When Aussie indie pop band Sheppard wrote their infectious single, “Geronimo,” it started as a spur-of-the-moment thing at one of their Melbourne shows. So, take it from them if they admit that they’re still coming to grips with how it exploded across the globe.

“Geronimo,” whose name primarily takes after the signature yell of American paratroopers in World War II, is about “making a jump of defiance,” as lead vocalist George Sheppard puts it. Aptly so, the song has changed the lives of these Brisbane kids for the better. It is also a telling reminder of their charmed, odds-defying beginnings.

The Sheppard siblings, George, Amy, and Emma, who form half of the band, actually grew up in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea – a tropical land miles away from Brisbane. But good music has been infused into their veins early on. Their lawyer father, Greg, put Cat Stevens on full blast, and their mother shipped them off to music lessons. They even sent the kids to an arts-focused, multi-cultural school in Papua New Guinea. The ultra-supportive folks would later wager their life savings on their kids’ then-fledgling music career.

The six-piece began as a duo with George and Amy in 2009. Amy was taking a music course and enlisted the help of the only person at home that time: George, who she must have heard singing in the shower – an anecdote he comically recalls. The youngest of the brood, Emma, only joined them later in 2012 to play bass. Today, the line-up includes George’s mate from Sydney, songwriter and rhythm guitarist Jay Bovino, as well as lead guitarist Michael Butler and drummer Dean Gordon. They persevered and also soon caught the attention of Australian industry legend Michael Chugg, who signed on as their manager.

All the lucky stars seemed to align for the indie act. Sheppard’s first big break came as their single “Let Me Down Easy” (off their self-titled 5-track EP) dominated the charts Down Under and gained traction even across the Pacific in Portland, USA. 

Soon after their first national television appearance on Mornings with prominent host and musician David Campbell, the single achieved double-platinum sales. “It’s very hard to get a look in with commercial radio without any previous success… Commercial radio took a huge risk [on us], and I think they should do it a lot more,” George told the Sydney Morning Herald.

But nothing quite prepared them for the meteoric rise of “Geronimo” to the top of the Australian charts. With an anthemic hook exclaiming, “Say! Geronimo,” the song managed a rare feat: it was the third #1 single to knock Pharrell Williams’s indelible hit “Happy” off the top. Needless to say, it has since been a global phenomenon.

“Geronimo” is the lead single in their 2014 debut album, Bombs Away, which distinctively expresses deeply emotional lyrics through surfer-inspired folk strumming and danceable, thunderous percussion. The album won them Best Group at the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) Awards in the same year.

George talks to Rappler via email about being a part of a golden age for Aussie music, topping the charts, touring with his siblings Emma and Amy, and enjoying candid moments on tour. He and his band have come a long way from his 2010 gig with Amy at Ocean Park, and he’s certainly pumped for the band’s upcoming Manila show.

The music that has come out from Down Under has been diverse, to say the least. There are the likes of the Angus & Julia Stone, Last Dinosaurs, then the electronic producers like Flume and Chet Faker.

There are also the chart-toppers: from 5 Seconds of Summer, Gotye, Cody Simpson, to Sia, and of course, you guys, especially with that insanely catchy “Geronimo.” Do you think there’s an “Australian Invasion” coming along? Has the time come for Aussie music?

George: I think it comes and goes. Right now, Australian music is certainly enjoying a moment in the sunshine, which is amazing, but it’s not to say that incredible and diverse artists like the ones you mentioned weren’t always there, it’s just that everyone is starting to notice.

Australia produces very eclectic and talented musicians, performers, producers and songwriters – whether the rest of the world is noticing or not. I think this particular wave may have been started by Gotye’s hit “Somebody That I Used To Know.”

When a song of that magnitude comes out of Australia and impacts the world the way it did, the eyes of the music industry naturally turn towards Australia and new artists are discovered.

What was this scene like when you were growing up? How did you start out?

When we were starting out the music scene in Australia, we weren’t actually geared towards a pop band like ours. Pop music usually came in from the US or the UK and the majority of successful Australian artists were usually alternative/indie bands.

It was actually a huge surprise to us that we were added to commercial radio nationwide without any previous success, but someone decided to take a risk on us – we got very lucky. How did we start? Sheppard actually began as a university assignment. Amy was studying music at college in 2009 and the assignment she was doing required her to write a song, and being a huge Fleetwood Mac fan, she wanted to put all these luscious harmonies into it.

One day, she heard me singing in the shower at home and decided I’d be a good person to collaborate with on the assignment. That was the first time we worked on music together, and we haven’t looked back since!

How does the sibling dynamics work out when it comes to your songwriting and touring? What do you think are the pros and cons of making music together as siblings?

The songs are written by Jason Bovino, Amy and myself (George) – there’s not really any bias or competition between us when it comes to songwriting. It’s very much a democracy. Touring with siblings actually has a lot of positives.

In an industry full of people trying to screw you over, you’re constantly surrounded by people you can trust. Plus you get to experience all these incredible places and moments with your family. I think the only bad thing is that we’re still siblings and we behave accordingly, stealing the front seat, making fun of each other etc… But it’s all in good fun. Any fights that do come about are quickly extinguished by the other band members, and then promptly forgotten about.

Let’s talk about “Geronimo.” What went into writing and producing it, and did you ever see its success coming?

“Geronimo” is the most fun we’ve had writing a song to date. It actually came about 3 minutes before we went onstage in Melbourne. Jason called Amy and I over to show us this catchy strumming pattern he had. It was very engaging, and immediately inspired me to come up with the opening melody “Can you feel it, now it’s coming back” – We quickly recorded what we had on our phones then went and played the show.

It wasn’t until a few months later that we found the phone recording, and knew we had to develop the idea. It was literally 2 hours later and we had completed song. We were so excited by what we had created, we just kept playing it over and over for fun. We had high hopes for it, but never in our wildest dreams did we think it would take us as far as it has. Within 3 weeks of it’s [sic] release, it took the number 1 spot on the Australian charts, and our lives changed forever. 

Your new album Bombs Away juxtaposes heart-wrenching, emotional thoughts with thumping, vibrant beats. Why is this so?

It wasn’t really a conscious decision so much as it was something organic that happened during the recordings. Every day in the studio is a day of experimentation and discovery. No two days are the same, no two songs are recorded in the same way, so anything that comes out literally depends how we are feeling that day.

We like to write meaningful lyrics and songs that speak from the heart, but at the same time we all enjoy approaching the music in a fun, colourful, experimental kind of way. I guess it just kind of happened that way!  

What are some of the other favorite songs to play live from the album and why?

“Halfway to Hell” is a lot of fun to play live. It’s the opening song of our show, and I get to bang on these two floor toms at the front of the stage. Apart from piano and singing, percussion and rhythm is a big passion of mine, so any time I get to bang on things, I’m happy!

I also really enjoy playing “Let Me Down Easy” – that’s the one that EVERY person in EVERY crowd sings along to. And of course, Geronimo always goes off. It’s just got that primitive, driving beat that everyone raves to. It’s also the final song, so performing that one feels like we’re on the home stretch – it’s kinda like the last hour of school or work on a Friday afternoon.

What are some of your best moments on tour?

I think the best moments are always the moments we get to share with our fans. Playing shows and doing the signings afterwards are always loads of fun, and they’re the moments we get to see first-hand, the kind of effect music is having on people. One of the most embarrassing moments I’ve had on tour was when we were supporting Keith Urban.

We were in front of 20,000 people in Sydney and in the middle of our song “Let Me Down Easy”, I looked into the front row and a lady had written on an envelope, “Your fly is down.” I looked and sure enough, it was down. It was like the classic nightmare of standing on stage, looking down and not having any pants on.

The only way to deal with it was to grab the envelope and share my situation with the crowd… It got a great laugh!

What do you expect from the Philippines (any places you want to visit or things you want to try out?) and what can the fans here expect from you?

Well the last time we were in the Philippines, we played our first EVER show as Sheppard at Ocean Park. It would be nice to go back and visit that stage again, plus we’d love to go for a ride on a traditional jeepney!

Filipino fans are some of the most passionate we’ve ever encountered, so we’re excited. Our show is very energetic, we just try and have the best time possible up on that stage, so if the crowd is anything like we’re expecting, then our show is going to be crazy! 

– Rappler.com

Sheppard plays a free show in the Philippines August 11 at the SM MOA Music Hall. 

Paolo Abad is a film/television editor and motion graphic designer. He is also a self-confessed concert junkie. Follow his Instagram for live music @outoftunephoto