Martin Phillipps, founder and frontman of the influential New Zealand rock band The Chills, has died at the age of 61.
According to a statement posted to The Chills’ social media page on Sunday, July 28th, Phillipps died unexpectedly. The Otago Daily Times reported that Phillipps had recently been admitted to Dunedin Hospital with liver problems.
Signed to Flying Nun Records, The Chills were an early pioneer of of the Dunedin genre, which combined elements of punk rock with psychedelic-guitar playing. Bands such as R.E.M., Pavement, Yo La Tengo, Mudhoney would cite Dunedin as an influence on their own music.
The Chills’ 1990 album, Submarine Bells, went No. 1 in their native New Zealand, while its follow-up, Soft Bomb, peaked at No. 3. Among the band’s most notable songs included “Pink Frost,” “I Love My Leather Jacket,” “Heavenly Pop Hit,” which proved a crossover hit in America, reaching No. 17 on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart.
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In 2019, The Chills were the focus of a documentary called The Chills: The Triumph & Tragedy of Martin Phillipps, which chronicled the history of the band as well as Phillipps’ personal struggles with hepatitis C. The film premiered at South by South West that year.
