Early career (1997–1999)
The band was formed by singer/lead guitarist Shimon Moore and bassist Emma Anzai in the music room of Mosman High School in 1997, when they double-booked the room and bickered over who would get to practice. They soon bonded over their love of Silverchair. Initially with Shimon on drums and Emma on guitars, the duo would frequently meet up to play Green Day, Rage Against the Machine, and Silverchair songs, and eventually felt compelled to write their own material. When Chris Mileski joined the band to play drums, Emma switched to bass and Shimon to guitar and vocals, and they became Sick Puppies.
Emma Anzai took up a job as a telemarketer and Shimon took a job holding a sandwich board in the Pitt Street Mall in Sydney. Through their own financing and with help from Shimon's father (a musician and producer), the band released their debut EP Dog's Breakfast.
Initial success (2000–2008)
The band entered the Triple J Unearthed band competition in 2000 with a demo of their song, "Nothing Really Matters" and went on to co-win the Sydney-region along with Blue and Ariels.Spans.Earth., which led to a management deal with Paul Stepanek Management. This deal enabled the band to release their debut studio album, Welcome to the Real World in 2001, and their second EP, Fly in 2003. The band decided they needed a fresh start when the record label they had signed a contract with folded and their drummer Chris Mileski left the band. They decided to move to Los Angeles when rock photographer Robert Knight, who would later co-star in a documentary called Rock Prophecies with the band, said to their manager, "You should move the band over here, I really think they will do well". As they were without a drummer, the band posted an ad on Craigslist, where they found their current drummer Mark Goodwin.
In 2007, Sick Puppies released their second album, Dressed Up As Life. The album came after the huge success of the "Free Hugs Campaign", and featured their breakout single "All the Same". The song reached number eight on the U.S. Modern Rock chart and is also featured in the video for the Free Hugs Campaign, which won YouTube video of the year in 2006. They followed up the single with "My World", which peaked at No. 20. The band also released "Pitiful" and "What Are You Looking For" as singles in 2008.
Tri-Polar and related releases (2009–2012)
Sick Puppies went into the recording studio in December 2008 to write, record, and produce their next studio album, which was released on 14 July 2009. They also wrote a song for Capcom's video game Street Fighter IV called "War", and it has been used in the advertisements and promotion for the game. It also reached the top 40 on the iTunes top rock songs. "War" was used during the Washington Capitals 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs introduction video. The song was also included as the first track on Tri-Polar. Their first single off Tri-Polar, "You're Going Down", reached No. 1, and was used as the theme song for the WWE pay per view Extreme Rules in June 2009. It was also used in SmackDown vs. Raw 2010, the My Soul to Take (2010) movie trailer, and in the trailer and opening credits of Tekken. The second single from the album, "Odd One", hit radio on 10 November.
Sick Puppies released a new song called "That Time of Year" on NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack – Vol. 2. The third single from the album, "Maybe", hit radio stations on 22 June. "Maybe" peaked at No. 1 on Billboard Heatseekers, No. 15 on Rock, and No. 6 on Alternative. It is the first Sick Puppies song to be on the Hot 100 chart, making it the band's most successful song. The album's fourth single, "Riptide", was released in February 2011, and peaked at number 6 on the Billboards Rock Chart. Tri-Polar was released in the UK on 4 April 2011.
On 14 August 2009, Sick Puppies made their film debut in Rock Prophecies, a documentary about the career of acclaimed music photographer Robert Knight. This award-winning film features his life as he started out filming music greats such as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix, and his current mission to find today's up-and-coming bands and help them become tomorrow's top rock acts. This includes him convincing Sick Puppies to leave their homes to pursue success in the American music industry in Los Angeles.
According to bassist Emma Anzai, "(Robert Knight) was like, 'Hey I want to put you in my film', so we were like, 'All right, cool.' So now it's two years later and he documented when we did the first album, the first show, all that kind of stuff. It was really cool. He wanted a new band to . . . develop." During the process, the band was filmed for a few days at a time, and said that they would forget the cameras were there and act accordingly, so this film captures them and their true interactions out of the spotlight. It was partly due to their involvement in this project and Mr. Knight's endorsement that they were able to acquire their first American record deal with RMR/Virgin/EMI. This record deal then led to the first U.S album, Dressed Up as Life. Rock Prophecies was nationally aired on PBS and became available on DVD on 14 September 2010.
On 7 April 2010, Sick Puppies released an acoustic EP titled Live & Unplugged, featuring three tracks from their Tri-Polar album and one B-Side from that album. The versions of "Odd One", "So What I Lied", and "The Pretender" were recorded in a studio, while "You're Going Down" was recorded live in a Chicago radio station during an interview. To promote the EP, Sick Puppies offered a merchandise package that included Tri-Polar and Live & Unplugged with a limited edition lithograph; this package was sold at their concerts. On 1 March 2011, Sick Puppies released their all-acoustic seven-track EP Polar Opposite, which includes acoustic versions of "Riptide", "Don't Walk Away", and more. It was recorded in studio, along with string ensemble accompaniment. Anzai also contributes more major lead vocals on the record.
Shimon Moore's departure, Fury and Wave The Bull (2013–present)
Sick Puppies released the follow-up album to Tri-Polar on 16 July 2013. The band originally stated on UStream that the working title was Under the Black Sky and that there would be a song by the same title. They later confirmed that the album name had changed, and officially announced the title of the album to be Connect, and its lead single, "There's No Going Back" was released on 20 May 2013. The second single off the album, "Gunfight", was released on 13 October 2013. Connect was released in Europe on 31 March 2014. The album's third single, "Die to Save You", was released on 29 April 2014. The album's fourth single, "Connect", was released on 19 July 2014. In October 2014, American musician Blue Stahli announced that Anzai had worked on the track "Not Over 'Til We Say So" for his upcoming album The Devil.
On 20 October 2014, it was announced that frontman Shimon Moore had left the band and that the remaining two members would continue on without him. This left bassist Emma Anzai as the only original member remaining in the band. It was later alleged that Moore was fired after he attempted to dissolve the band through a lawyer. Moore stated he was kicked out while out of town and he had no knowledge of it beforehand. He said he was sad and that he wished the band well.
On 15 December 2015, the band teased their upcoming music. They also signed on to play tours including Rock on the Range. On 8 February 2016, they revealed their new vocalist, Bryan Scott, who previously played with Glass Intrepid and Dev Electric, and briefly toured as a vocalist for Atlantic Records rock act Emphatic in 2011, while previewing a new single called Stick to Your Guns. On 31 March 2016, Sick Puppies released their single "Stick to Your Guns". The album Fury was released in May 2016.
In May 2022, Anzai joined Evanescence as the band's full-time bassist while also remaining with Sick Puppies.
Sick Puppies released the song "There Goes The Neighborhood" on July 26, 2024 as the first single from their upcoming album, Wave The Bull. This will be their first album in over eight years and is expected to be released in early 2025.
Rock Kids
Sick Puppies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That today's music's all about me me me!
Just show me your money give me the honeys
And I'll give you what I feel like buddy
Pastel images are still giving us
Everything we've heard before with some more
Sex appeal that isn't really real
But everyone seems to fall for it!
All the pop groups are raking it in
While other demo tapes are chucked in the bin
Meanwhile all the real struggling bands
That never had a clue
Never had a chance!
We are the rock kids
We don't want your pop shit
We want something hard to rock to
Not some fucked up programmed pop tune
It gives me the shits
That we're jumping through hoops
While its handed out like candy
To the girl and boy groups
You know the backstreet boys
And britney spears
Where they gonna be in the next few years
We got bullshit songs written by old farts
In the hopes that one of them will maybe
Climb up the charts
People are aching for something new
Something simple, honest true
And not this fucked up money making bullshit!
Bridge
It's all become subliminal
It's no longer traditional
It's just compromising and advertising
So they can see their numbers rising
It's all become subliminal
It's no longer traditional
It's just compromising and advertising
Can you see those numbers rising?
Are you gonna fall for it?
Are you gonna be a sheep?
You know it's already started
Are you a statistic?
Are you going to conform?
Or fight against the norm
Or are you gonna stand up and say
Fuck you all I'll go my own way!
In Sick Puppies's song "Rock Kids," the band critiques the current state of the music industry by expressing their frustration with the lack of authenticity and creativity. The lyrics focus on the idea that modern music is all about making money and gaining popularity, rather than creating meaningful art. The band argues that many popular artists have succeeded simply because of their marketability, rather than their musical talent or ability to say something new.
The song references pop music specifically, suggesting that it's shallow, poorly-written, and designed to appeal to the lowest common denominator. Sick Puppies contrasts this with "hard" rock music, which they see as more substantial and less "fucked up." The lyrics are a call to arms for listeners who are tired of being handed subpar music and are ready for something new and authentic. Ultimately, the song argues that the only way to combat the commercialization of music is to reject it and seek out something different.
Line by Line Meaning
Well maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me
I could be mistaken, but it appears to me
That today's music's all about me me me!
Modern music focuses solely on self-promotion
Just show me your money give me the honeys
If you pay me and provide attractive women, I'll perform as I see fit
And I'll give you what I feel like buddy
I will deliver a performance of my own choosing, friend
Pastel images are still giving us
Similar, unoriginal visuals continue to be employed
Everything we've heard before with some more
The content is repetitive with few changes
Sex appeal that isn't really real
Suggestive content is artificial and exaggerated
But everyone seems to fall for it!
Despite recognizing these issues, many still enjoy this type of music
All the pop groups are raking it in
Popular music performers are making substantial profits
While other demo tapes are chucked in the bin
Less established artists are often disregarded and overlooked
Meanwhile all the real struggling bands
Authentic musicians who face hardships
That never had a clue
Who lacked the knowledge or networking to gain popularity
Never had a chance!
Were never given an opportunity to succeed
We are the rock kids
We represent the youth who enjoy rock music
We don't want your pop shit
We do not welcome this type of music
We want something hard to rock to
We desire energetic, powerful sounds
Not some fucked up programmed pop tune
We reject artificial, mass-produced music
It gives me the shits
It angers me
That we're jumping through hoops
We must perform various tasks and meet certain expectations
While its handed out like candy
Commercial music is widely distributed
To the girl and boy groups
To male and female performers who follow a formulaic approach
You know the backstreet boys
An example of a typical manufactured band
And britney spears
Another performer with inauthentic music
Where they gonna be in the next few years
Their future is uncertain
We got bullshit songs written by old farts
We are subjected to vapid tunes created by out-of-touch individuals
In the hopes that one of them will maybe
In an effort that at least one song will be successful
Climb up the charts
Achieve high ranking within the music industry
People are aching for something new
Audiences desire originality
Something simple, honest true
Music with a straightforward and genuine message
And not this fucked up money making bullshit!
And not this immoral, profit-driven type of music!
It's all become subliminal
Pop music messaging is now subconscious and manipulative
It's no longer traditional
It deviates from historical musical practices
It's just compromising and advertising
Performers must sacrifice some of their ideals to sell records
So they can see their numbers rising
So they (recording companies) can observe growing profits
Are you gonna fall for it?
Will you succumb to this type of music?
Are you gonna be a sheep?
Will you mindlessly follow others?
You know it's already started
The problem is widespread and growing
Are you a statistic?
Are you just another number?
Are you going to conform?
Will you comply with societal norms?
Or fight against the norm
Or challenge the current standard
Or are you gonna stand up and say
Or will you take a firm stance and announce
Fuck you all I'll go my own way!
I reject the mainstream and will find my own path!
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Chris Mileski, Emma Anzai, Shimon Moore
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind