Deadstar
Encyclopedia
Deadstar was an Australia
n band from Melbourne based around the songs of singer Caroline Kennedy and guitarist Barry Palmer
(Hunters and Collectors).
Deadstar was initially a side-project for Caroline Kennedy and Hunters and Collectors guitarist Barry Palmer, who invited Caroline into the studio to write melodies and lyrics over tracts of guitar music he had recorded for a short film. The collaboration worked immediately and what had been film music became, with the addition of Kennedy-McCracken’s lyrics and melodies, the group’s first self-titled album.
With both musicians already signed to Mushroom's White label, it became a simple thing for that label to release the first and second record [Milk].
As their Australian record company was sold, things became difficult for the band, with the release of their third recording Somewhere Over the Radio compromised. This situation was a precursor to the band breaking up.
Other members of the band were (at different times) Peter McCracken (bass), Michael den Elzen
(guitar; ex-Schnell Fenster
), and ex-Crowded House
members Peter Jones
(drums) and Nick Seymour
(bass).
Their style can be described as rock
, the guitars, on especially the first two albums, are the core of their music. The third album Somewhere Over The Radio saw a greater emphasis on their distinctive brand of jangly pop/rock spawning two singles "Run Baby Run" and "Deeper Water" (their biggest hit, reaching #28 on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart) bringing the band some success in Australia in 1999.
The band enjoyed mixed success during its lifetime. They had some success in the UK and toured there after extensive radio play of single Sex Sell. Always Triple J
favourites and in later days finding themselves on high rotation on the commercial radio stations, and with their music being used in television and film productions, they were a perhaps a promise that was never fully realised.
The band split due to lack of record company support .
-tinged album, (In The Honeycone (2004)), under the name The Tulips.
Barry Palmer continued to write, record and perform with Hunters and Collectors during his time with Deadstar until Hunters disbanded in 1998. Barry has since formed his own label, The Devil's Music, and continues to record, produce and write.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n band from Melbourne based around the songs of singer Caroline Kennedy and guitarist Barry Palmer
Barry Palmer (musician)
Barry Palmer is an Australian musician, songwriter and record producer based in Melbourne, best known as a member of the band Hunters & Collectors, from 1988-1998.-History:...
(Hunters and Collectors).
Deadstar was initially a side-project for Caroline Kennedy and Hunters and Collectors guitarist Barry Palmer, who invited Caroline into the studio to write melodies and lyrics over tracts of guitar music he had recorded for a short film. The collaboration worked immediately and what had been film music became, with the addition of Kennedy-McCracken’s lyrics and melodies, the group’s first self-titled album.
With both musicians already signed to Mushroom's White label, it became a simple thing for that label to release the first and second record [Milk].
As their Australian record company was sold, things became difficult for the band, with the release of their third recording Somewhere Over the Radio compromised. This situation was a precursor to the band breaking up.
Other members of the band were (at different times) Peter McCracken (bass), Michael den Elzen
Michael den Elzen
Michael den Elzen is a musician and music producer based in Melbourne, Australia. He has performed for over 25 years with many well-known Australian and New Zealand artists, principally as a guitarist, and has contributed music for several Australian movie soundtracks.-Early career:Den Elzen spent...
(guitar; ex-Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster
Schnell Fenster was a Melbourne-based band, formed in 1986 by members of Split Enz after the breakup of that band. Tentatively named "The Wanx", the band selected their name, which is German for "fast window" , because it "appealed to [their] perversity".The band also formed the core of the members...
), and ex-Crowded House
Crowded House
Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Australia and led by New Zealand singer-songwriter Neil Finn. Finn is the primary songwriter and creative director of the band, having led it through several incarnations, drawing members from New Zealand , Australia and the United States...
members Peter Jones
Peter Jones (drummer)
Peter Jones is a Liverpool-born Australian session drummer, who replaced Paul Hester in Crowded House. After the band split up, he played in Deadstar with Caroline Kennedy and Nick Seymour. Other bands he has been in are, Harem Scarem, Stove Top and is currently the durmmer for the Melbourne rock...
(drums) and Nick Seymour
Nick Seymour
Nick Seymour is a musician, painter, and record producer. He is best known for being the bass guitarist in the Australasian rock group Crowded House and brother to Mark Seymour of another successful group; Hunters and Collectors.- Biography :Born in Benalla, Victoria, Australia, Seymour studied...
(bass).
Their style can be described as rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, the guitars, on especially the first two albums, are the core of their music. The third album Somewhere Over The Radio saw a greater emphasis on their distinctive brand of jangly pop/rock spawning two singles "Run Baby Run" and "Deeper Water" (their biggest hit, reaching #28 on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart) bringing the band some success in Australia in 1999.
The band enjoyed mixed success during its lifetime. They had some success in the UK and toured there after extensive radio play of single Sex Sell. Always Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
favourites and in later days finding themselves on high rotation on the commercial radio stations, and with their music being used in television and film productions, they were a perhaps a promise that was never fully realised.
The band split due to lack of record company support .
Other projects
Before Caroline sang in Deadstar, she was in The Plums with Shamus Goble and Peter McCracken, and she also had her own project, The Caroline Kennedy Conspiracy. Caroline and Peter have, again with help of Shamus Goble, released a countryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
-tinged album, (In The Honeycone (2004)), under the name The Tulips.
Barry Palmer continued to write, record and perform with Hunters and Collectors during his time with Deadstar until Hunters disbanded in 1998. Barry has since formed his own label, The Devil's Music, and continues to record, produce and write.
Discography
- Deadstar (1996)
- Milk (1997) (Deadstar in the UK release)
- Somewhere Over The Radio (1999)
- The Definitive CollectionThe Definitive Collection (Deadstar album)The Definitive Collection by Deadstar is a collection of their most popular songs from their three albums. It was released on Festival Mushroom Records in Australia and New Zealand on 17 August 2004 but was quickly withdrawn due to an objection by vocalist Caroline Kennedy.-Track listing:#Run Baby...
(2004)