Cub Sport are an Australian pop group formed in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...

in early 2010. Founding mainstays are Zoe Davis on keyboards, bass guitar, lead guitar and vocals, Tim Nelson on lead vocals and keyboards, Sam "Bolan" Netterfield on keyboards and vocals, and Dan Puusaari on drums. They have released five studio albums, '' This Is Our Vice'' (2016), ''

Bats Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

'' (2017), ''

Cub Sport Cub Sport are an Australian pop group formed in Brisbane in early 2010. Founding mainstays are Zoe Davis on keyboards, bass guitar, lead guitar and vocals, Tim Nelson on lead vocals and keyboards, Sam "Bolan" Netterfield on keyboards and vocal ...

'' (2019), ''

Like Nirvana ''Like Nirvana'' is the fourth studio album by Australian pop group Cub Sport. The album was announced on 4 March 2020, alongside the album's lead single "Confessions". The album was due for release 8 May 2020, but was delayed until 24 July 2020 ...

'' (2020) and '' Jesus at the Gay Bar'' (2023). ''Jesus at the Gay Bar'' peaked at number one on the

ARIA Albums Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

, ''Like Nirvana'' reached number two and ''Cub Sport'' appeared at number twelve. Nelson and Netterfield married in August 2018.

History

2010–2013: Early years

Cub Sport were originally formed as Tim Nelson & the Cub Scouts early in 2010 in Brisbane to promote Nelson's solo songs. The original six-piece line-up, was Zoe Davis on bass guitar and vocals, Tim Nelson on vocals and piano, Sam Netterfield on keyboards and vocals, Dan Puusaari on drums, Bek Stoodley on

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and vocals and Andrew Williams on guitar. Davis, Nelson, Netterfield and Williams had attended the same secondary school, Northside Christian College. Tim Nelson & the Cub Scouts released a self-titled debut extended play (EP) in August 2010. ''Mediasearch''s Dave Griffiths noticed, "Nelson's amazing voice that sets this group apart from the many other bands... Sweet and blissful this is for those who love the music of Decoder Ring or george." Adam Roberts of ''Alt Media'' felt, "as for hooks and chops among the quiet indie set, elsonhas all the right ingredients to make something bigger and better." Tiffany Bridger of ''Rave Magazine'' praised "Their rainbow of soft, whispery tunes – a fluttering on the glockenspiel, a series of Nelson's emotive keys throughout – make for a magical instrumental arrangement." Following a line-up change, they shortened their name to Cub Scouts in 2011. They issued two singles — "Evie" in 2011 and " Do You Hear" in 2012; both received high rotation on national youth radio,

Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...

. They released their six-track second EP, ''Told You So'' in October 2012. ''theMusic.com.au''s Mat Lee observed, " tssix songs are individual in their own right and the pace is effectively contrasted to highlight the shifts in context and emotion." They supported the EP's release with their second Australian tour. The title track gained popularity on US college radio. Another track, "Do You Hear" won two awards at the 2012

Queensland Music Awards The Queensland Music Awards (commonly known as QMA and known as the Q Song Awards from 2006 to 2010) are annual awards celebrating Queensland's emerging artists. They commenced in 2006. Each year, the QMA Song of the Year is immortalised in ...

. The band officially changed their name to Cub Sport in August 2013 following a legal injunction by

Scouts Australia Scouts Australia is a trading name of The Scout Association of Australia, which is the largest scouting organisation in Australia, with over 50,000 Youth Program Participants, and is a member of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. It ...

. Nelson explained, "We got a cease and desist letter about a month ago asking us to stop using the name." Also in August, they released their five-track third EP, ''Paradise'', which featured two singles: "Pool!" and the title track. On "Pool!" lead vocals were shared by Davis and Nelson. Initial pressings of ''Paradise'' still had the Cub Scouts band name, "it's annoying that he injunctioncame up in the middle of us releasing an EP, ''after'' we got 1500 copies" pressed. Cub Sport undertook a tour of United States and Europe during 2013.

2014–2018: ''This Is Our Vice'' and ''Bats''

Lead guitarist Andrew Williams left Cub Sport in 2014 but was not replaced, they continued as a four-piece, with both Nelson and Davis shifting to additional guitar duties. In October 2015 they released the first single, "Only Friend", from their debut album, '' This Is Our Vice'', which appeared on 4 March 2016. It was produced by John Castle (

Megan Washington Megan Alexanda Washington (born 7 January 1986) is an Australian musician, songwriter and voice actor who has worked mononymously as Washington. Originally performing jazz music, her style shifted to indie pop and alternative rock. She has re ...

Vance Joy James Gabriel Keogh (born 1 December 1987), known professionally as Vance Joy, is an Australian singer, songwriter, musician, and former Australian rules footballer. He is best known for his 2013 hit song " Riptide". Joy signed a five-album de ...

) for

Nettwerk Records Nettwerk Music Group is an independent record label founded in 1984. The Vancouver-based company was created by principals Terry McBride and Mark Jowett as a record label to distribute recordings by the band Moev, but the label expanded in Ca ...

. Jaymz Clements of ''Rolling Stone'' (Australia) rated it at two stars and explained, "they fail to fire. It's fine for ''This Is Our Vice'' to slew more towards self-reflective, downer territory, but that it relies so heavily on well-tread synth-pop is where it lets itself down." Whereas

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

's Neil Z. Yeung gave it three-and-a-half stars and detailed, "With more electronic flourishes and a funkier vibe than their past efforts, the album shimmers, injecting tropical dance elements into its indie rock backbone." Cub Sport in Melbourne

In August 2016, they performed a cover of Kanye West's "

Ultralight Beam "Ultralight Beam" is a song by American recording artist Kanye West from his seventh studio album ''The Life of Pablo'' (2016). The song features vocals by Contemporary R&B, R&B singers The-Dream and Kelly Price, rapper Chance the Rapper, Gospe ...

" on Triple J's programme, ''

Like a Version ''Like a Version'' is a long-running weekly segment on Australian youth radio station Triple J. It involves musicians playing two songs live in the Triple J studio, one of their own songs and then a cover version. The series was created by pres ...

''. The third single, " Come On Mess Me Up", was listed at number 24 on the 2016 Triple J Hottest 100, their first ever appearance in the annual listeners poll. Cub Sport toured nationally and internationally in support of ''This Is Our Vice'', both as head-liners and support act to

Ball Park Music Ball Park Music is an Australian five-piece indie rock band from Brisbane consisting of Sam Cromack, Jennifer Boyce, Paul Furness, Dean Hanson and Daniel Hanson. Since forming in 2008, the band has released eight studio albums. Their debut, '' ...

, Loon Lake, Andy Bull, Saskwatch,

the 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...

and

Big Scary Big Scary is an Australian musical duo formed in Melbourne in 2006, by Tom Iansek and Joanna Syme. The pair have released several EPs and five studio albums. Their 2013 album '' Not Art'' was nominated for the Australian Album of the Year at ...

. ''This Is Our Vice'' was re-released in April 2021, with two bonus tracks, and peaked in the top 60 on the

. In June 2017 Cub Sport released the first single, "O Lord", from their second album, ''

''. The

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

-influenced "O Lord", was written about Nelson's experiences after

coming out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBTQ people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. This is often framed and debated as a privacy issue, ...

and his fear of losing his relationship with Netterfield. It was released on 22 September 2017 via

MGM Distribution MGM Distribution (Metropolitan Groove Merchants) is the largest independent distributor of Australian music and music related merchandise. It was established in April 1998 by Sebastian Chase. MGM Distribution was set up specifically as a d ...

, with Castle and Nelson co-producing, which reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 100. ''Bats'' provided two further singles " Chasin'" (August 2017) and "Good Guys Go" (January 2018). Charlotte Saxon of ''Music Insight'' caught their performance in Perth in February 2018, "

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not afraid to share their most intimate personal stories with fans as they experiment with genres from RnB to pop to gospel. Although their songs are gut wrenching, they are beautiful none the less." The band toured in support of ''Bats'', including a headlining Australian tour in March 2018, a national support for Vance Joy in September and headlined Aurora Aksnes in October. In August 2018 Nelson and Netterfield were married after campaigning for legalization of same-sex marriage. A video for album track, "Hawaiian Party" was released in September 2018, which was directed and produced by the Dolan Twins. The video surpassed one million views within a week of its upload.

2019–2021: ''Cub Sport'' to ''Like Nirvana''

In October 2018 Cub Sport issued the lead single " Sometimes", from their third studio album, ''

''. In the following month they were inaugural winners of the ARIA Emerging Artist Scholarship. ''Cub Sport'' appeared on 18 January 2019 via the band's own imprint, Cub Sport Records and was distributed by MGM, again. It peaked at number 12 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Also in that month ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' initiated Billboard Pride to celebrate an

LGBTQ LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, Gay men, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning (sexuality and gender), questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, Asexuality, asexual, ...

act, the inaugural Artist of the Month was Cub Sport. During their Australian tour in April, a live review said that Nelson "is literally like Brisbane's

Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...

but more indie and more gay". Cub Sport released a duet single, " I Never Cried So Much in My Whole Life" (October 2019) featuring

Darren Hayes Darren Stanley Hayes (born 8 May 1972) is an Australian singer, songwriter, music producer and composer. He was the singer of the pop duo Savage Garden from their 1993 establishment until their disbandment in 2001. Their 1997 album '' Savage Ga ...

. An article in ''

The Courier-Mail ''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...

'' praised the collaboration and referenced Nelson and Netterfield's alma mater; the band were prompted to tweet, "I'd just like to specify that Northside Christian College is a literal homophobic hellscape." In December they issued their fourth EP ''333'', which provided three singles released weekly over the month. Nelson explained, "''333'' is made up of three songs that fit together to conjure a feeling of deep and healing euphoria." ''

'', released on 24 July 2020, was Cub Sport's fourth studio album. Annabel Ross of the Australian edition of ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' observed that on their "most stunning LP yet" Nelson describes how "liberation does not deliver permanent bliss, and that self-acceptance is a journey without a final destination." Its lead single, "Confessions", had appeared in March. ''Like Nirvana'' peaked at number 2 on the ARIA Albums Chart – their highest placing. In October they covered Powderfinger's "

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" at the

2020 AFL Grand Final The 2020 AFL Grand Final was an Australian rules football match contested between and at the Gabba in Brisbane, Queensland, on Saturday 24 October 2020. It was the 125th annual Grand Final of the Australian Football League (formerly the Vic ...

, which was held in Brisbane. During 2021 the group supported vaccinations against COVID-19, " eencourage our fans to get vaccinated, to help breathe life back into the music industry so we can come together to experience the magic of live shows again."

2022–present: ''Jesus at the Gay Bar''

In November 2022 Cub Sport released a single, "Replay". According to Nelson, " tis about moving forward. Feelings aren't as simple as we sometimes make out – you can long for something and not want it at the same time, you can love something but outgrow it. I think it's about shifting from longing for something to feeling free. But it also doesn't have to be that deep – It's a fun pop song and that's how I want it to be enjoyed too." In January 2023 the group announced their fifth studio album, '' Jesus at the Gay Bar'', which was released on 7 April 2023. Its title references a poem by Jay Hulme. The album peaked at number one on the ARIA albums chart – the group's highest chart performance.

Band members

;Current members * Tim Nelson – lead vocals (2010–present), keyboards (2010–2018), guitar (2014–2018) * Zoe Davis – backing and occasional lead vocals (2010–present), bass (2010–2014, 2017–2018, 2023–present), guitar (2014–present), keyboards (2017–present) * Sam Netterfield – keyboards, backing vocals (2010–present) * Dan Puusaari – drums (2010–present), keyboards (2018–present) ;Former members * Bek Stoodley – backing vocals (2010–2011) * Andrew Williams – guitar (2010–2014) ;Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Extended plays

Singles

Other appearances

Awards

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at Blacket Hot ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. ! , - ,

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

, ''Cub Sport'' , Best Independent Pop Album or EP , , , - ,

2021 Like the year 2020, 2021 was also heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the emergence of multiple Variants of SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 variants. The major global rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, which began at the end of 2020, continued ...

, ''Like Nirvana'' , Best Independent Pop Album or EP , , , - , rowspan="2",

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

, rowspan="2", "Always Got the Love" , Independent Song of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single , , - , rowspan="3",

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

, rowspan="2", ''Jesus at the Gay Bar'' , Independent Album of the Year , , rowspan="3", , - , Best Independent Dance or Electronica Album or EP , , - , Adam Munnings – Cub Sport – "Keep Me Safe" , Independent Music Video of the Year ,

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual award ceremony event celebrating the

Australian music industry The Australian music industry refers to the collection of individuals, organisations, businesses and activities that are involved in the creation, production, distribution and promotion of music in Australia. The music industry encompasses a wide r ...

. ! , - ! scope="row" rowspan="3",

, rowspan="2", ''Jesus at the Gay Bar'' , Best Group , , rowspan="3", , - , Best Independent Release , , - , Sam Netterfiled, Mia Rankin for Cub Sport – ''Jesus at the Gay Bar'' , Best Cover Art ,

National Live Music Awards

The

National Live Music Awards The National Live Music Awards (NLMAs) are annual Australian music awards, established by Heath Media in 2016. They were preceded by the AU Live Music Awards in the previous two years. The awards are given in categories that recognise the best ...

(NLMAs) are a broad recognition of Australia's diverse live industry, celebrating the success of the Australian live scene. The awards commenced in 2016. ! , - ,

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

, themselves , Queensland Live Act of the Year , , , - ,

, Zoe Davis (Cub Sport) , Live Instrumentalist of the Year , , , -

Queensland Music Awards

The

(previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) ! , - , rowspan="2" ,

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

, rowspan="2" , "Do You Hear" , Song of the Year , , rowspan="2" , , - , Pop Song of the Year , , - ,

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, Themselves , The BOQ People's Choice Award for Most Popular Group , , , - , rowspan="2", 2024 , ''Jesus at the Gay Bar'' , Album of the Year , , rowspan="2", , - , "Songs About It" , Electronic Award ,

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups from Brisbane Australian indie pop groups Australian indie rock groups Musical groups established in 2010 Nettwerk Music Group artists 2010 establishments in Australia