to stake out their own 
rock and roll terrain. Undoubtedly there will still be certain haunting
Seattle-inspired moments contained within the strains of silverchair's
second batch of angst-riddled tunes, but as the vocalist/guitarist 
promises, there will be some unexpected musical twists and turns featured
as well.

"We're all looking forward to having everyone hear what new music we've
come up with," Johns stated. "We were writing while we were on the road,
and that continued once we got back home. We're very pleased with the
stuff we've come up with because we think it keeps a lot of the familiar 
elements we like but adds a lot of new things as well. That's good for
us--hopefully it will get people to talking about our music rather
than what it reminds them of. The Nirvana comparisons did grow a bit 
tiresome. It got to the point where people were accepting it as a fact
that we were trying to copy them. That wasn't the truth at all. I admitted
they were an influnce, and that's as far as it went. I am still very 
proud of the music on the first album, but I'm not going to defend it
anymore. It is what it is. Apparently a lot of people liked it. Isn't
that enough?"

Certainly the success of their debut disc should have been enough to 
silence any and all of the band's detractors. But,hey, this is rock
and roll, and for everyone who loves ya, there's got to be someone out
there who wants to string you up by your private parts. That attitude
just kind of goes with the terrain, and it's something that our three
young heroes have had to come to grips with during their brief tenure at the 
top of the rock hierarchy. As silverchair prepares to begin Round Two
of their rock and roll conquest, they seem content, confident and secure
in the knowledge that they've already accomplished more than they ever
could have dreamed. At an incredibly young age, they've managed to emerge
from a nation not generally considered part of rock and roll mainstream
(sorry AC/DC) to reach international fame and fortune--and they've been
able to get out of their school responsiblities at the same time. What
could be better than that for any 17 year old?

"Oh yeah the 'school question',"Johns joked. "I think our parents finally
realize that this music thing is going to work our for us. They're giving
us a little more slack this time. We're 17, we're not kids anymore ,and
there's a whole world out there who wants to hear us play rock and roll."