New Zealand's self-proclaimed "4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo" got their start in Wellington. Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement (musician/funnyman and funnyman/musician, respectively) started crafting their unique, two-man comedy mélange in 2002, while the two of them were living together at college. Overcome by a dream, in which a V formation of Gibson Flying Vs resembled a gaggle of Concorde airplanes, the band christened themselves
Flight of the Conchords and began honing their act in the local comedy and rock clubs around their town in the late '90s.
By 2002, they could be found playing such high-profile gigs as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. When they returned to the fest in 2003, they were nominated for the Perrier Award, thus making them "the almost award-winning 4th most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo in New Zealand." Between those gigs,
Flight of the Conchords self-released the album Folk the World and, by 2005, was the subject of a six-part BBC Radio 2 broadcast series -- a largely improvised affair in the vein of
Spinal Tap and
Tenacious D. Also in 2005, the group landed a spot on HBO's Friday night series One Night Stand. In 2006, Clement was featured in a series of humorous commercials for the U.S.-based Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain, and later that year, the band penned a deal with U.S. indie imprint Sub Pop. The label released the half-studio, half-live EP The Distant Future a year later. Shortly after signing to Sub Pop, the two got their breaks as actors. Clement scored a starring role in the indie romantic comedy Eagle Vs. Shark, and HBO offered Bret and Jemaine their own series. Flight of the Conchords, the show, premiered in June of 2007. Combining the understated humor of Ricky Gervais's Extras and the musical slapstick of
Tenacious D's six episode HBO series, the show followed the two trying to achieve success as a band in New York City, with silly songs worked into the plotlines. After 12 episodes, it was announced that the boys would return with a second season in 2008. In April of 2008, Sub Pop released a full-length album of songs from the show. ~ J. Scott McClintock, All Music Guide
