The Herd (Australian band)
The Herd are an Australian hip hop group from Sydney, formed in 2001. The lineup includes MCs Ozi Batla and Urthboy, Berzerkatron (Simon Fellows), producer Unkle Ho, multi-instrumentalist Traksewt, guitarists Sulo and Toe-Fu, bassist Rok Poshtya, and singer Jane Tyrrell. Berzerkatron left in 2006; past members also include Alejandro and Flatmax. Their music is known for political, left-wing lyrics.
They released their debut single Scallops in 2001, which got airplay on Triple J. Their second album, An Elefant Never Forgets (2003), featured singles like Burn Down the Parliament and 77%, the latter referencing the Tampa affair and reaching #46 in Triple J’s Hottest 100. The Sun Never Sets followed in 2005, with the song We Can’t Hear You. They also performed a cover of I Was Only Nineteen on Triple J’s Like a Version that year.
In 2008 they released Summerland, the first album with Jane Tyrrell as a full member, and its lead single The King Is Dead celebrated Australia’s political shift from John Howard to Kevin Rudd. Future Shade arrived in 2011, led by The Sum of it All, and The Better Live EP came out in 2012. The Herd played at WOMADelaide in 2013 and the Come Together festival, then became inactive for a while.
Tyrrell pursued a solo career, and Urthboy continued with his own projects. The Herd reunited for select shows in the late 2010s and performed at Woodford Folk Festival in 2019. In 2024 they released Soul of My Soul, a protest song about the Israel-Palestine war, with all proceeds going to Olive Kids, an Australian charity for Palestinian youth.
In 2025 they announced a 2026 headlining tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Sun Never Sets. The band also faced controversy in 2009 over a festival booking, withdrew from the event, and donated profits to Greenpeace as part of an apology.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 12:30 (CET).