Then & Now: Silverchair

Silverchair Then

Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns was barely a teenager when he formed the band in Australia in 1992. When they released their debut album, 'Frogstomp,' in 1995, he was 16 years old. The record went to No. 1 in his homeland and Top 10 in the U.S. Its lead single, 'Tomorrow,' hit No. 1 in Australia and at both rock and modern-rock radio in the states. It came at a perfect time: Record companies were scooping anyone who sounded even a little like Nirvana at the time. Silverchair sounded a lot like them. Johns, with his shaggy blond hair, even looked like a young Kurt Cobain.

Silverchair's next LP, 1997's 'Freak Show,' just missed the Top 10 in the U.S., but one of its singles, 'Abuse Me,' made it to the Top 5 at modern rock. Then people stopped caring about Nirvana clones, and the band's next two albums checked in at Nos. 50 and 91, respectively.

Silverchair Now

In 2007, after a five-year break, Silverchair released their fifth album, which -- like its four predecessors -- reached No. 1 in Australia. It climbed to No. 70 in the U.S., and one of its songs made it to the Top 15 at modern rock. In 2011, Johns -- who is now 34 and has cut his Cobain-like locks -- said he was putting the group on  "indefinite hibernation" while he works on other projects, including, possibly, his debut solo album.