Philadelphia Grand Jury
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2012}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Philadelphia Grand Jury
| image =
| caption = Philadelphia Grand Jury performing live in January 2011. L-R: Simon Berckelman and Joel Beeson
| background = group_or_band
| alias = The Philly Jays
| origin = Sydney, Australia
| genre = Indie rock, punk, soul
| years_active = 2008–2011; 2013–2020, 2024–present
| label = Normal People Making Hits/Boomtown Records
| associated_acts = Art vs. Science
I Heart Hiroshima
The Paper Scissors
| website = http://www.philadelphiagrandjury.com.au
| current_members = Simon Berckelman
Joel Beeson
Dave Jenkins, Jr.
| past_members = Dan Williams
Sullivan Patten
Calvin Welch
Ivan Lisyak
}}
Philadelphia Grand Jury (The Philly Jays) are an Australian trio from Sydney. The band's current line-up consists of Joel "MC Bad Genius" Beeson on bass, keyboard and guitar, Simon "Berkfinger" Berckelman on vocals and guitar and "Handsome Dave" Jenkins, Jr. on drums. The band has self-described as playing music that blends "indie, punk and soul."{{cite web |url=http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/FeaturedArtist.aspx?artistid=23528 |title=Triple j Unearthed - Featured Artist |accessdate=10 August 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918035141/http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/FeaturedArtist.aspx?artistid=23528 |archivedate=18 September 2009 }}
Biography
=2001-2009: ''Hope Is for Hopers''=
Beeson originally formed a band called Johnson in 2001 with his friend Berckelman, before creating the indie band label Motherlovin' Records in 2004. Subsequent bands included Malcolm X & the Black Auditorium and Berkfinger and The Sweats, the latter combining to form Philadelphia Grand Jury in early 2008.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
In May 2009, the band signed a joint venture deal with Boomtown Records.{{cite web|url=http://www.boomtownrecords.com.au/news/boomtown-records-signs-philadelphia-grand-jury/|title=Boomtown Records signs Philadelphia Grand Jury|publisher=Boomtown Records|date=18 May 2009|accessdate=10 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914161506/http://www.boomtownrecords.com.au/news/boomtown-records-signs-philadelphia-grand-jury/|archive-date=14 September 2009|url-status=dead}}
In June 2009, the band released "Going to the Casino (Tomorrow Night)"{{cite web|url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/music/19403/Philadelphia-Grand-Jury--Going-To-The-Casino-EP.htm|title=Philadelphia Grand Jury – Going to the Casino|publisher=Faster Louder.com.au|date=17 July 2009|accessdate=10 September 2009}} where it received significant play on Triple J{{cite web|url=http://www.jplay.com.au/JSite/ViewSong.aspx?SongID=19391 |title=Going to the Casino (Tomorrow Night)|publisher=J Play|accessdate=10 September 2009}} and featured on the television mini-series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, also appearing on the soundtrack album.{{cite web|url=http://chaos.com/product/underbelly_a_tale_of_two_cities_3384488_3412.html |title=Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities soundtrack |publisher=Chaos music |accessdate=10 September 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=771015 |title=Underbelly soundtrack |publisher=Channel Nine |accessdate=10 September 2009}}
The band's debut album, Hope Is for Hopers, was released on 25 September 2009,{{cite web|url=http://m.messandnoise.com/news/3737696|title=Philly Jays hit the road|publisher=Mess+Noise|date=8 September 2009|accessdate=10 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075032/http://m.messandnoise.com/news/3737696|archive-date=14 July 2011|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thedwarf.com.au/nd/news/perth/philadelphia_grand_jury_announce_debut_album|title=Philadelphia Grand Jury announce debut album|publisher=The Dwarf.com.au|date=18 August 2009|last=Dibbs|first=Lisa|accessdate=10 September 2009}} reaching No. 34 on the ARIA Albums Chart.{{cite web|url=http://www.australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Philadelphia+Grand+Jury&titel=Hope+Is+For+Hopers&cat=a |title=Hope is for Hopers – Philadelphia Grand Jury|publisher=Australian-charts.com|accessdate= 12 October 2009}}
Williams departed from the group in September 2009.{{cite web|url=http://www.thevine.com.au/music/articles/thevine-radio-player-feature-_-philadelphia-grand-jury.aspx|title=TheVine Radio Player Feature – Philadelphia Grand Jury|publisher=TheVine.com.au|date=30 September 2009|accessdate=27 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003053400/http://www.thevine.com.au/music/articles/thevine-radio-player-feature-_-philadelphia-grand-jury.aspx|archive-date=3 October 2009|url-status=dead}} Williams' position was temporarily filled by Ivan Lisyak, aka 'Emergency Ivan', before a permanent replacement – American session musician, Calvin Welch (Earth, Wind and Fire, Sonny Stitt) – joined the band.{{cite web|url=http://m.messandnoise.com/news/3753377|title=Philly Jays recruit new drummer|publisher=Mess+Noise.com|date=23 September 2009|accessdate=27 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075136/http://m.messandnoise.com/news/3753377|archive-date=14 July 2011|url-status=dead}}
At the fourth annual AIR Awards, held on 22 November 2009, Philadelphia Grand Jury won an award for "Best Independent Single or EP" with their single "Going to the Casino".{{cite web |url=http://www.airawards.com.au/ |title=2009 Air Awards |publisher=AIR |date=November 2009 |accessdate=27 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716122508/http://www.airawards.com.au/ |archive-date=16 July 2010 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=9567_The_Drones_Take_Home_The_Major_Air_Award |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205153545/http://www.undercover.com.au/News-Story.aspx?id=9567_The_Drones_Take_Home_The_Major_Air_Award |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 December 2012 |title=The Drones Take Home The Major Air Award |publisher=Undercover.com.au |date=24 November 2009 |last=Cashmere |first=Paul |accessdate=27 November 2009 }}
=2010-2011: Break up=
In October 2010, the band announced that Welch had left the band, as the 'rigours of the road have proved too arduous for the 55-year-old drummer'. Welch's replacement was Berlin-based/Brisbane-born Sullivan "Susie Dreamboat" Patten (of I Heart Hiroshima),{{cite web|url=http://www.messandnoise.com/news/4081955|title=Philly Jays announce drummer No. 4|publisher=Mess+Noise.com|date=1 October 2010|accessdate=27 October 2010}} who performed with the band on their tour of the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Patten finished touring with the band in January 2011.
In March 2011, news surfaced that the band had abandoned work on the follow-up to Hope is for Hopers.{{cite web |url=http://www.themusicnetwork.com/music-news/industrial-strength/2011/03/16/industrial-strength-march-16/ |title=Industrial Strength: March 16 - Industrial Strength - The Music Network |website=www.themusicnetwork.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110320025803/http://www.themusicnetwork.com/music-news/industrial-strength/2011/03/16/industrial-strength-march-16 |archive-date=2011-03-20}} When FasterLouder sought a follow-up, they were met with the following statement in regards to the band's current status.{{cite web|url=http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/27805/Philadelphia-Grand-Jury-on-hiatus|title=Philadelphia Grand Jury "on hiatus"|date=17 March 2011}} "Philadelphia Grand Jury are on something of a hiatus. No need to make it a bigger deal than it is. Creative individuals tend to have more than one project and Philadelphia Grand Jury is just one of Berkfinger's musical personas. Berkfinger is currently focusing on other projects, including moving his recording gear to Berlin to finish the recordings that he has been working on in the various incarnations of studios that he has built over the years." On 2 November 2011 the band posted on their Facebook page that the band had broken up.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}
=2013–present: ''Summer of Doom'', second hiatus and reunion=
After the split, Beeson moved onto production and remix work under the moniker of Boyhood, while Berckelman relocated to Berlin and began working on a solo project entitled Feelings. Feelings released their debut album, Be Kind Unwind in October 2013. In 2013, Berckelman assembled Beeson and Williams to join him on tour in Australia under the Feelings moniker. The three playing together for the first time in nearly four years immediately sparked rumours of a Philadelphia Grand Jury reunion, which were confirmed with a midnight performance by the band at the 2013 BIGSOUND festival in Brisbane. The band then announced a tour for December 2013, incorporating songs for both Feelings and Philadelphia Grand Jury across two sets.{{cite web | url-access=limited |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/84677998940/10151889209828941 |archive-date = 2022-04-30| url = https://www.facebook.com/philadelphiagrandjury/posts/10151889209828941 |title = Philadelphia Grand Jury on Facebook |website=Facebook}}{{cbignore}}{{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}
In late 2014, it was revealed the band would be heading to Berlin in 2015 to record new material. The sessions resulted in the band's second studio album, which had the working title of Ulterior Motif. A new single, "Crashing and Burning, Pt. II," was released in August 2015. The album, now titled Summer of Doom, was released in October 2015. The band would continue to tour infrequently across the remainder of the 2010s, but no new music surfaced until 2019 with the release of stand-alone single "$10K". A second single, "Nervous Breakdown", followed in 2020. The band entered a second hiatus period due to COVID-19, but announced their reunion in 2024 to commemorate the 15-year anniversary of Hope is for Hopers.{{cite web |title=Philadelphia Grand Jury Announce 2024 Reunion Tour |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/philadelphia-grand-jury-announce-2024-reunion-tour/ |website=Music Feeds |publisher=Evolve Media |access-date=31 October 2024}}
Discography
=Albums=
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"
! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:11em;"| Title ! scope="col" rowspan="2" style="width:17em;"| Details ! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions |
| scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;" | AUS {{Cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Philadelphia+Grand+Jury+&cat=a|title=Philadelphia Grand Jury on Australian Charts|website=Australian Charts|accessdate=17 August 2020}} |
|---|
| scope="row"| Hope Is for Hopers
|
| 34 |
| scope="row"| Summer of Doom
|
| — |
=Singles=
Awards
=AIR Awards=
The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
{{awards table}}
|-
| 2009{{cite web|url=https://www.auspop.com.au/2009/10/air-nominees/|title=AIR Nominees|date=19 October 2009|accessdate=19 August 2020|archive-date=18 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918230557/https://www.auspop.com.au/2009/10/air-nominees/|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.air.org.au/awards/history|title=History Wins|website=Australian Independent Record Labels Association|accessdate=18 August 2020}}
|"Going to the Casino"
| Best Independent Single/EP
| {{won}}
|-
| rowspan="3" | 2010{{cite web|url=https://www.theaureview.com/music/jagermeister-independent-music-awards-nominations-announced/|title=Jagermeister Independent Music Awards Nominations Announced!|date=1 September 2010|accessdate=19 August 2020}}
| "The Good News"
| Best Independent Single/EP
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |Philadelphia Grand Jury
| Breakthrough Independent Artist
| {{nom}}
|-
| Most Popular Independent Artist
| {{nom}}
|-
{{end}}
=J Award=
The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J. They commenced in 2005.
{{awards table}}
|-
| 2009
|Hope is for Hopers
| Australian Album of the Year
| {{nom}}
{{end}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category|Philadelphia Grand Jury}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Australian indie rock groups
Category:Musical groups from Sydney
Category:Musical groups established in 2008
Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2011
Category:Musical groups reestablished in 2013
Category:2008 establishments in Australia
Category:2011 disestablishments in Australia
Category:2013 establishments in Australia