Underground Lovers (sometimes stylised as undergroundLOVERS) are an Australian pop-rock band whose sound encompasses elements of indie rock, electronic and shoegaze.
[1] Both musicians credit their careers to Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and the album Architecture & Morality (1981);[2] they were also influenced by Joy Division, New Order, the Cure and the local underground electronic and experimental music scenes.
[4] Australian music journalist Ed Nimmervoll praised how well "Glenn's striking hypnotic guitar atmospheres balanced against Vince's acute pop sense.
"[4] New members Richard Andrew, Stephen Downes, and Philippa Nihill were recruited throughout 1989, and by the end of the year, they had changed the name of the group to Underground Lovers,[3][4] borrowing from the title of an Italian surrealist play.
[5] The band finished out 1991 with the release of a four-track EP of new material called Nice, as well as an exclusive track, "Ripe", on rooArt's Youngblood 3 compilation album.
The band spent the first half of 1993 on a tour of North America and the UK, including a performance at 4AD's prestigious 13 Year Itch festival in July.
[13] Upon returning home, they commenced production on their third album, first enlisting two former members of Essendon Airport, David Chesworth and Robert Goodge, to handle rhythm and keyboard programming, as well as co-production along with engineers Connolly and Grounds.
The latter saw a move towards more electronic territory,[citation needed] and Derek Yuen departed during the recording sessions, later to be replaced by Autohaze drummer Andrew Nunns.
Cold Feeling again showed the increasing influence of electronica on the group's music, and featured contributions from other Melburnian musicians, including the Paradise Motel's Mérida Sussex and ex-Triffids pedal steel guitarist Graham Lee.
The title track received considerable airplay on Triple J, and new bassist Emma Bortignon joined up with the band in time to appear on the b-sides to the second single, "Infinite Finite".
Inspired by Giarrusso's early career as a social worker, the film focused on a troubled youth (played by Kane McNay of SeaChange fame) and his dysfunctional lifestyle in Melbourne's northern suburbs.
[8] The band opened for Primal Scream on their Melbourne shows in February 2011, and also supported Mark Gardener (formerly of Ride) on his Australian tour in 2012.
Early in 2023 Bennie and Giarrusso created a spin-off group Underground Lovers Moda Discoteca (ULMD) with Argiro, Matthew Sigley (the Earthmen, the Lovetones, Greenhouse) and Mat Watson (Free Fields, Other Places, Taipan Tiger Girls).
[19] In August 2024 ULMD announced they were due to support United Kingdom visitors Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) on their February 2025 Australian tour.
[22] After their break up in 2002 Glenn Bennie began an ongoing solo project, GB3, in 2003 with collaborator Tim Prince and various vocalists or musicians,[23] which has includied Philippa Nihill.
[23] Their third album, Damaged/Controlled (2010), was co-written and recorded with Kilbey, while Nihill provided vocals for "Nectarine", which was promoted by an animated video, created by Maurice Argiro.
[24] Giarrusso also performed live, at that time, with another band, Raining Ropes, alongside former members of Bergerac and the Paradise Motel, but they issued no recordings.
In 2009, Giarrusso performed two shows in Melbourne with a group, Underground Lovers in LA, which included bassist Todd Hutchinson, cellist and keyboardist Zoe Barry, guitarist Jed Palmer and drummer Steve Griffiths from the Hope Diamond.
[25] Arun Kendall of Backseat Mafia observed, "[it's] filled with shimmering guitars and a motorik beat, delivering melodic pieces that are luminescent and grand, creating a sense of euphoria with its vibrant pulse.