Made up of three guys, Lo-tel is an
Australian band which rose to mainstream popularity in 2000 after years of playing local and national
pub circuits. The band have been described as a "thinking person's rock band, like
Mercury Rev" and pop-rock artists.
The band formed after Luke Hanigan (vocals, guitar) had a life-changing decision in a Glasgow youth hostel in 1995: he wanted to be a rock star. Upon returning to Australia, he moved from Brisbane to Sydney and eventually hooked up with "friend of a friend" Dave Lumsdaine (bass, also originally from Brisbane) who shared Hanigan's dream of stardom. The pair then met drummer Darren Brollo (a Newcastle boy) and Lo-tel were in motion.
Lo-tel's first full-length album was Planet of the Stereos, and was released in October of 2000 by Sony. It included the hit singles Teenager of the Year, A Pop Song Saved My Life and the lesser known An Open Letter.
Random Lo-tel facts:
- The band was originally called Brenda Starr but decided to change their name after learning 'Brenda K. Starr' is a singer in the US. The current name comes from a bar with the same moniker in Sydney (now closed).
- Teenager of the Year gained huge airplay after it was used in the film Looking for Alibrandi (released in 2000), which starred Pia Miranda. Pia and Luke Hanigan married in 2000.
- Lo-tel were nominated for an ARIA (Australian Record Industry Association awards) for "Best New Artist- Single" for 'Teenager of the Year' in 2000, but were beaten by Madison Avenue's commercial favourite 'Don't Call Me Baby'.