The Teskey Brothers have followed up a massive 2019 by landing their first #1 Australian album with live record Live At The Forum.
The album was recorded during their four-night run in Melbourne last November, and goes top of the ARIA Albums Chart this week, besting international heavyweights Harry Styles, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish and The Weekend in its debut week on the chart.
The Teskey Brothers had originally planned to release the album for Record Store Day, in April, but COVID-19 pushed the release back almost a month. With the coronavirus pandemic leaving Aussies yearning for that raw feeling of live music, Live At The Forum provides a welcome escape from the realities of day to day lockdown.
“We are completely gobsmacked to reach the number one spot,” said Josh Teskey in a statement. “I guess it just goes to show how much everyone misses attending gigs right now!”
“To see a live album top the ARIA Chart during these restricted times just goes to show how much we all crave the live music experience,” added ARIA CEO Dan Rosen.
“As we look to get the live music industry back on its feet, we cannot wait to see Aussie bands like The Teskey Brothers return to venues and festival stages around the country.”
The record goes one better than the band’s acclaimed 2019 second album Run Home Slow which peaked at #2 in a 21 week run on the ARIA Albums Chart last year. Live At The Forum features tunes from both Run Home Slow and their debut record Half Mile Harvest, plus a cover of John Lennon’s ‘Jealous Guy’.
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“We thought we’d try and record a live album with a tape machine, which is madness, but that’s our format so it’s the way we wanted to do it,” said Sam Teskey last month.
The last live Australian record to go to #1 on the chart came from AC/DC in 1992, in the form of AC/DC Live, their second live-recorded album.
Made up of brothers Josh and Sam Teskey, as well as Brendon Love and Liam Gough, the band’s popularity exploded in 2019, in a year when they also signed with Glassnote Record and Mushroom Group’s Ivy League Records.
They cracked the US market and played a bunch of shows on America TV including an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
The Teskeys received seven nominations ahead of the 2019 ARIA Awards, taking home three gongs for Best Group, Best Blues & Roots Album and Engineer Of The Year (Sam Teskey).
The Teskey Brothers could be set to add to award cabinet. The band is up for Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Most Performed Blues & Roost Work, and Song Of The Year for ‘I Get Up’ at the 2020 Virtual APRA Awards on May 26th.
Check out ‘I Get Up’ by The Teskey Brothers:
