about

Professional Work

Lead singer, bassist, and songwriter for the Australian band, the Church

Wrote two books of poems, Earthed and Nineveh/The Ephemeron.

Has seven solo albums, This Asphalt Eden (actually a single), Unearthed, Earthed, The Slow Crack, Remindlessness, Narcosis Plus, and Dabble. He also has a new live CD and video called Acoustic and Intimate.

Collaborations include Jack Frost, the Refo:mation, Hex, Fake, and Gilt Trip with brother Russell Kilbey.

Produced Margot Smith, Stephen Cummings, Crystal Set, Curious (Yellow), Bhagavad Guitars, Mae Moore, and Kev Carmody

Has his own his own studio, Karmic Hit, in Australia

Personal Information

Lives in Stockholm, Sweden. Or is it Delaware in the United States? Somewhere in Australia? Steve is a man of travel.

Has two sets of twin daughters, Elektra June (Elli) and Anna Miranda (Minna); and Aurora and Eve (born October 1999).

Born September 13, 1954.

Comes from a musical family: brothers Russell and John both have bands.

Used to have a thing for paisley shirts and tight black jeans.

Likes David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan.

My thoughts on Steve Kilbey

His voice: baritone, often referred to as monotone, hypnotic, deadpan, relaxing, spooky. I first heard it in the early nineties. After the decade of shrieking hair-band singers, the lower register of Steve's voice captivated me.

His poetry: his lyrics and poetry always inspire me to write about things I'm sure no one has ever thought of before . . except maybe him. See "Things Steve Writes About." He uses word plays, science fiction and fantasy (in the loosest sense of the words) imagery, historical scenarios, and surreal situations that seem perfectly reasonable when you read them. Go to the Poetry page for samples of his work.

His songs: my favorite song Steve Kilbey sings is "The Time Being" by the Church. This song is very mysterious and dark, with beautiful chord changes and lyrics about underground lairs full of snakes, and statues of Sharon Stone. My favorite song from his solo tracks is "A Favourite Pack of Lies". This is a bouncy, cheerful song about infatuation. At first I was nauseated by its ridiculously cheesy euphoria, but it grew on me, despite my resistance.

His business sense: I admire him for doing his own thing instead of selling out. His focus isn't on making money or top 40 hits; instead he focuses on writing music HE thinks is good, record companies be damned . . .