Kim Sebastian Churchill (born 26 September 1990 in Canberra) is an Australian folk, rock, and blues singer, songwriter, and musician. He has released six albums: With Sword and Shield/Kim Churchill in 2010, Detail of Distance in 2012, Into the Steel in 2013, Silence/Win in 2014 and Weight Falls in 2017, and “Dawn Sounds” in 2022. He is signed to Montreal-based Canadian label Indica Records.
Kim Churchill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 26 September 1990 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Origin | Merimbula, New South Wales |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician |
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | KimChurchill.com |
Career
editKim Churchill was born in Canberra and moved to the town of Merimbula at around age seven.[1][2] He picked his first guitar when he was 4 years old when his father promised him a guitar if he did well in school. He was trained in classical guitar for ten years.[3] He accompanies his guitar with blues harp (harmonica), stomp box, drums, and percussion instruments.[4] He also plays lapsteel and tambourine.
He started singing and playing in front of crowds very early, writing songs while experimenting various tunes or while busking in various venues. An avid fan of surfing, he incorporated the sport in many of his songs and music videos. Churchill tours extensively and has become a favourite during music festivals including the East Coast Blues & Roots Music Festival (Australia's "Bluesfest"), the Woodford Folk Festival,[3] and other Australian venues. He has particular following in Canada[5][6] where he took part in Canadian Music Week, the Ottawa Folk Festival and the famous Montreal International Jazz Festival.[7] He enjoys good following in the United States where he performed at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and the International Folk Federation Conference in Memphis,[8] plus a tour in England, other European venues, and in Japan.
He released his debut single "Loving Home" that received regular airplay nationally on Australian Triple J radio and ABC Radio National, as well as local and community stations all over Australia. His debut album was entitled With Sword and Shield[9] and released under the title Kim Churchill internationally.[10]
Churchill's second studio album was released on 15 May 2012 being the album Detail of Distance.[11] It was recorded in Vancouver, Canada and was produced by Tod Simko and released by Indica Records. Owing to his popularity in Canada, the release was supported by a 2012 pan-Canadian national summer tour. In 2013 Churchill supported Billy Bragg on his Tooth and Nail tour.
His fourth album Silence/Win was released on 1 April 2014 through Fontana North. Produced by Warne Livesey, it was recorded primarily in sessions in Ucluelet on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada.[12] He also engaged on a pan-Canadian tour to promote the album. The track "Some Days the Rain May Fall" from the album charted on ARIA, the official Australian Singles Chart reaching number 86. Another track from the same album "Window to the Sky" was remixed by the French deep house and electro music producer The Avener and released in France as "You're My Window to the Sky" and charting on SNEP, the French Official Singles Chart.[13]
In 2023, "Window to the Sky" was certified Platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), while at the same time the 2017 "Second Hand Car" was certified Gold.[14]
Reception
editAs part of a review of a Billy Bragg concert for the Vancouver Weekly, critic Jason Motz said: "Opening on this night was the young, barefooted Aussie, Kim Churchill. Churchill made the most of an acoustic guitar, kick drum, pedals and a harmonica. Creating a sound I can only describe as psychedelic whale music, ocean-side blues or countrified Nick Drake, Churchill delivered an off-the-cuff set punctuated by a cover of Dylan’s "Subterranean Homesick Blues". Kim Churchill. Remember that name. He’s going to impress a whole mess of people on this tour. Next year, he could very well be headlining the Vogue."[15]
Discography
editAlbums
edit| Title | Details | Peak chart positions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS [16] | ||||||||||||
| With Sword and Shield / Kim Churchill |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Detail Of Distance | — | |||||||||||
| Into the Steel |
|
— | ||||||||||
| Silence/Win |
|
32 | ||||||||||
| Weight Falls |
|
6 | ||||||||||
| Dawn Sounds |
|
— | ||||||||||
| It's Lovely to Have You Here |
|
61 | ||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
Mixtapes
edit| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| Somewhere Over the Rainbow |
|
| Stronger / Landslide |
|
| Colours of the Wind |
|
| Bright Side Mixtape |
|
Live albums
edit| Title | Details | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montreal Attic Recordings |
| |||||||||||
| FestivaLink Presents: Kim Churchill at Kerrville Wine & Music Festival, TX 9/2/11 |
| |||||||||||
| Montreal Attic Recordings: Vol.2 |
| |||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||
EPs
edit| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Turns to Stone |
|
| I Am |
|
| Forgetting |
|
| The End |
|
| Feeling Whitney |
|
| Again |
|
| Most of the Time |
|
Singles
edit| Year | Title | Peak positions | Certification | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | FRA [13] | ||||
| 2010 | "Loving Home" | — | — | With Sword and Shield | |
| 2014 | "Window to the Sky" | 86 | — | Silence / Win | |
| "Some Days the Rain May Fall"[35] | — | — | |||
| 2015 | "You're My Window to the Sky" (The Avener and Kim Churchill) |
— | 119 | The Wanderings of the Avener | |
| 2017 | "Second Hand Car"[36] | — | — |
|
Weight Falls |
| "Breakneck Speed"[37] | — | — | |||
| 2018 | "Weight Falls"[38] | — | — | ||
| 2019 | "After the Sun"[39] | — | — | I Am | |
| "See You Soon"[40] | — | — | Forgetting | ||
| "Caught up in the Landslide"[41] | — | — | |||
| 2020 | "Nothing Nothing"[42] | — | — | The End | |
| "Don't Know How to Keep Loving You (triple j Like a Version)"[43] | — | — | non album single | ||
| "Outta Love"[44] | — | — | The End | ||
| 2022 | "Fighter"[45] | — | — | Dawn Sounds | |
| "Please Come Home" (with Steph Stringer)[46] |
— | — | |||
| "Come Back Free"[47] | — | — | |||
| 2023 | "Go, Try, Fall"[48] | — | — | ||
| "These Dreams" | — | — | TBA | ||
| "Way Back Home" | — | — | |||
| 2024 | "Theatre Lights" (with Filipe Baldomir) | — | — | ||
| "Hobbies" | — | — | It's Lovely To Have You Here | ||
| "Calm to the Sean"[49] | — | — | |||
| "Wonder"[50] | — | — | |||
Awards and nominations
edit- In 2009, Kim Churchill won Australia's National Youth Folk Artist of the Year.
APRA Awards
editThe APRA Awards are presented annually from 1982 by the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA), "honouring composers and songwriters".[51]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Window to the Sky" | Blues & Roots Work of the Year | Nominated | [52] |
| 2019 | "Secondhand Car" | Blues & Roots Work of the Year | Nominated |
National Live Music Awards
editThe National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Live Music Awards of 2016[53] | Kim Churchill | Live Roots Act of the Year | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ Thatcher, Alex; Powell, Christopher. "Kim Churchill: Blues, Roots & Surfing". Australia: FUSE. Retrieved 25 May 2014.
- ^ Kingsmill, Kate (14 January 2015). "Kim Churchill performs at The Abbey". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 4 December 2016.
- ^ a b KG, Greta (23 November 2010). "Kim Churchill – Driven, Not Stirred". Australia: Bma magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Denbow, Brad (7 March 2011). "Kim Churchill, IAmDonald, The Darkness that Comes Before". Canada: theQuill.ca. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Kim Churchill's love affair with Canada continues this summer". Canada: Indica Records. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Lambert, Marie-Ève (15 July 2011). "La Voix de l'Est: Le phénomène Kim Churchill" (in French). Canada: La Presse. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Harvey, Véronique (30 June 2011). "Entrevue Avec Kim Churchill – Coup de soleil" (in French). Canada: Canoe.ca. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ "Kim Churchill". USA: The Agency Group. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Philp, Michael (10 July 2010). "Kim Churchill – With Sword and Shield". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Chapelsky, Jamie (23 March 2011). "Gateway: Album Review – Kim Churchill". Canada: The Gateway. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Clark, Simon (25 April 2012). "Album Review: Kim Churchill – Detail of Distance (2012 LP)". Australia: The AU Review. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Hudson, Alex (24 March 2014). "Kim Churchill 'Silence Win' (album stream)". Canada: Exclaim.ca. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
- ^ a b LesCharts.com Kim Churchill discography
- ^ a b c "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2023 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ Motz, Jason (13 April 2013). "This Bragg Is Your Bragg – Billy Bragg and Kim Churchill at The Vogue Theatre, April 5". Canada: Vancouver Weekly. Retrieved 13 April 2013.
- ^ Peaks in Australia:
- All except noted: "australian-charts.com – Discography Kim Churchill". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 September 2017.
- It's Lovely to Have You Here: "Rufus du Sol make a shining debut". Australian Recording Industry Association. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ "Details of Distance". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Details of Distance (CD)". JBHiFi. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Into the Steel". Kim Churchill. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Silence/Win". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Weight Falls". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Kim Churchill's 2014 Hit 'Window To The Sky' Goes Platinum". The Music. 22 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Apple Music. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Stronger / Landslide". Apple Music. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Colours of the Wind". Apple Music. 27 May 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Bright Side Mixtape". Apple Music. 3 June 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Festivalink". iTunes LU. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Turns to Stone (EP)". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "I Am". iTunes Australia. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Forgetting - EP". Apple Music. October 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "The End - EP". Apple Music. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Feeling Whitney - EP". Apple Music. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Again - EP". Apple Music. 19 March 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Most of the Time - EP". Apple Music. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "ARIA Chartifacts 26 May 2014". Archived from the original on 20 August 2014.
- ^ "Second Hand Car - Single". Apple Music. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Breakneck Speed - Single". Apple Music. 14 July 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "Weight Falls (Acoustic Sessions)". iTunes Australia. 20 April 2018. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "After the Sun". iTunes Australia. 8 February 2019. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
- ^ "See You Soon - Single". Apple Music. 6 September 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Caught up in the Landslide - Single". Apple Music. 27 September 2019. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Nothing Nothing - Single". Apple Music. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Don't Know How to Keep Loving You (triple j Like A Version) - Single". Apple Music. 5 September 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Outta Love - Single". Apple Music. 9 October 2020. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "New Aus Music Playlist ADDITIONS – 25/03/22". Music Feeds. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
- ^ "Please Come Home - Single". Apple Music. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Come Back Free - Single". Apple Music. 28 October 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
- ^ "Dawn Sounds (Dawn Sounds focus track is "Go Try Fall".)". AMRAP. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
- ^ "Kim Churchill shares cosy new track "Calm The Sea"". 27 Magazine. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
- ^ "Kim Churchill - Wonder (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 2 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ "APRA History". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). Archived from the original on 20 September 2010. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
- ^ "Blues & Roots Work of the Year". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) | Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS). 2015. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
- ^ "Nominees 2016". NLMA. 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2020.