One of the common misconceptions about the music industry is that when

suddenly someone has a huge hit, they're an overnight success.

Certainly, the success may be sudden. But it's the work that's gone

into that success that is generally anything but.

And this is how it was with Taxiride. When their first single

"Get Set" started being heavily played by Australian radio,

it was apparent that a band with huge potential had hit the scene.

But, how did they get there?

Up until 1996, when the four singer/songwriter/musicians began working

as a group, each one had been part of the Melbourne music scene. Tim Watson was part

of a group called Hollywood Zoo. Tim Wild played in Captain Spalding.

Jason Singh performed as part of Vasoline. Daniel Hall was his own

acoustic solo act. Tim Watson and Tim Wild were also in a band together

in the early 90's, which was called Jungle Juice!

Each learned the ins and outs of the industry by playing five nights a week

in their respective bands - or, in Dan's case - on his own!

Eventually, Tims Wild and Watson began

writing and recording songs together - having established a

definite rapport. They got in touch with Jason and auditioned

him by having him sing Tracy Chapman's "Gimme One Reason" in seven

different keys to see how high his register went. Which he

pulled off with laudable aplomb.

The final piece was discovered on Tim Wild's weekly stroll through

Camberwell Market. His attention was drawn to a young

guy busking, doing, according to Tim ,"his own songs and eerie

renditions of Jeff Buckley." Tim was rather impressed

and asked the young busker - Daniel Hall - down to

the studio the three guys were using, for a sing.

But, as Tim recalls "He seemed more concerned

about the fact that I didn't throw any money in his guitar case."

(Strange the way things work out, hey?)

Daniel DID show up though, and found that as a collective,

the four of them were definitely on the same wavelength.

He went home with a demo tape of some previously

recorded songs, some of which "absolutely hit me in the head",

as he recalls.

The demos were soon wrapped up, and their managers

went into circulation mode. They had many promising

responses, and they followed these up by performing,

without any amplification or microphones,

in various record company conference rooms

in Melbourne and Sydney.

The band - as yet unnamed - received offers from several labels, including

Warner Music Australia. But it was the joint deal with WMA and its

cousin label Sire Records that they signed.

But, any decent band (or, at least, anyone who wants to be KNOWN!), needs a

name. Initially, Tim Wild gave tapes of the songs they'd done to

a friend named Terry Green, who drove a taxi around Melbourne.

Terry played the tapes in his cab non-stop, eliciting reponses

from his customers. This made for excellent exposure, given the

various passengers taxis tend to have - and Terry became

the band's self-appointed marketing tool.

The songs went over like a dream with Terry's various audiences.

And in deference to the band's first real sounding board,

they decided to name themselves Taxiride.

Leaving themselves wide open to having websites

named things like "The Meter" for them. ;-)

Mid-1998, the band headed into the Los Angeles studio of

producer Jack Joseph Puig, who has worked with such names

as Jellyfish, Goo Goo Dolls, Semisonic - and recently mixed No Doubt's latest album "Return Of

Saturn" - and laid down tracks for their album.

America was first introduced to the band via what was to be their first single "Get Set"

being selected to be part of the soundtrack for the Reese Witherspoon and Matthew

Broderick film "Election". MTV were one of the production companies

and, of course, were all over "Get Set". Hence the band's

unusual first success in a country foreign to their own!

And, now, having had their debut album "Imaginate"

go to Number One on the ARIA

chart in its first week of release, and a joint ARIA award (with Alex Lloyd)

for the Best New Artist single category,

the guys are doing a country-wide tour with Mark Lizotte

to follow it up. The album has also gone platinum.

It's been a long journey.

And, lucky us. We get to reap the benefits of all that hard work.

Taxiride have reminded me (an aspiring singer/performer/musician myself)

why I want to be in music. And why I love it so much.

If you haven't gotten on board, you're missing out.

This band's star is only just rising - you'll want to be there

at its peak!