Beloved New Zealand rock band The Chills have revealed plans to honor their late singer Martin Phillipps by posthumously releasing their final recordings.
Martin tragically passed away aged 61 on July 28 at his home in Dunedin, after a long battle with liver disease.
His bandmates and close friends, with whom he had performed since 1980, spoke openly about their plans to release a tribute album to Martin, featuring his unreleased recordings.
“Martin had the idea to go back and re-record them, but when he started looking at the songs he realized he needed to modify them a lot,” said the singer’s close friend, Dianne Swann. Radio New Zealand.
Swann added that Martin’s friends had been working hard to put together the project, which is called Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs, and said it will be released on February 28, 2025.
He collaborated on the album with Phillips’ bandmates and said the release would be a moving experience for Martin’s many fans, who would appreciate his new songs after his passing.
Beloved New Zealand rock band The Chills have revealed their plans to honor their late singer Martin Phillipps (pictured) by posthumously releasing their final recordings.
‘Very bittersweet. I haven’t heard the full album yet. “One of the songs I sang is called I Don’t Want to Live Forever and it’s a very beautiful song, quite moving,” he said.
The album will feature contributions from a who’s who of New Zealand musicians including Fur Patrol’s Julia Deans, Elroy Finn and Split Enz, Crowded House singer Neil Finn, Tiny Ruins’ Hollie Fullbrook, Troy Kingi, Shona Laing, Tami Neilson , Dianne Swann, and Clementine and Valentine Nixon of the Purple Pilgrims.
Swann noted that Martin was dealing with health issues when he recorded several of the songs, saying that they are a testament to his skill and that the new album will be released in his honor.
Fire Records, which is releasing the double vinyl and CD, said Spring Board is a “dedicated reimagining of his previously unreleased songs that became his artistic farewell, a lasting legacy and a reminder of his enormous and underappreciated talent.”
Martin developed a reputation as one of New Zealand’s most charismatic singers after forming pop rock band The Chills with his close friends from the South Island.
He formed the group with his keyboardist sister Rachel and close friends Peter Gutteridge, Jane Dodd and Alan Haig.
The band enjoyed success in both New Zealand and Australia, and their 1990 album Submarine Bells reached number one in their home country.
Their signature song was called Heavenly Pop Hit and reached number two in New Zealand, and also enjoyed chart success in Australia and the United Kingdom.
In July, The Chills reported the heartbreaking news of Martin’s passing in a statement on social media.
“Heartbroken, the family and friends of Martin Phillipps wish to announce that he has died unexpectedly,” they began.
Martin tragically died at the age of 61 on July 28 in his home country, after being admitted to hospital for liver disease.
His bandmates and close friends, with whom he had performed since 1980, have spoken openly about their plans to release a tribute album to Martin, featuring his unreleased recordings.
‘The family asks for privacy at this time. Funeral arrangements will be communicated in due course.
Martin developed a reputation for his brash personality and larger than life personality.
His health problems were often covered by the New Zealand press.
The beloved singer was the subject of a 2019 documentary called The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps.
The film featured several famous New Zealand singers speaking about the impact of Martin’s music, including Neil Finn and Hamish Kilgour.
After Martin’s death, Neil Finn paid tribute to him in a statement: “He was a true original, fascinated and devoted to the magic and mystery of music.”
He was survived by his father and siblings Rachel and Sara.