Sheppard Takes Aussie Gold With ’Coming Home’, Reveal Details Of Sophomore Album

Sheppard’s single ‘Coming Home’ has been certified Gold this week by ARIA for sales of 35,000 in Australia.

It’s the third-most played local track, and is about to enter the ARIA Top 20,

‘Coming Home’ is one of a half a dozen Australian tracks released in 2017 that went on to strike gold, more so because it was released through an independent label.

However, the track has also created an impression internationally, notably generating 3 million streams on Spotify alone and charting in seven countries.

It also widened their following with a number of sync deals.

It’s the theme song of a new British $50 million top-motion animated adventure/sport/comedy film Early Man about a young caveman called Dug and his wild boar Hognob.

It is released in the UK this weekend, and in the United States on February 16.

Releases in Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany are also confirmed.

‘Coming Home’ is also the new US promo theme for the rebooted American Idol, and heard over summer on the Seven Network promoting the return of My Kitchen Rules for 2018.

All building on the success of 2014’s ‘Geronimo’ which went platinum in 21 countries and racked up half a billion streams.

The band has also announced details of its second album.

Titled Watching The Sky, it’s set for release in early May.

Aside from ‘Coming Home’, the long player will also include the singles ‘Keep Me Crazy’ and smash Latin hit ‘Edge of the Night’ which turned Sheppard into stars across Brazil, Chile, Spain and Mexico in late 2017.

Said singer and keyboardist George Sheppard, who says ‘Coming Home’ is his favourite song to play because of its jubilant anthemic nature, “We can’t believe the response we’ve had for ‘Coming Home’ from both old fans and new ones.

“It’s great to know we’re reaching so many people with our music.

“For us as musicians though, an album is the true artistic statement, so announcing Watching The Sky is a really exciting step for us.”

In 2017, Sheppard opened for Justin Bieber and Little Mix across the US, UK and Australia, and also did their own headlining run in Australia.

In November, they played to 80,000 at Mexico’s Corona Capital festival alongside Foo Fighters, Green Day, The xx, PJ Harvey, Phoenix and alt-J.

What impressed critics was the way they managed to maintain a strong interaction with their growing audiences.

As Sheppard says, “That comes out of the time I went to see a Coldplay show and witnessed George Martin, an outstanding showman, enthral an entire stadium with just his voice and piano.

“That was probably the moment when the idea of Sheppard happened, when I said to myself, That’s what I want to do!”

This year, Sheppard’s Australian shows include joining Robbie Williams at A Day On The Green in Melbourne, and Adelaide’s 500 speed race concert.

As for playing with his siblings, George says, “There can sometimes be tensions for obvious reasons and you don’t necessarily write better songs because you’re in a family.

“But you get great harmonies; and when you’re in a band. on the road you want to be surrounded by people whom you can depend on and whom you trust.”