Sounds Like Chicken

Sounds Like Chicken began in 1999 when Nathanael Kitingan (Nat Kitingan) met Nyall Dawson at Monash University in Melbourne. Nat and Nyall attempted to start an unnamed musical project with Hugh Ogilvy (also from Monash University) featuring Nyall on electric violin, Hugh on guitar and Nat on drums. This trio did not get off the ground and so brothers Joel and Elliot Dawson joined to form Sounds Like Chicken, a ska project taking influences from Voodoo Glow Skulls, The O.C. Supertones, The Insyderz and Five Iron Frenzy. This early lineup was Nyall (vocals), Nat (bass/vocals), Elliot (drums), Joel (sax) and Hugh (guitar).

Sounds Like Chicken's first show was at Joel's 21st birthday party in mid-2000. Hugh left the band at the end of 2000 due to other commitments and was replaced by Tom Dowding on guitar. Tom was an extremely accomplished bass player and so Nat decided to swap to playing guitar so that Tom's talent could be fully utilised. The band decided they needed another horn and so after a number of unsuccessful audition attempts, in 2001 Nat met Natalie Parker at university and invited her to a practice. Natalie was initially apprehensive but was eventually convinced by the boys to join the band. During her second practice she was already laying down trumpet tracks on their first demo recording which ended up becoming the band's self-made demo EP, Slowly Going the Way of the Chicken.

Sounds Like Chicken toured interstate for the first time under this lineup in September 2001,[4] playing in Sydney and Canberra and also at the Black Stump Music Festival. In 2002, Tom Dowding departed from Sounds like Chicken to be replaced by Joshua Diemar on bass. It was in this year that Sounds Like Chicken released their first studio EP, I Am Gibbon, Hear Me Roar, produced by David Carr (Antiskeptic, Taxiride). The EP gave the band airplay on community radio, Christian radio, and Triple J.

In early 2004, the band were signed to Boomtown Records, a Melbourne-based indie record label distributing through Shock Records and MGM. Deciding that a bigger ensemble was required, Sounds Like Chicken asked long-time friend Dave Powys (ex Staff Discount and Never in Doubt) to join on second guitar, making them a 7-piece band. Dave moved down from Canberra and recorded on the single Global Domination, their first release with Boomtown and distributed through MGM. The single received national airplay and spot airplay on Triple J and was sold out within 2 months of its limited pressing.[5] It was noted that producer Dave Carr's production was a big step up from previous releases.[6]

It was shortly after this that the band decided it was time to move on and the band was without a bass-player. They were booked in to record an album and so asked if Carlos Echeverria (ex Know Exit and Wishful Thinking) would fill in and record bass for them. Their first full-length album, ...Like a Cannonball to the Ocean Floor was released late that year through Boomtown, also doing well on the airwaves. The album drew acclaim from reviewers as a "brilliantly released debut album",[7] although the length of 17 tracks drew some criticism. Sounds Like Chicken did a joint national tour with label-mates Wishful Thinking to launch the album. Carlos officially joined shortly after the album's release.

In early 2005 founding member and manager, Elliot, decided to part ways with the band. Mike "Carcass" Haydon (of Melbourne band The Knockabouts), only 17 at the time, was able to fill the role of drummer. Mike had been a tour roadie for the band for the past 3 years and so was already well-acquainted with their songs.[8] That year Sounds Like Chicken released the second double-A side single off the album, Take a Bullet to the Grave/El Chupanebre through Boomtown Records, and completed a national tour over 3 months to launch it.

On 3 November 2006, founding member, Nyall Dawson, announced his decision to depart the band early in 2007.

Sounds Like Chicken have played and toured with numerous well-known Australian and international acts and have been featured on various international and Australian compilations and soundtracks such as Turn the Other Cheek Volume 1.

• Natalie Parker - Trumpet/vocals
• Joel Dawson - Tenor Saxophone
• Nyall Dawson - Trombone/"Thrashcore" vocals
• Dave Powys - Guitar/vocals
• Nat Kitingan - Guitar/vocals (also played bass guitar in 1999-2000 and on tour in 2006)
• Ben Hobson - Bass guitar
• Mike Haydon (2005-2006) - drums

• Elliot Dawson (1999 - 2005) - Drums
• Carlos Echeverria - Bass guitar
• Josh "Ramsey" Diemar - Bass guitar
• Joe Ireland - Bass guitar (from the band Know Exit and later Goodnight Combat Fighter and currently in an indie band The Middle East, an unofficial touring member who played numerous shows with SLC around Australia in 2004–2006. The band decided posthumously to credit Joe as an official member, due to his considerable contribution to the group)
• Tom Dowding - Bass guitar
• Hugh "HOgilvy" Ogilvy - Guitar

• "Slowly Going the Way of the Chicken" (2001)
• "Slowly Going the Way of the Stump" (2001)
• "I Am Gibbon, Hear Me Roar" (2002)
• "Global Domination" (2004)
• "Take a Bullet to the Grave" / "El Chupanebre" (2005)
• "Death to the Crow" (compilation) (2007)

• ...Like a Cannonball to the Ocean Floor (2004)

• Turn the Other Cheek Volume 1
• Sorry If It Isn't Cool Anymore! (Mushroom Cloud Records, US)
• RP Records Showcase 03 (RP Records)
• Freerider MX (DVD Soundtrack)
• Endtime Records Compilation Volume 1 (Endtime Records)
• The Fight (DVD soundtrack)
• Boomtown Showdown 06 (Boomtown Records, Live DVD)
• Elevation 06 (96 Five FM Brisbane)