Split Enz

Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in Auckland in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were noted for their flamboyant visual style and theatrical performances. Originally formed by university students Tim Finn and Phil Judd as an acoustic-based act, they built a strong regional reputation as an art rock band before moving to Australia in 1975, where they recorded and released their debut album Mental Notes. Their second and third albums, Second Thoughts and Dizrythmia were recorded in the UK. Judd left before the recording of the latter and was replaced by Tim Finn’s brother Neil. This change, as well as Neil’s increasing involvement in the songwriting process, signaled a shift away from the band’s art rock roots and towards a new wave-influenced pop sound that culminated in the band’s most commercial period in the early 1980s starting with the single “I Got You”, whose breakthrough along with its parent album True Colours gained them significant international success. This was followed by Waiata , which yielded the hits “One Step Ahead” and “History Never Repeats”, and Time and Tide , which spawned the hits “Dirty Creature” and “Six Months in a Leaky Boat”, with each album reaching number one in New Zealand and Australia. The band gained a cult following in North America and Europe, and several of their music videos were given heavy rotation during the early days of MTV. Tim Finn left the band in 1983 after beginning a solo career, leaving Neil Finn as the sole leader for their tenth and final studio album See Ya ‘Round . The band broke up shortly after the release of the album. Neil Finn and Paul Hester, who joined Split Enz in 1983, went on to collaborate in a new band called the Mullanes, later known as Crowded House. The band has since staged brief reunions on several occasions, the most recent in 2009. In total, Split Enz had 10 albums reach the top 10 of the Official New Zealand Music Chart. It has had eight songs listed in the APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, more than any other band.