The Widdershins
Encyclopedia
Widdershins were an Australian indie pop
band, active from 1987 to 1989. After The Lighthouse Keepers
disbanded in early 1986, Greg Appel and Juliet Ward went on to form the Rainlovers which became Widdershins in 1987 with the addition of James Cruickshank, Peter Timmerman and Barry Turnbull (ex-John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong
).
Three years of sporadic playing around Australia to a devoted following and 4 releases on vinyl earned them the respect of critics throughout the country. After a final performance on 30 March 1990 at Sydney University, Widdershins called it a day. Juliet Ward and Peter Timmerman continued with a floating personnel as Hammerhead. Greg Appel formed One Head Jet with Stephen Appel and James Cruickshank joined The Cruel Sea
.
Following the demise of Widdershins, Greg and a younger brother Steve gigged occasionally with Ward, Timmerman and others in a loose-knit outfit called Hammerhead, before forming the semi-regular group One Head Jet ca. 1992, and playing in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and other towns until about 1997. The fluid lineup included Timmerman, and the youngest of the Appel clan, David (vocals, trumpet, percussion) and on occasion, in the latter stages of the band, guitarist Brendan Gallagher of Karma County. After the demise of One Head Jet, Steve Appel formed King Curly.
Indie pop
Indie pop is a genre of alternative rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid 1980s, with its roots in the Scottish post-punk bands on the Postcard Records label in the early '80s, such as Orange Juice, Josef K and Aztec Camera, and the dominant UK independent band of the mid...
band, active from 1987 to 1989. After The Lighthouse Keepers
The Lighthouse Keepers
The Lighthouse Keepers were an independent band in Sydney in the early 1980s, combining a loosely-rehearsed, casual ethos with C&W humour, Punk DIY attitudes and Pure Pop songcraft.__NOEDITSECTION__-Introduction:...
disbanded in early 1986, Greg Appel and Juliet Ward went on to form the Rainlovers which became Widdershins in 1987 with the addition of James Cruickshank, Peter Timmerman and Barry Turnbull (ex-John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong
John Kennedy's Love Gone Wrong
John Kennedy is an Australian musician, a singer-songwriter with a penchant for strong melodies and "heart on your sleeve" pop songs often with country and western influences.-Early life:...
).
Three years of sporadic playing around Australia to a devoted following and 4 releases on vinyl earned them the respect of critics throughout the country. After a final performance on 30 March 1990 at Sydney University, Widdershins called it a day. Juliet Ward and Peter Timmerman continued with a floating personnel as Hammerhead. Greg Appel formed One Head Jet with Stephen Appel and James Cruickshank joined The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea
The Cruel Sea or Cruel Sea may refer to:*The Cruel Sea , a 1951 novel by Nicholas Monsarrat*The Cruel Sea , a 1953 film made of the above book, starring Jack Hawkins...
.
Following the demise of Widdershins, Greg and a younger brother Steve gigged occasionally with Ward, Timmerman and others in a loose-knit outfit called Hammerhead, before forming the semi-regular group One Head Jet ca. 1992, and playing in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and other towns until about 1997. The fluid lineup included Timmerman, and the youngest of the Appel clan, David (vocals, trumpet, percussion) and on occasion, in the latter stages of the band, guitarist Brendan Gallagher of Karma County. After the demise of One Head Jet, Steve Appel formed King Curly.
Personnel
- Juliet Ward - vocals
- Greg Appel - guitar and vocals
- James Cruickshank - guitar and keyboards
- Barry Turnbull - bass
- Peter Timmerman - drums
Discography
- Now You Know / Dishwashing Liquid single (1987)
- Bottleman's Wife EP (1988)
- Ascension LP (1989)
- Return of the King / Bugle Call single (1989)
- Good Songs retrospective CD (Egg Records 2006)
- Now You Know / Changeling / A Place in Time download single (Egg Records 2006)