2 on the ARIA Albums Chart and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association, while their second single, "Geronimo", spent three weeks at No.
Sheppard were the halftime entertainment at the 2020 AFL Grand Final, performed prior to game two of the 2021 State of Origin Series and in April 2024 became the first band in history to play a show on the Great Barrier Reef.
[2] The Sheppard siblings were born and grew up in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea to parents Greg and Linda Sheppard, where they attended the Sir Hubert Murray International (primary) School (now part of the Ela Murray International School (TEMIS) chain).
[3] Youngest sister Emma learned to play bass guitar while enrolled at Somerville House; she officially joined the band after graduating in 2011.
Amy had asked for help on a music assignment: "I had to write a song, and I really wanted to put in harmonies, but I'd left it to the last minute.
By 2012, their six-member line-up also included Emma on bass and backing vocals, Michael Butler on lead guitar, and Jared Tredly on drums.
[3][7][8] Sheppard released a five-track extended play of the same name on 17 August 2012, with recording label Empire of Song, which was distributed by MGM.
[12] Kat Hunter of The AU Review felt that the EP "serves up a delicious helping of pop goodness filled with danceable melodies, catchy sing-along lyrics in addition to light and perfectly whipped harmonies and group vocals".
[10] The group played at the Sonic Bang Festival in Bangkok on 24 August 2013, sharing the roster with Placebo, Pitbull, Far East Movement, Jason Mraz, and Owl City.
[18]> George told Plowman how he wrote songs with Amy and Bovino: "We all have very different music tastes ... the important thing to remember when collaborating with two other writers is compromise ... you have to work together to find the common ground ... all of us being happy with it means it will have the widest appeal, if that makes sense".
[9] Toby Creswell of Rolling Stone (Australia) felt it had "beautiful and sweet songs dripping with emotion and more hooks than a tuna fleet" which contained "sturdy pieces that could have been made any time since the Brill Building opened its doors".
[28] In April, Sheppard opened for Michael Franti & Spearhead at The Metro Theatre in Sydney and the Prince of Wales Ballroom in Melbourne.
[34] Sheppard supported Meghan Trainor on the North American leg of her That Bass Tour across March and April 2015.
In April 2015, Sheppard were announced in the line-up for the biannual Rock in Rio festival, widely acknowledged as the world's largest live music event.
[41] The track was written exclusively for Pull&Bear and aims to be an anthem for the normality and familiarity that neighbourhoods represent in an increasingly global world.
[43][44] Greg has also had connections to the operations of Manus Regional Processing Centre,[45] sparking controversy over the bands sources of funding at the time.
In March 2017, Sheppard supported Justin Bieber on the Australian and New Zealand legs of his Purpose World Tour.
[citation needed] On 9 May 2019, the band announced that Michael Butler had departed Sheppard to focus on a new career path.
In September 2021, Sheppard released the first of three digital compilation EPs over three weeks, titled Love Was Never Easy, Highest of Highs and Dance in the Glow.
[64] On 14 March 2024, the band released the single "Edge of the Earth", which they had submitted to SBS for consideration to represent Australia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 but was ultimately not selected.