Interviews: Telegraph Press Release and News article by Kevin Raub

The Church's new release was supposed to be on Telegraph Records, but due to contractual obligations it will now be on Thirsty Ear. I am keeping the press releases on my website, though.

THE CHURCH TO RELEASE AFTER EVERYTHING APRIL 24 ON THE TELEGRAPH COMPANY

First Recording of New, Original Material in 3 Years to Coincide with SXSW Appearance and Be Followed by Summer Tour

The Church will make their debut on The Telegraph Company with After Everything on April 24, their first U.S. release of new, original material in three years. They will preview songs from the new recording with an appearance at SXSW in March, followed by a series of club shows and record-release parties in key markets. A North American tour being planned for summer will be their first since 1999.

"When we heard After Everything we knew it was The Church's strongest material in years," said Jerod Gunsberg of The Telegraph Company. "Church fans are loyal ones, and have been with them throughout the years. This record more than proves that this kind of loyalty is well deserved. With our efforts to really call attention to the band in the States, we're confident that this album will open up an entirely new audience for them as well."

Original members Steve Kilbey, Marty Willson-Piper and Peter Koppes, plus drummer Tim Powles, who joined in 1994, say they chose the title After Everything because after a period of musical experimentation, they have found that their strength lies in simply being themselves. Contemporary-sounding, yet retaining The Church's trademark atmospheric sonicscapes on such favorite albums as Heyday, Starfish and the critically-acclaimed Priest = Aura, After Everything marks a refreshing, welcome addition to today's musical climate.

The Church's guitar-driven, dreamy pop music with lyrics of grace, beauty, power and melancholy has drawn comparisons to a diverse array of artists over the years including Pink Floyd, Neil Young, David Bowie and R.E.M. Critics and fans alike view them as an important link in the chain that goes from Bowie to U2 to Radiohead. On After Everything, The Church carries on that tradition in "Numbers" and "Reprieve," which recall such earlier works as "You Took" and "When You Were Mine." On "Chromium Plated," The Church modernizes the ringing feedback and shimmering guitars of their early hits "The Unguarded Moment" and "Metropolis," while fans of Starfish will find plenty to like in the title track. Among the other stand-out tracks on After Everything are "Radiance," "The Cross" and "Invisible." Formed in Australia in 1980, The Church released their debut album in both Australia and the U.S. the following year. The album launched their career with the hit, "The Unguarded Moment." The success of their next two albums, The Blurred Crusade and Seance, plus two hit EPs led to their second U.S. release, Remote Luxury in 1984, followed by Heyday in 1986. Two years later, they hit the Top 40 with "Under the Milky Way" and the album, Starfish, went gold. 1990's Gold Afternoon Fix, which contained "Metropolis," was followed by a world tour and in 1992, they released what some call their finest work, Priest = Aura. The Church continued to record throughout the '90s, releasing Sometime Anywhere, Magician Among The Spirits, Hologram of Baal and a collection of cover versions, Box of Birds They returned to touring in 1998.

With After Everything The Church begins an exciting new chapter in their distinguished career.We're thrilled to announce the signing of THE CHURCH. Their new album, AFTER EVERYTHING, will be available on April 24th in a record store near you

Telegraph Company Announces, Then Takes Back New Church Album

Jan 24, 2001, 2:15 pm PT

The Church

Something fishy is going on in the Church camp. Despite the band being signed to Thirsty Ear Records, which has previously released 1998's Hologram of Baal and 1999's Box of Birds, the Brooklyn-based Telegraph Company announced the release of the band's upcoming new album, After Everything, in a press release last week.

On Tuesday (Jan. 23), that announcement was taken back as the band is still signed to Thirsty Ear. "We're sorry to say that we have been misinformed as to the availability of the North American copyright for the Church's upcoming album, After Everything," said the statement.

"In recent days, it has come to our attention that there are outstanding contractual obligations that the Church needs to fulfill before they can begin working with another label," the statement continued. "Obviously, when the press release was issued, we were not aware of these obligations, nor was it our intent to infringe on the rights of any entity who has a pre-existing contractual agreement with the Church."

According to a spokesperson for Thirsty Ear, there was a misunderstanding between the two labels which has since been resolved -- although neither Thirsty Ear nor Telegraph will go into any further details surrounding the confusion.

Still, After Everything will surface on Thirsty Ear at an as-yet-undecided date as the Church is still in the recording studio. Including After Everything, the Church still owes Thirsty Ear three more albums per its contract.

"As longtime fans of the Church, Telegraph's enthusiasm for and goodwill towards the band remains unabated," continued the statement. "We wish the band all the best and have the utmost respect for them." -- Kevin Raub