Perth band Karnivool begin their national headline tour to support their third full-length album, Asymmetry, and with the results in for its first-week sales now in, the five-piece hit the road with some excellent news as well as a historic accolade under their collective belt.
Asymmetry has debuted at the top of the ARIA Albums Chart this week, topping their #2 peak in their second album Sound Awake four years ago. Karnivool’s third LP sold over 15,000 copies, making it the fourth fastest selling album of 2013.
The “soothing and savaging” Asymmetry, according to our Tone Deaf reviewer, has won not only critical acclaim but commercial appeal, beating out strong sellers like previous debut #1 Bliss N Eso, and sales monsters like the Jay Z-beating Harrison Craig, and Pink (currently holding two positions in the Albums Top 10 as she tours Australia).
Karnivool’s third long player was released through the band’s own label Cymatic Records and through Sony Music, and upon hearing the news of their first ever #1 album on Saturday night, the five-piece called the debut position “another win for independent alternative Australian music and everyone who supports it.”
“This is not something we got into the business of music making to try and achieve, nor did it ever cross our minds that it was even possible,” read a statement from the band on their Facebook page. “Yet here we are! So we thought to we’d take this opportunity to extend our sincerest gratitude to all those, who after so patiently waiting, purchased a copy either online or from ye olde retail store.” “Another win for independent alternative Australian music and everyone who supports it.” – Karnivool
The band – frontman Ian Kenny, guitarists Drew Goddard and Mark ‘Hoss’ Hosking, bassist Jon Stockman and drummer Steve Judd – added they hoped fans “get a warm and fuzzy feeling knowing that by buying our records you are helping to ensure we can keep doing what we do; let’s be honest, it’s nice being able to pay the rent!”
The #1 debut for Asymmetry also marks an ARIA Chart first for singer Ian Kenny, making history as the first singer to have two #1 albums in the same calendar year with two different bands – the other being the most played act on Australian radio and upcoming supporters for Muse’s December Tour: Birds of Tokyo. The alt-rock band’s March Fires also debuted at the #1 position on the ARIA Albums Chart upon its release in March.
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“1 all to Birds Of Tokyo and Karnivool, What a nut ball year it’s been!” remarked Kenny in a statement issued today over. Though the vocalist’s achievement is unique, he is preceded by a number of artists who had two #1 albums in the same year with solo releases as well as being members of groups – namely, Jimmy Barnes with Cold Chisel, Eminem with D12, and Roy Orbison with Traveling Wilburys.
Many of the artists appearing at Splendour In The Grass over the weekend, and playing sideshows around the three-day music festival, also experienced a sales boost in the lead up to the three-day music festival (which is a little different to the results of a recent Spotify study that claimed music festivals cause music piracy).
UK’s 19-year-old singer-songwriter Jake Bugg charted with his eponymous debut at #25, Iceland nu-folkies Of Monsters & Men moved up to #38 with their debut My Head Is An Animal, (not so) Myster Band Alt-J sat at #44 with An Awesome Wave, and just behind them Sydney beatmaker Flume.
Exclusive headliners Mumford & Sons saw both of their albums getting a sales boost with Sigh No More re-entering at #85 while follow-up Babel moved from #44 to #33. The biggest jump however came from Frank Ocean, and though he ended up pulling the plug on the rest of his Australian Tour and Splendour appearance after reportedly tearing a vocal chord at his opening Melbourne performance, the singer’s Grammy winning channelORANGE hit #24 after sitting outside the Top 50 the week prior.
Meanwhile Ocean’s replacement at the three-day festival, 16-year-old New Zealander Lorde, continued to rise up the ARIA Singles Chart, moving up to #3 with her debut EP The Love Club, with the release qualifying for the Singles Chart despite being 19 minutes and six tracks long, thanks to a strange set of conditions in the ARIA Code of Practice.
Karnivool National Tour 2013
With special guests NORTHLANE
All shows over 18s only except Luna Park & Thebarton Theatre (All Ages/Lic)
Tickets on sale now 20 June, 9am (AEST) from www.karnivool.com
Tuesday 30 July 2013 – THEBARTON THEATRE Adelaide, SA (All Ages/Lic)
Tickets from www.venuetix.com.au
Thursday 1 August 2013 – MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, VIC (GA Floor/GA seated balcony)
Tickets from www.oztix.com.au
Friday 2 August 2013 – MELBOURNE TOWN HALL, VIC (GA Floor/GA seated balcony) – SOLD OUT
Tickets from www.oztix.com.au
Sunday 4 August 2013 – THE BIG TOP, LUNA PARK Sydney, NSW (All Ages/Lic)
Tickets from www.oztix.com.au and www.bigtopsydney.com
Wednesday 7 August – EATONS HILL HOTEL, Brisbane, QLD
Tickets from www.oztix.com.au
Sunday 11 August, METRO CITY, Perth, WA
Tickets from www.oztix.com.au
