Photos by Sharon Steele – Formed in Sydney, Australia in 1980, The Church have spent over four decades carving out a distinct and influential legacy as architects of some of the most atmospheric, ethereal music in alternative rock. Initially emerging during the post-punk and new wave eras, the band quickly distinguished themselves from their contemporaries through an exquisite, shimmering dual-guitar interplay and surreal, poetic songwriting. Fronted by founding bassist, chief lyricist, and vocalist Steve Kilbey, the group’s early work—such as their 1981 debut Of Skins and Heart and its jangly breakthrough single “The Unguarded Moment”—laid the groundwork for a rich soundscape that would effortlessly evolve into neo-psychedelia, dream pop, and progressive space-rock.
The band’s defining commercial high-water mark arrived with the 1988 release of their masterpiece, Starfish. The album catapulted them into international mainstream consciousness, driven by the timeless, evocative hit “Under the Milky Way.” With its haunting acoustic foundations, 12-string guitar textures, and melancholic bagpipe-infused synth solo, the track became a global alternative anthem and remains one of the most celebrated artifacts of late-80s rock. Coupled with the jagged, hypnotic groove of “Reptile,” Starfish proved that The Church could marry dense, uncompromising sonic experimentation with accessible, guitar-driven pop hooks.
While casual listeners frequently associate the band with their 1980s radio staples, The Church’s enduring brilliance lies in their relentless, decades-long refusal to retread creative steps. Weathering numerous lineup changes over the years, Kilbey has steered the band through a massive, critically acclaimed 26-album discography. Longtime drummer and producer Tim Powles, who has been a staple of the group since 1994, helped anchor their experimental mid-career epics, ensuring that even as the band explored longer instrumental jams, cinematic textures, and dystopian concept records, their trademark sonic fingerprint remained completely unmistakable.
Proving to be in the midst of a spectacular late-career renaissance, the current five-piece iteration of the band—featuring Australian guitar virtuoso Ashley Naylor alongside Kilbey, Powles, Ian Haug, and Jeffrey Cain—continues to be a vital force on both the stage and in the studio. Following the massive critical acclaim of their ambitious 2023 sci-fi concept album, The Hypnogogue, The Church have returned to the road for a massive, heavily anticipated global run. Celebrating forty-five years of boundary-pushing music, their career-spanning retrospective showcase treats generation-spanning audiences to a masterclass in live, psychedelic-splashed indie rock, proving that their sonic universe is as vast and mesmerizing as ever.
