Lead singer of The Chills passes away, while renowned New Zealand group announce upcoming album dedicated to him

The popular New Zealand rock group, The Chills, are paying tribute to their late lead singer, Martin Phillipps, by releasing his final recordings posthumously.

Martin tragically passed away aged 61 on July 28 in his Dunedin home, after a long battle with liver disease.

Members of the band, who had been performing alongside Martin since 1980, have shared their intentions to put out a tribute album in his memory. This album will include the unreleased tracks that Martin had been working on.

According to Martin’s close friend, Dianne Swann, the singer had initially thought about re-recording the tracks himself. However, upon revisiting the songs, he realized they required substantial adjustments and fine-tuning.

Swann added that Martin’s friends had worked hard at putting the project together, which is called Spring Board: The Early Unrecorded Songs, and said it will be released on February 28, 2025. 

She collaborated on the album with Phillips’ bandmates and said the release would be a touching experience for Martin’s many fans, who would get to appreciate the new songs from him after his passing. 

‘Very bittersweet. I haven’t heard the whole album yet. One of the songs I did sing on is called I Don’t Want to Live Forever and it’s a very beautiful song, quite poignant,’ she said.  

The album will feature contributions from a who’s who of New Zealand musicians, including Fur Patrol’s Julia Deans, Elroy Finn and Split Enz, Crowded House singer Neil Finn, Tiny Ruins’ Hollie Fullbrook, Troy Kingi, Shona Laing, Tami Neilson, Dianne Swann, and Purple Pilgrims’ Clementine and Valentine Nixon.

Swann noted that Martin was dealing with health issues when he recorded several of the songs, saying they are a testament to his workmanship and that the new record will be released in his honour. 

Fire Records, who are releasing the double vinyl and CD, said Spring Board is a ‘dedicated re imagining of his earlier unreleased songs that became his artistic farewell, a lasting legacy, and a reminder of his huge, under appreciated talent.’ 

Martin developed a reputation as one of New Zealand’s most charismatic singers after he formed pop rock band The Chills with his close friends from the South Island. 

He formed the group with his keyboardist sister Rachel, and close friends Peter Gutteridge, Jane Dodd and Alan Haig.

The band enjoyed success in both NZ and Australia, with their 1990 album Submarine Bells reaching number one in their home country.

Their signature song was called Heavenly Pop Hit and reached number two in NZ, and also enjoyed chart success in Australia and the UK.

In July, The Chills reported the heartbreaking news of Martin’s passing in a social media statement. 

‘It is with broken hearts the family and friends of Martin Phillipps wish to advise he has died unexpectedly,’ they began.

‘The family ask for privacy at this time. Funeral arrangements will be advised in due course.’ 

Martin developed a reputation for his cheeky persona and larger than life personality.

His health struggles were often covered in the NZ press.

The beloved singer was the subject of a 2019 documentary movie called The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillipps.

The movie featured several famous New Zealand singers talking about the impact of Martin’s music, including Neil Finn and Hamish Kilgour. 

Following Martin’s passing, Neil Finn paid tribute to him in a statment: ‘He was a true original, fascinated by and devoted to the magic and mystery of music.’ 

He was survived by his father and siblings Rachel and Sara.