Teeth & Tongue were formed in Melbourne in 2007 by Jessica Cornelius (ex-Moscow Schoolboy) on lead vocals, keyboards and guitar, as a vehicle for her song-writing. including rotation airplay on
Triple J and
FBi Radio, Album of the Week on Radio Adelaide, and reviews in
Rolling Stone,
Triple J Magazine,
Who Weekly and
Yen Magazine. Teeth & Tongue, with the line-up of Cornelius, Steve Masterson, Marc Reguiro-Mckelvie and "Patto" Millman, were chosen as Triple J's radio programme
Home & Hoseds Next Crop artist in November 2009. Steph Hughes of that programme explained, "Her latest songwriting output has seen the group remaining true to initial brooding sensibilities – with an added special sauce. At any turn a Teeth & Tongue song could be sludgy, melodic, metronomic – or a patchwork of them all. It's meticulously constructed but by no means restrained." Radio Adelaide, RTR FM and Edge Radio. The line-up was Cornelius (now also on drum machine) and Reguiro-McKelvie were joined on some tracks by Masterson on live drums and Brigitte Hart on backing vocals and percussion. According to
The Beats interviewer, "she wanted to record an album based primarily on the use of drum machines. But it was the long gestation of
Tambourine that allowed Cornelius to examine exactly how she wanted the album to sound, and what she wanted it to represent as a record."
The Ages reviewer rated
Tambourine at four stars,
The Vines writer observed, "One of the best Australian releases this year". Kat Mahina of
The AU Review caught a live gig in July 2011, where, "Cornelius was in fine form and visibly less nervous than she was at her own album launch a few weeks ago. The young chanteuse let her vocals soar and her dirty, bluesy, pop was all encompassing. [She] has a sweet, understated presence and the music really took off." The album's first single, "Unfamiliar Skirts", received
The Ages EG Award nomination for Song of the Year in October 2011. In March 2012 Teeth & Tongue undertook a solo North American tour, including performances at the
SXSW festival and New York's Piano's. The tour was also reviewed by
Nylon Magazine and
MTV. Teeth & Tongue returned to the US in October of that year with a full band for
CMJ Music Marathon where they appeared on
USA Todays list
CMJ 2012: What you should be listening to Now. Followed by a live performance on
East Village Radio. Also in that year they were nominated for another EG Award, for Outstanding Achievement. Cornelius, as a solo act, joined a live 12-date SBS
RocKwiz tour during 2012. She has appeared on the related TV show twice: in 2011 as a duet with
Mike Rudd of cover version of Roy Orbison's "
Crying", and in 2013 covering "Take Another Little Piece of my Heart" with
Joe Camilleri. In 2013 Cornelius was one of the musical artists in the
National Gallery of Victoria's exhibition, "Wired for Melbourne Sound"; where musicians wrote and recorded an extended play live in a public gallery.
Evelyn Morris was also a part of the project. Teeth & Tongue's third album,
Grids, was released in March 2014, with a line-up of Cornelius and Reguiro-Mckelvie joined in the recording studio by Damian Sullivan on bass guitar and synthesiser. It was co-produced by Cornelius with A J Bradford for
Remote Control Records.
Peter Luscombe provided drums for the album. It was named Album of the Week on RRR FM, Radio Adelaide, and by
Beat Magazine, and Feature Album on ABC's
Double J and on
RTRFM radio. Jake Cleland, of music website
thevine.com.au, observed, "equal parts piano balladry, electronic squall and guitar buzz, but its most distinct component is Cornelius's voice. One moment a David Bowie yawp, the next a Kate Bush howl, another soulful crooning, and occasionally joining herself in choirs both weeping and thunderous,
Grids features some of her most adventurous vocal work to date." The second single, and video from the album, "Good Man", premiered on
Pages Digital, A writer for
Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) described it as "jawdropping" and "breathtaking" and explained, "We've never heard a song like it before. The star is the arrangement – A single organ, a smattering of feedback, some gated drums and Jess' multi-layered, multi-textured vocals dominating out front." The next single, "Newborn", featured
Laura Jean and was launched with an accompanying video displaying syncopated dance moves by body builders. The album received three more
The Age EG Award nominations: Best Band, Best Album and Best Female Artist. During 2014, Teeth & Tongue had expanded to a five-piece band to recreate the
Grids album for live shows, Cornelius, Reguiro-Mckelvie and Sullivan were joined by James Harvey on drums and Jade McInally on backing vocals, keyboards and percussion. That year they performed at
Meredith Music Festival, Boogie Festival, White Night Melbourne, Friday Nights at the
National Gallery of Victoria and New Year's Eve, as well as touring Australia to promote
Grids — including a performance at
MONA in Tasmania. In February 2015 took part in the Nes Artist Residency in
Skagaströnd, northern Iceland, for two months, where she composed on new material. The group's single, "Cupcake", released in April 2015, included a video shot at the residency and through vehicle windows while driving around the town. The group's fourth album,
Give Up on Your Health, reached No. 2 on the
ARIA Hitseekers Albums chart in September 2016. It was named Feature Album on 3RRR and described as an, "adventurous and accomplished album of smart, sophisticated pop", by their writer. The album was also named feature album on
Double J and Teeth & Tongue was nominated for a
J Award for Double J Australian Artist of the Year alongside
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and
Ngaiire. At the Age Music Victoria Awards 2016, Teeth & Tongue was nominated for Best Song ("Dianne") and Cornelius was nominated for Best Female Artist. In the US, Teeth & Tongue were featured in
Rolling Stone as one of '"Ten New Artists You Need to Know" in August of that year. Giselle Bueti of
The AU Review saw their gig in February 2017, "delivered a bone shakingly sweet set... [they] deliver a dynamic live show. Each song is enhanced; with an almost darker, more spine tingling feel." The group disbanded early in that year with Cornelius concentrating on her solo career.
Touring Teeth & Tongue has supported
J Mascis,
Vance Joy,
EMA,
The Drones,
The Mountain Goats,
The Dodos,
Laura Marling,
Courtney Barnett,
Juana Molina,
Sons and Daughters (band),
Jack Ladder,
Adalita and
Dan Kelly in Australia. Teeth & Tongue toured Europe in 2010, playing Gea Festival in
Tarragona alongside
Lydia Lunch. Teeth & Tongue has played at several festivals, including
Meredith Music Festival,
Falls Festival,
St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Boogie Festival,
Perth Festival,
Darwin Festival,
Beechworth Festival, and the
White Night festivals in Melbourne. == 2017–present: Jess Cornelius, solo ==