Despite their young ages the members of New Zealand alt pop group Betchadupa are well versed in the ways of the music business. Singer/guitarist Liam Finn and drummer Matt Eccles are simultaneously blessed and cursed by being the prodigy of famous musicians. Liam's father is Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House fame while Brent Eccles was drummer and manager of legendary Australian hard rock band the Angels. The career of the sons started after a chance meeting in their summer of 1997 between the then 12-year-old Eccles and Finn when their families were holidaying at the same spot. They say they instantly disliked each other but also discovered each other's love of music and spent the summer writing and recording songs. Later, Liam's neighbour Chris Garland was recruited on guitar and schoolmate Joe Bramley added on bass to complete the line-up. They played their first show when they were 16. Originally they called themselves Lazy Boy. Their name was changed to Betchadupa after objections from a company with a similar name making reclining chairs. Betchadupa “apparently" comes the top line from an eye chart that Liam Finn had to read. In early 2000 the band released their self-titled first EP on Flying Nun, comprised of songs Liam and Matt had put together after that first meeting. Immediately they found themselves in demand and hit the road. In 2001 Joe joined the others in quitting school, the band released their second EP - the 3DEP (the NZ release accompanied by a pair of 3D specs on purchase) - and they shared the stage with some of the music world's most respected names. In April 2001 had Neil Finn decided he would celebrate the release of his solo latest album with five-night, sold-out series of shows at the Auckland St James Theatre with friends including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Radiohead's guitarist Ed O'Brien and drummer Phil Selway, the Smiths' Johnny Marr, Neil's brother Tim Finn, - and Betchadupa – who performed Split Enz' “I See Red with Vedder and Tim Finn. Eccles was also working as part of the crew on the five shows, alternating with his drumming duties. Australian Betchadupa performances around the release of the 3DEP followed. In June 2001 Betchadupa went into hibernation to start a couple of months' work on their first album, Alphabetchadula no longer teenagers, and having found what they wanted to do together musically, as you'd expect, music with the famous pop sense of the Finn family, but with the energy, hard edge and irreverence of youth. ~ Ed Nimmervoll, All Music Guide