Falling Joys’ frontwoman Suzie Higgie’s first band was Get Set Go, formed in Canberra in 1983 with the lineup of Suzie and her sister Jenny, Nic Dalton (later of The Plunderers, Godstar, The Lemonheads and Sneeze, also co-founder of the Half A Cow record label and store), and Stevie Plunder (aka Anthony Hayes).
“We thought we were The Velvet Underground pretty much. There was this tunnel in Commonwealth Park in Canberra, and it had power.
So we would go down … it was quite isolated … so we’d go down there and just have the best fun and write stuff, a lot of stuff. I’m still thinking about putting out a Get Set Go album actually.” [Suzie Higgie]
Jenny went away to art school, the band broke up, and Suzie ended up getting a job in television as a vision mixer with the ABC. Stuart Robinson was also working in tape at the ABC, and in 1985 Suzie, Stu and Ken Doll (Ken Merrily) formed Falling Joys as a three piece.
“So we were a three piece… I know that I came up with the name…I suppose I liked the negative/positive thing… Falling Joys. And I think a lot of our music does that too, like ending or beginning, you know, just in material. There’s a mixture of elements that are in play. So I just liked the sound of it, I don’t really remember what else we thought of it. So we were Falling Joys, three piece, did a few recordings then…” [Suzie Higgie]
The band eventually became the four piece lineup of Suzie (guitar, lead vocals and songwriting), Stuart Robinson (guitar), Pat Hayes (bass) and Pete Velzen (drums).
Some time after a couple of independent releases, Falling Joys came to be signed to Volition.
“With the styles of music that predominantly Volition were putting out, we were really different. We were a rock band. So it was kind of interesting that (Andrew Penhallow) took us on. I can’t remember that first conversation or how we hooked up with him. Smash, our manager at the time, probably would’ve organised that first union, I imagine.” [Suzie Higgie]
The band’s first album for Volition was “Wish List”, co-produced by the band with Adrian Bolland, and released on vinyl LP (VOLT29), CD (VOLTCD 29) and cassette (VOLTC29) in November 1990.
“As you’re aware, when recording albums they can be quite boring. There’s all this downtime, particularly putting down drums and all that kind of stuff. So, an indication of the period too… I became completely addicted to Tetris. I’d walk around Sydney thinking, ‘That building would fit really well!’” [Suzie Higgie]
The first single from “Wish List”, preceding the album release, was “Nearly A Sin”, released in June 1988 (VOLT 16, 7″ vinyl).
“You’re In A Mess”, the second single to be included on “Wish List”, was released in December 1988 as a vinyl 7″, with two separate cover/label designs (VOLT 23). The single quickly became a fan favourite and gained a great deal of airplay for the band, particularly on (at that stage, still Sydney-only) radio station Triple J.
The third single from “Wish List” was “Lock It”, a personal favourite, and a crowd favourite at Falling Joys shows.
At this stage Volition had a manufacturing and distribution deal with BMG, and singles being released on multiple formats seems to have become the order of the day. “Lock It” was released as a 7″ single on both black vinyl and limited translucent purple vinyl (VOLT337, the same catalogue number for both), CD single (VOLTCD33) and cassette single (VOLTC 337).
Around this time the band were touring relentlessly to promote “Wish List”, and hit the road across North America.
“Wish List really took off. We toured extensively. Honestly I think in the early nineties, ninety-one, ninety-two… we were doing three shows a week. It was full on. Touring, touring, touring.” [Suzie Higgie]
Falling Joys travelled to London to record their second album with British studio engineer/producer Jessica Corcoran, who had also worked with The Darling Buds, Ned’s Atomic Dustbin and Mega City Four, among others.
“Jessica Corcoran was a complete dynamo, she was like twenty one, really interesting. Working with a young engineer. She was great fun. I think Psychohum actually is very underrated.” [Suzie Higgie]
The band’s second album, “Psychohum” (VOLTCD59), was released in June 1992. Release formats included cassette (VOLTC59), a limited double pack of the album with bonus “Black Bandages” CD single (VOLTCD59B), and limited pack of the CD with a VHS video tape, “Psychovision”, containing music videos for “Black Bandages”, “Incinerator” and “God In A Dustbin” (VOLTCD59V).
By this stage Volition had a new manufacturing and distribution deal with Sony Music, and from around 1991 the locally pressed vinyl LP had almost become a thing of the past in Australia as the major record labels shut down pressing plants. As a consequence “Psychohum”, and subsequent album “Aerial”, didn’t get vinyl pressings.
“Psychohum” has slightly punkier moments, yet also a little more polish than “Wish List”. The punk edge is very evident on the excellent single “Black Bandages” (released in Australia on CD single VOLTCD53, and limited vinyl 12″ VOLT53).
Released in September 1993, Falling Joys’ third album “Aerial” (on CD VOLTCD79, and cassette VOLTC 79) was recorded in the wilds of Kangaroo Valley, New South Wales, with producer Paul McKercher.
“Aerial” birthed another of my favourite Falling Joys singles, “Fiesta!” (CD single VOLTCD73).
Like several of the rock groups on Volition, Falling Joys received the electronic dance remix treatment. In their case the track “Amen” was remixed by Boxcar, who gave it magnificent dubby, trancey, indie dance workovers in the seven-minutes-plus Covenent Mix, and the shorter Testament Mix.
The “Amen” remixes were featured on the double A-side single “Make It Soon”/”Amen” (Remix), released on CD single (VOLTCD93) and vinyl 12″ single (VOLT93).
After three albums, “Wish List”, “Psychohum” and “Aerial”, all of which went to number one in the Australian alternative albums charts, with the latter two reaching the ARIA Albums Chart Top 50, Falling Joys split in 1995.
Their final release on Volition was the “Universal Mind” EP (VOLTCD 103) in June 1995, as both a stand alone CD, and as a limited double CD packaged with the earlier “Make It Soon”/”Amen” (Remix) CD single (VOLTCD93).
In 2000, in conjunction with Volition, Warner Music Australia reissued remastered versions of “Wish List”, “Psychohum” and “Aerial” on CD.
Falling Joys reunited in 2011 for several concerts in Canberra and Sydney.
In late 2017/early 2018 the band joined friends The Clouds on a tour of Australia.
VOLT 2023: A Volition Archive 