Hoi Polloi – Only Flying / Demo

Hoi Polloi
Only Flying / Demo
1996 (no label)
Auckland, New Zealand

Jenny Gullen – Lead vocals
Troy Daugherty – Guitar
Andrew Horst – Bass
Matt McGuyer – Drums

1. Simply Super
2. Only Flying
3. If I Was Juliet

This was the final release by Hoi Polloi before they called it a day. After they successfully re-branded themselves as a loud guitar alternative rock juggernaut with Happily Ever After, the band recorded this demo in preparation for their next album (or so the rumor goes). They continue with the guitar-forward alt rock of their last album, with some saying this tape is proof their next album would have been even better. But it wasn’t meant to be it seems. There are actually two versions of this – one is simply a tape called Demo (see scan below) that has a longer version of “If I Was Juliet.” It seems that just some of the repeating parts of the song were trimmed. Also, “Only Flying” has a drumstick count in that is not on Only Flying. The officially released version as Only Flying appears to cut a good minute off of that track but is otherwise the same. Just not sure which one was released first. They came a long way from their start in 1990 with Satisfy.