The Paradise Motel are an independent Australian rock band that formed in Hobart, Tasmania in 1994. They relocated to Melbourne and issued two albums on Mushroom Records, Still Life (1996) and Flight Paths (1998) before moving to the United Kingdom where they released a third, Reworkings (1999), before disbanding in early 2000. The group reformed in January 2008 and released the albums, Australian Ghost Story (2010), I Still Hear Your Voice at Night (2011) and Oh Boy (2013). History 1994–1998: Formation and early releases The Paradise Motel were formed in Hobart, Tasmania with Matt Aulich on electric guitar, Matt Bailey on bass guitar and Charles Bickford on acoustic guitar. After playing one concert at Kaos Cafe they relocated to Melbourne in 1995. Mérida Sussex, who worked in the St Kilda Public Library, joined on lead vocals. Their line-up was completed by Mark "BJ" Austin on Hammond organ and Tim O'Shannassy on drums. O'Shannassy had replaced a "succession of other percussionists had passed through" the band. Their first Melbourne concert was on Valentine's Day 1995 at the Carlton Movie House, beginning a penchant for performing at atypical venues. They joined Bruce Milne's management company, The Shining Path, and signed to Mushroom Records which, in 1996, released their début six-track extended play, Left Over Life to Kill, via the label's offshoot, Infectious Records. Left Over Life to Kill was variously described as "An assured and extremely vivid piece of music", "In 25 minutes they might very well change the way you listen to music, 9.5/10", and "Possibly the finest début EP by a band in Australian music history". McFarlane felt it "contained a number of melancholy pieces" typified by "German Girl", "Ashes" and "North of God". Left Over Life to Kill reached No. 2 on the Australian Alternative Charts, and became one of the highest selling alternative releases of 1996. A second EP, Some Deaths Take Forever, followed – titled from graffito seen at the Brisbane venue, The Zoo. This EP has remixes of two tracks and out-takes from Left Over Life to Kill, and a cover version of The Triffids' song "Raining Pleasure"; it was produced by the band. 2,000 hand-numbered copies were pressed and soon sold out. The cover art on these EPs and some subsequent releases maintained a stylistic uniformity, reminiscent of Penguin Books' Penguin Classics series. In September 1996 the group toured nationally supporting Tex Perkins. Early in