The Drones were an Australian rock band, formed in Perth by mainstay lead vocalist and guitarist Gareth Liddiard in 1997.

Their second album, Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By (April 2005), won the inaugural Australian Music Prize.

[1] The group were an outlet for Liddiard's songs and the unorthodox music he and Pereira had made after meeting in high school, in 1988.

[2] All four were also members of the Gutterville Splendour Six, which was led by singer Maurice Flavel, and included Brendon Humphries on guitar.

The Drones played a handful of shows in Perth and recorded an unreleased EP before Liddiard and Pereira left for the eastern states in January 2000.

[1] In 2002 Humphries moved back to Perth and was replaced on bass guitar by Fiona Kitschin[1] (who had previously played with Liddiard and Pereira).

[7] Once the sessions were complete the group wanted to change labels, which stalled its release while they saved up enough money to buy out their contract.

[1] Bruce Milne's In-Fidelity Recordings eventually issued the album in April 2005,[1][9] to enthusiastic reviews from the underground music press.

"Shark Fin Blues", was released as its lead single, which Denham Sadler of The Guardian described, "delves into the darkest corners of the human psyche, where depression, loss and anger lie.

It's a bitter song that typifies Liddiard's unique approach to music and songwriting and has become an anthem of sorts for the disenfranchised and melancholic.

In April 2006 Wait Long by the River and the Bodies of Your Enemies Will Float By won the inaugural Australian Music Prize (AMP) for the Drones.

[12][13] Also in contention were works by Wolfmother, the Go-Betweens, TZU, the Devastations, the Mess Hall, Tex, Don & Charlie and Ben Lee.

[12][13] Liddiard explained how they could spend the $25,000 prize money, "We played in Sydney last week and both of our guitars totally died.

In a poll of contemporary Australian songwriters in October of that year, organised by Triple J, "Shark Fin Blues", was listed at No.

In mid-August 2013 the Drones were finalists for the AMP for I See Seaweed, alongside efforts by Kevin Mitchell and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

[27] Following the end of their tour in support of I See Seaweed in 2014, Noga departed to focus on his solo work and was replaced by a returning Strybosch.

The accompanying music video was satirically aimed at right-wing pundits such as Andrew Bolt and the Reclaim Australia movement.

The band played their final show in support of the album in December 2016 as part of the Fairgrounds Festival in Berry, New South Wales; and entered a hiatus period following the set.

In 2017 Kitschin and Liddiard were founding members of a new band, Tropical Fuck Storm, alongside High Tension drummer Lauren Hammel and Harmony vocalist Erica Dunn.

[33] The fifth and final one compiles a 2016 live show recorded at The Tote Hotel in Melbourne that was previously uploaded to YouTube through the band's official channel.

[35] In February 2025, the band announced they would reunite for two shows only in May at the Croxton Bandroom in Melbourne as part of a benefit concert for a friend.