Amyl and the Sniffers (Australian rock’n’roll/punk band)

Amyl and the Sniffers are an Australian pub rock and punk band based in Melbourne, consisting of vocalist Amy Taylor, drummer Bryce Wilson, guitarist Declan Mehrtens, and bassist Gus Romer. They released their debut album, Amyl and the Sniffers, in 2019. Their second album, Comfort to Me, was released in 2021, followed by their third album, Cartoon Darkness, in 2024. They have been nominated for nine ARIA Awards and have won three, including for Best Group in 2022. The band takes its name from the slang for amyl nitrite, also known as poppers. Taylor compared their music to the drug in an interview with Paul Glynn of the BBC: "In Australia we call poppers Amyl. So you sniff it, it lasts for 30 seconds and then you have a headache – and that's what we're like!" Their sound has been compared to 1970s punk rock groups such as Iggy and the Stooges and the Damned. Taylor has cited a number of varying influences including Minor Threat, Ceremony, AC/DC, Sleaford Mods, Dolly Parton and Cardi B. The band was formed by housemates Amy Taylor, Bryce Wilson, Declan Mehrtens, and Calum Newton in Balaclava, Melbourne. The four wrote, recorded, and released their first EP, Giddy Up, in a span of 12 hours. Newton left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Gus Romer in early 2017. A second EP, Big Attraction, was released in March 2017. In 2018, the band went into the studio to record their debut album with producer and former Add N to (X) drummer Ross Orton. The result was Amyl and the Sniffers, released on 24 May 2019. It received generally positive reviews, including a 7.2 from Pitchfork and 4 out of 5 stars from NME and AllMusic. In light of the album's release, Happy Mag placed the band at No. 9 on their list of "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now", praising Taylor for being "one of hardest rocking people on the face of the planet." The 2018 single "Some Mutts" was used in Warwick Thornton's 2021/22 vampire TV series Firebite. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2019, Amyl and the Sniffers won the ARIA Award for Best Rock Album. In February 2020, the album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize of 2019. On 7 July 2021, Amyl and the Sniffers announced their second album, Comfort to Me, alongside the lead single "Guided by Angels". Later in July, the band released another single, "Security". Three days prior to the release of the album the band released a final single, "Hertz", alongside a complementary music video. The full Comfort to Me album was initially scheduled for release in early October 2021, but it was pushed up and released on 10 September. The album was recorded at Sound Park, in Melbourne. In June and July 2022, the band opened for Weezer, Fall Out Boy, and Green Day on the European leg of the Hella Mega Tour.[citation needed] In April 2023, the band toured with the Smashing Pumpkins and Jane's Addiction. In March 2024, Amyl and the Sniffers announced a US headline tour set for July and August 2024, in addition to their US shows as support for Foo Fighters. In May 2024, the band released the single "U Should Not Be Doing That", the first single from their upcoming album. after which they announced a UK and European Headline tour set for November 2024. On 21 August 2024, the group announced that their third album, Cartoon Darkness, would be released on 25 October 2024. The single and music video for "Chewing Gum" was released on the same day. "Big Dreams", the album's third single, was released on 25 September 2024. On 21 October 2024, the group released the album's fourth single, "Jerkin'". The music video was released through the band's website due to graphic full frontal nudity throughout the video. A censored version was released on YouTube. The band placed in the Triple J Hottest 100 for the first time in 2024, with "Jerkin'" at #32 and "U Should Not Be Doing That" at #34. In 2025, the band opened three concerts for The Offspring in Brazil, while also playing a standalone in São Paulo. From mid-November to mid-December 2025, the band was the main supporting act for AC/DC's Australian leg of the Power Up Tour. Amyl and the Sniffers (2019) Comfort to Me (2021) Cartoon Darkness (2024) The Australian Independent Record Awards (known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. The APRA Music Awards were established by Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) in 1982 to honour the achievements of songwriters and music composers, and to recognise their song writing skills, sales and airplay performance, by its members annually. The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. The Australian Music Prize (the AMP) is an annual award of $30,000 given to an Australian band or solo artist in recognition of the merit of an album released during the year of award. They commenced in 2005. The Brit Awards is a ceremony presented by British Phonographic Industry (BPI) to recognise the best in British and international music. The Grammy Awards are presented by The Recording Academy to recognise outstanding achievement in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious and significant awards in the music industry worldwide. Commencing in 2005, 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. The Music Victoria Awards, are an annual awards night celebrating music from the Australian state of Victoria. They commenced in 2005. The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) commenced in 2016 to recognise contributions to the live music industry in Australia. The Rolling Stone Australia Awards are awarded annually in January or February by the Australian edition of Rolling Stone magazine for outstanding contributions to popular culture in the previous year. Isabella Trimboli (24 May 2019). "Amyl and the Sniffers review – turning pub rock bravado into punk mayhem". The Guardian. "Amyl and the Sniffers". Damagedgoods.co.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2019. Glynn, Paul (14 May 2019). "'It's just charmingly violent powerful fun'". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 6 June 2019. "Amyl and the Sniffers: Amyl and the Sniffers". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 June 2019. "Amyl And The Sniffers' Gus Romer: "I was losing my mind, I was so nervous. It's insane. I hadn't experienced anything like that before". Gimmie Zine. 10 July 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2024. Rogers, Jude (4 May 2019). "One to watch: Amyl and the Sniffers". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 6 June 2019. Smith, Thomas (24 May 2019). "Amyl and The Sniffers – 'Amyl and The Sniffers' review". NME. Retrieved 6 June 2019. "Amyl and the Sniffers – Amyl and the Sniffers | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Saunders, Luke (24 October 2019). "The 15 Australian female artists changing the game right now". Happy Mag.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) "New TV Series To Showcase Aussie Artists To Millions Worldwide". The Music. 16 December 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2024. ARIA (27 November 2019). "2019 ARIA Award Winners Announced". Australian Recording Industry Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) MediaWeek (27 November 2019). "ARIA Awards 2019: Tones and I wins big & Human Nature Hall of Fame". MediaWeek.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) ARIA (10 October 2019). "ARIA Awards: 2019 ARIA Awards Nominated Artists Revealed". Australian Recording Industry Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Boulton, Martin (5 March 2020). "AMP winner Sampa The Great creates history". The Sydney Morning Herald.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) Reilly, Nick (7 July 2021). "Amyl and The Sniffers announce new album Comfort to Me and share first track "Guided By Angels"".