13 years ago, front man Phil Jamieson was just another 17 year old in his first year of university. He and drummer Kristian Hopes relocated from Port Macquarie to Lismore, on the north coast of NSW, in the hope of forming a band. It was here they discovered bassist Joe Hansen and guitarist Pat Davern whiling away their time in a cover band. “They were both bored out of their brains,” Jamieson recalls. “I was studying, Joe had finished his degree, Pat had dropped out, and Kristian was working.”

Remarkably, Grinspoon’s line-up has not changed since its conception. Davern says that in spite of the well-documented inner turmoil of the 12 months, Grinspoon’s future was never in doubt. “We obviously had our moments,” he says. “But we had a good look at what we were doing. We knew we would have to make some changes. But the band’s excited about our future, and that’s what keeps us going. We’ve had a few setbacks, but we’ve gotten over all of the bull shit.”

Today the Grinspoon family is spread over four cities in two states: Sydney, Wauchope, Coffs Harbour and Brisbane. Band meetings and discussions are often conducted over the net, via email. The band believes this has helped increase their longevity. “There are emo bands, but we’re an email band,” Jamieson jokes. “It’s a little Grinspoon community we have online.”

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/grinspoon

Website: http://www.grinspoon.com.au