Since bursting out of Adelaide in the mid-’90s, The Superjesus have had nine Top 50 hits, two Top 10 albums, placed five songs in Triple J’s Hottest 100, won three ARIA Awards from eight nominations, and been inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.

When The Superjesus released the Love and Violence EP in 2016, Sarah explained the title: “Fire and passion, love and war, heaven and hell … these words always seem to go hand in hand, you can’t have one without the other. Deep emotional relationships run the risk of deep emotional pain. Human nature is funny like that. Love and Violence is about looking at the oddity of emotional extremities and celebrating the immeasurable depth of human connection.”

Yep, it’s been a long and winding road for The Superjesus, but they have forged an enduring relationship with Australian rock fans.

As veteran rock critic Ross Clelland notes, “Unlike many of their contemporaries, The Superjesus brand name retains a lot of goodwill. That pretty much comes down to Sarah McLeod’s energiser bunny enthusiasm and energy, and her neat trick of displaying a little vulnerability among the rock-chick swagger – even as the guitars divebomb around.”

Sarah has also been a role model, inspiring a generation of female rockers who have followed.

When The Superjesus rose again, Stuart Rudd reflected on putting the band back together. “The first day was magic,” he smiled. “We played those songs like it was yesterday. This band has always worked hard, and it showed as soon as we played.”

The Superjesus catalogue is seared in the minds of Australian music fans, with timeless alternative rock anthems such as ‘Shut My Eyes’, ‘Down Again’, ‘Saturation’, ‘Now and Then’ and ‘Gravity’.

And anyone who has seen the band in recent times knows there are many more chapters to be written in The Superjesus story. The band always seems to have a trick or two up its sleeve. As Sarah sang in the aptly titled ‘Stick Together’, “A little bit in store keeps us guessing.”

“We’ve climbed a lot of hurdles,” Ruddy says. “We’re like the little engine that could. We just keep on going. And we will keep on going.”

The energy between Sarah and Ruddy is warm and heartfelt. “Ruddy and I are like family,” Sarah says. “We love what we do and we love our band. There are still so many songs to write and so many new things to learn. And with every new song comes a new lesson. It’s a very exciting time.”

When the band’s landmark debut album, Sumo, was released in 1998, the original disc was stamped with the mantra:

Train hard, eat plenty.

More than two decades on, The Superjesus remain hungry.

THE SUPERJESUS TIMELINE

“Although the temperature will rise and fall, I’ll take it all.” – ‘Gravity’

1994: The band forms in Adelaide, initially known as Hell’s Kitchen. The line-up is Sarah McLeod (vocals and guitar), Stuart Rudd (bass), Chris Tennent (guitar), and Paul Berryman (drums)

1996: On the eve of playing at the Big Day Out in Adelaide, Hell’s Kitchen change their name to The Superjesus. They later explained: “It was basically just a piss-take on commonly used words in the ’90s. Like The Jesus and Mary Chain, ‘Jesus Built My Hotrod’, the Jesus Lizard, Jesus Jones … so we thought we would have that, and ‘super’ was kind of like a ’90s catch word.”

Release debut EP, Eight Step Rail.

Tour with Bush.

1997: ‘Shut My Eyes’, from Eight Step Rail, comes in at #81 on Triple J’s Hottest 100.

Play at the Big Day Out.

Eight Step Rail peaks at #47 on the ARIA charts.

‘Down Again’ becomes the band’s first Top 40 single, peaking at #23 on the ARIA charts – the band’s highest-charting single. It spends more than six months in the Top 100.

Play at the ARIA Awards and win two awards: Best New Talent for Eight Step Rail and Breakthrough Artist – Single for ‘Shut My Eyes’.

‘Saturation’ – the second single from the band’s debut album – peaks at #42.

Play at the Falls Festival.

1998: ‘Down Again’ comes in at #14 in Triple J’s Hottest 100.

Debut album, Sumo, is released. Recorded in Atlanta and produced by Matt Serletic (Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul), it peaks at #2 and goes platinum.

‘Now and Then’ is the band’s second Top 40 single (#40).

Sumo is released in the US. The band tours the US, driving 72,000 miles in less than six months.

‘Ashes’ – the fourth Sumo single – peaks at #66.

Sumo wins Best Rock Album at the ARIA Awards, and the band is also nominated for Best Group, Best Cover Art and Breakthrough Artist – Album.

Sumo is reissued as Sumo II, with a bonus disc featuring live tracks and videos. It peaks at #34.

1999: Play at the Big Day Out.

Two entries in Triple J’s Hottest 100: ‘Now and Then’ (#83) and ‘Saturation’ (#99).

Chris Tennent leaves the band.

Guitarist Tim Henwood joins the band.

2000: ‘Gravity’ – the first single from the band’s second album – reaches #35 on the ARIA charts and spends more than five months in the Top 100.

Second album, Jet Age, is released. Produced by Ed Buller (Psychedelic Furs, Suede), it peaks at #5 and goes platinum.

2001: ‘Gravity’ comes in at #17 on Triple J’s Hottest 100.

‘Secret Agent Man’ – the second Jet Age single – peaks at #43.

‘Enough to Know’ – the third Jet Age single – peaks at #42.

Tim Henwood leaves the band.

Jet Age is nominated for Best Rock Album and Best Cover Art at the ARIA Awards.

2002: ‘Second Sun’ – the fourth and final Jet Age single – is released.

2003: ‘Stick Together’ – the first single from the band’s third album – becomes their fourth Top 40 hit, peaking at #35.

Third album, Rock Music, is released. Produced by Marc Waterman (Ash, Elastica), it peaks at #14.

‘Over and Out’ – Rock Music’s second single – peaks at #53.

2004: ‘So Lonely’ – the third and final single from Rock Music – is released, peaking at #45.

The Superjesus disband.

Rock Music is reissued as a two-CD collector’s edition, with the second disc featuring live tracks and rarities.

2005: Sarah McLeod releases her debut solo album, Beauty Was A Tiger.

2006: Sarah inducts Rose Tattoo into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

2012: Sarah announces on Triple M that The Superjesus will reunite for a one-off show in February 2013.

2013: Tim Henwood rejoins the band.

Play at the Stone Music Festival in Sydney with Van Halen and Aerosmith.

First national tour in 10 years – The Resurrection Tour.

2015: She Who Rocks national tour with Baby Animals.

Release ‘The Setting Sun’ – first single in 11 years.

Another new single, ‘St Peters Lane’, is released.

The Setting Sun Tour.

Tim Henwood leaves the band. He is replaced by Jason Slack.

2016: The six-track EP Love and Violence is released.

Drummer Travis Dragani joins the band.

2017: Inducted into the South Australian Music Hall of Fame.

2018: Hotter Than Hell tour with Killing Heidi, Grinspoon, Jebediah and Eskimo Joe.

A 20th anniversary edition of Sumo is released, with the album issued on vinyl for the first time. The new edition features a cover of Kylie’s ‘Confide In Me’ – the song that was at number one the month The Superjesus formed.

Jet Age is also released on vinyl for the first time.

National tour.

2019: Tour Brazil.

Sumo 20 Live album is released on double vinyl. Recorded over two nights, at The Zoo in Brisbane and The Manning Bar in Sydney on the album’s 20th anniversary tour.

New single, ‘The Impossible’, is released.

The Impossible Tour.

2021: Jet Age into the 21st Century tour, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Jet Age album.

2022: Under The Southern Stars with Cheap Trick, Bush and Stone Temple Pilots and a support slot for rock heroes Kiss.