1983-1990 Ups and Downs was formed in Brisbane in 1983 by brothers Greg and Darren Atkinson with John Flade. Peter Shaw soon joined the lineup. After the release of two singles through Basketcase in 1984, they relocated to Sydney, where they built a cult following. In 1986 they released the single "The Living Kind" through True Tone which saw them nominated for an
ARIA Award at the
ARIA Music Awards of 1987. In 1987 Trevor O'Neil joined the band. They signed with
Mushroom Records and released their debut album
Underneath the Watchful Eye in 1988. Flade left the band in 1989 and they released one more EP before breaking up in 1990. They reformed in 2011 for a series of shows and they released a compilation album of old tracks,
Out of the Darkness: Sleepless, Singles & Other Stories. In 2017 they released their album "The Sky's In Love With You" on Basketcase Records, with bass player Alex Ronayne. In September 2019, they recorded a cover version of
The Hummingbirds' "Two Weeks With a Good Man in Niagara Falls" for the
Shake Yer Popboomerang Volume 3 compilation. Before re-recording and releasing "The Real World", which was featured on the 1983 cassette ''Darling It's Wonderful''. ==Band members==