William Arthur

The songwriter’s tragic death closed the door on his band and the quest for the next chapter in his life

Bands don’t always end this way. The group’s singer and songwriter dies of an overdose at age 34 and band members scrape together enough money to self-release their last songs as a tribute album. Glide, led by William Arthur, was an indie band from Sydney who was active from 1991 to 1999 but never achieved much notoriety outside of Australia. Still, their records are excellent and they are filled with emotional songs sung by an emotional singer. Glide’s final album, Last (2000), is arguably the band’s best work, with a noticeable change in Arthur’s songwriting and the musical arrangements. It leaves the listener wondering what William Arthur could have created had he not suffered the same fate that befalls too many talented people.

William (born 1965) grew up in England and he spent almost half his life as a musician, starting at age eighteen. He moved to New Zealand to attend school, but after dropping out, he traveled in America for a few years and then back to England before settling in Sydney. Arthur described himself as a “brooding” in a 1996 interview with the Australian radio station triple j, and it’s reflected in many of his songs. He looked and sounded like a rock star, resembling a young Scott Walker in the band’s music videos.

Arthur formed Glide in 1991 after moving to Sydney. The group released three EPs and a single before signing to Shock Records, who released the three-song Why You Asking? EP in 1994. Early play on national radio helped the band secure opening slots supporting Blur and Ride on their Australian tours. Glide released three LPs on Shock: Open Up and Croon (1995), Disappear Here (1996) and a third album, Shrink Wrapped Real Thing (1997), which was a collection of new songs mixed with tracks pulled from their early EPs. Some Australian singles fared well: “Thin-Faced Man,” “Here She Comes,” and “Tangled,” but the group never gained much traction in the U.K. or in the States. There were a few U.S. shows — playing SXSW and a short acoustic tour with just Arthur and one bandmate—but their music couldn’t find a path into mainstream American radio. With commercial success eluding them, band members came and went, leaving William Arthur as the only constant.

In 1998, Glide parted ways with Shock Records. With some remaining publishing money, the group went into a studio in late 1998 and recorded five songs for a proposed EP. They shopped the tracks around to different labels but, surprisingly, found no interest. It’s hard to believe any sensible imprint would pass on these songs. “Baby Now,” with its sweet lyrics and tasteful piano-based backing is a gem, and the other tunes are just as passionate and engaging. After Arthur’s death in August 1999, the band members and Glide’s manager compiled the five songs with four demos Arthur recorded in his garage to complete a full album. They self-financed the compact disc, even selling some of Arthur’s guitars to help with the funding, and the studio tracks and home recordings complement each other, with two intimate acoustic songs and a stylish instrumental piece. Last was initially only available on the band’s website and following its release, “Baby Now” became a brief hit on Australian radio.

In his final months, William Arthur began attending journalism school. Whether he planned to give up on music is not known, but he seemed to have a positive direction in his life before his unforeseen death. Over the years, Glide’s various band members have reunited for tribute shows and there’s a documentary film on the way about William Arthur, Glide and the Australian music scene of the ‘90s, produced by Melbourne filmmaker Ben deHoedt. Titled Disappear Here, after the band’s second album, it’s another fitting accolade to a brilliant songwriter and musician who should not be forgotten.