Opshop

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Opshop
Background information
Origin	Auckland, New Zealand
Genre(s)	Rock
Years active	2002-present
Members
Jason Kerrison Bobby Kennedy Matt Treacy Clint Harris
Former members
Tim Skedden Ian Munro

Opshop is a New Zealand rock band formed in 2002.

1 History
2 The band
3 Discography
- 3.1 Featured appearances
- 3.2 Singles
4 External links

[edit] History

Opshop was started by Invercargill born, Christchurch raised, singer/songwriter Jason Kerrison. He based himself in Auckland, writing music while at a residency in a backpacker's bar in downtown Auckland. He currently works for Canwest Media Works as the Operations Manager and as a Radio Announcer on KiwiFM

Growing tired of the solo shows, he invited guitarist and old school friend, Tim Skedden to join him and share the acoustic vibe that the club and its punters had come to enjoy. In the following year, Kerrison met up with another old school mate and long time jamming drummer, Bobby Kennedy (also from Christchurch) and invited him to join the very young band. In the following few months, another long-term friend crossed Kerrison's path. The band's name was GST, but was soon changed to Opshop.

Guitarist Matt Treacy (yet another Cantabrian) was also living in Auckland and was soon to be a member of this emerging act. So with four members in place, jamming, interacting, along with plenty of nostalgia and catching up on the Christchurch days, the OPSHOP bandwagon was now rolling.

It was then that the band recruited a friend of Jason's that he had met while studying ethnomusicology at Auckland University. English born Ian Munro became the Opshop's bass player.

Much of Opshop's success is thanks to the ZM radio station where during the winter of 2003 Opshop were the winners of Project NZM a competition designed to help small bands make it big. Project NZM helped Opshop with the release of their single Saturated by giving the song airplay on the ZM network.

As the band remained behind closed doors, a demo recording of their work found its way into the hands of Adrien de Croy and Tracy Magan, of the newly founded label Siren Records, who are also the record label of Goldenhorse, who liked the band's music.

Siren then offered Opshop an opportunity to record some of their material at York Street Studios in a 'live' demo session. The following night, Opshop played their first ever gig alongside Che-Fu and Ted Clarke at the then Leftfield Bar on the Viaduct in Auckland.

In the weeks that followed, Siren approached Opshop with a deal that would provide both opportunity and artist integrity with the benefits of an independent label, alongside the distribution capabilities of major label Capitol/EMI.

They became a signed act and they continue to receive a good deal of support from NZ on Air and New Zealand's broadcasting community. Opshop has finished their new album You Are Here in 2004 and have done many large concerts all over the country. Their first single Nothing Can Wait was recorded by Malcolm Welsford at York St Studios.

The single No Ordinary Thing did very well in the charts and made it on to Now That's What I Call Music Volume 16.

Jason Kerrison, the singer, auditioned for Rock Star Supernova but even though he impressed, he wasn't selected for. the finals

With the single 'Maybe', they are the first New Zealand band to go to the #1 position on iTunes in its history. Beating out Mika, Regina Spektor, Avril Lavigne, Beyoncé & Shakira, The Fray, Silverchair, Fall Out Boy, Justin Timberlake and Snow Patrol. 'Maybe' is the first single off the album 'Second Hand Planet' to be released in april 2007.

[edit] The band

Jason Kerrison (Vocal/Guitar)
Bobby Kennedy (Drums)
Matt Treacy (Guitar)
Clint Harris (Bass)

Tim Skedden (Former member - guitars)
Ian Munro (Former member - bass)

[edit] Discography

Date of Release	Title	Label	Chart	Certification
2004	You Are Here	Siren Records	-	-
2005	You Are Here Special Edition	Siren Records	-	-
2007	Second Hand Planet	Siren Records	-	-

[edit] Featured appearances

The group have appeared on a few compilations since 2002. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by the Opshop.

(2004) - State Of The Nation: Fresh New Zealand Rock (EMI) - No Ordinary Thing
(2005) - Broken Dreams (Warner Strategic Marketing) - No Ordinary Thing
(2005) - Lazy Sunday 5 (EMI) - No Ordinary Thing
(2005) - Now That's What I Call Music 16 (EMI) - No Ordinary Thing

[edit] Singles

Year	Single	Album	Chart	Certification
2003	"Nothing Can Wait"	You Are Here	-	-
2003	"Secrets"	You Are Here	-	-
2004	"Saturated"	You Are Here	-	-
2004	"No Ordinary Thing"	You Are Here	-	-
2007	"Maybe"	Second Hand Planet	10*	- 1 - iTunes singles chart March 2007