Founded in 1987 in Melbourne, Australia, 1927 is an Australian pop rock band originally formed by Garry Frost (guitar/keyboard), Eric Weideman (vocals), Bill Frost (bass) and James Barton (drums). After leaving popular band Moving Pictures, Garry Frost discovered Sydney singer Eric Weideman during a talent segment on popular Australian television show Hey Hey It’s Saturday, driving to Sydney to recruit him. Joined by Frost’s brother Bill and James Barton, the band spent a year writing songs and seeking a record contract, releasing their debut single “That’s When I Think of You”, released in July 1998, peaking at number 6 on the ARIA singles chart, followed by “If I Could”, peaking at number 4. Shortly after, the band released their studio album …Ish, gaining the group instant popularity, peaking at number 1 an the ARIA Albums chart, and awarded 5x platinum, making it one of the most successful debut Australian albums of all time with the album charting in both the U.S and the U.K. Their success continued in 1989 with “You’ll Never Know” and “Compulsory Hero”, winning the award for Best Breakthrough Artist at the 1989 ARIA Awards, followed by Best Video for “Compulsory Hero” the next year. Charlie Cole soon joined the band on keyboards, with Garry Frost departing the group after their Australian tour, replaced by Dave Dwyer. 1927’s second album The Other Side was released to high acclaim, peaking at number 3 in July, 1990 with single “Tell Me a Story” charting in the top 20. In 1992, Barton was replaced by Phillip Campbell on drums and the group released third album 1927 , however despite charting in the Top 40, the group disbanded in 1993, releasing compilation album The Very Best of 1927 three years later. After launching a solo career, Weideman reformed the band in 2009 with a predominantly different line up including Damien Cooper (drums), Craig Laird (lead guitar) and Simon Shapiro (bass) and the group supported hit Swedish duo Roxette on their 2012 Australian tour, releasing fourth album Generation-I in 2013. In 2019, the band released their EP Paper Aeroplane, disbanding shortly after. Due to popular demand, Weideman re-formed the band once again in 2022, performing on the Australian summer festival circuit and announcing new tour, 1927 Next Generation Tour ’23.
