Human Nature is undoubtedly Australia's most successful harmony quartet composed of Andrew Tierney, Mike Tierney, Toby Allen and Phil Burton. They have been together without a line up change since 1989.
Andrew Tierney, Michael Tierney, Philip Burton and Toby Allen started out as 4Trax in 1989 while all attending New South Wales Agricultural High School. Andrew, Phillip and Toby were all of the same year level performing in Godspell and Grease while Andrew's younger brother, Michael, was a few years behind them and used to sing in school choirs and in opera.
After busking the streets of Sydney, 4Trax started performing at clubs and soon winning several awards as club entertainers. Thinking of a greener pasture, the group started sending off their demo tapes to various record labels and landed a record deal with Sony Music Australia after performing a live rendition of Curtis Mayfield's People Get Ready. The group name has changed from 4Trax to Human Nature after Michael Tierney has suggested it.
Telling Everybody (1996) was Human Nature's first album under Sony Music Australia which went on to sell four times platinum and its first single, Got It Goin' On established the band's success followed by other singles Telling Everybody, Wishes, Don't Say Goodbye and Whisper Your Name. They also had the chance to work with big names such as Michael Jackson and Celine Dion as support acts. By the time their second album was released. They had traveled the world multiple times over.
Back in their homeland, Human Nature had collaborated with John Farnham in Everytime You Cry, which became one of the top Australian hits of 1997. They also appeared in a stage version of Grease and participated in an all-star concert tour of purely Beatles songs conducted by George Martin.
Human Nature returned to their pop root with their Counting Down album in 1998. This album generated five gold singles in Australia including Last To Know, Don't Cry, Cruel, Be There With You and their version of Bangles' 1989 hit, Eternal Flame.
In 2000, the band released their self-titled third album that carries the single He Don't Love You which reached UK's Top 20 and being tenth of the best-selling Australian single of that year.
Here & Now: The Best of Human Nature followed in the late 2001 that featured the single Always Be With You which was shot in London, Stockholm and New York and featured a songwriting session with former Take That member, Gary Barlow.
On April 26, 2004 saw the release of their fourth studio album, Walk The Tightrope. Its single When You Say You Love Me (penned by Darren Hayes) has reached Top 10 in Australia that same year. This album also includes Love Is Blind (written by Barry Gibb of Bee Gees), Guilty (by Barry Gibb and Barbra Streisand) and a cover version of Mr. Big's 1992 hit, To Be With You.
Human Nature has also released a set of Motown covers for their fifth and sixth albums, Reach Out: The Motown Record released on November 6, 2005 that reached five times platinum and Dancing in the Street: The Songs of Motown II, released on October 13, 2006, peaked at number one and won the highest selling album ARIA award.
