Fiona McDonald | |
---|---|
Birth name | Fiona Maude McDonald |
Born | 1965 (age 58–59) Huntly, New Zealand |
Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
Genres | Alternative rock, electronic |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter, musician, model, TV presenter |
Instrument | Keyboards |
Years active | 1988–2000 |
Labels | Flying Nun |
Fiona Maude McDonald [1] (born 1965) is a New Zealand pop singer and television personality.
McDonald's first involvement with music came through singing jingles for Auckland student radio station bFM. From that work she was asked to join Auckland band Diatribe which also included musician Greg Johnson. In the early '90s she teamed up with former bFM producers Mark Tierney and Paul Casserly who were looking for a singer for their new studio-only group, Strawpeople.[ citation needed ]
McDonald also briefly sang live with NRA, and provided guest vocals on the Headless Chickens on "Cruise Control". Reaching #6 in the charts, "Cruise Control" proved to be so popular that she was asked to join the band full-time. Three successful years of recording and touring followed, including number one single "George", but McDonald eventually left the band in 1995.[ citation needed ]
In the mid-'90s, McDonald continued to work with the Strawpeople and at the same time worked on songs for her solo album. A Different Hunger was released in 1999 with the first single "Sin Again" making it to #7 in the New Zealand charts. [2]
McDonald's first television work was in 1997 presenting @Xtra, a TV2 series about the internet. In 2005 McDonald was also one of the three judges in the first series of NZ Idol and presented the New Zealand version of 10 Years Younger. [3] She also presented the second series of arts show The Big Art Trip. [4] In October 2012, she began work as a presenter on the new Shopping Channel. [5]
Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
---|---|---|---|
NZ | |||
1999 | "Sin Again" | 7 | A Different Hunger |
"Damage Control" | 18 | ||
"Breathe" | - | ||
"Wish I Was A Man" | - | ||
"Bless Them All" | 20 | Non-album single | |
"Let Me Dream" | - | A Different Hunger | |
2000 | "Bury Me" | - | |
"I Dont Care" | - | ||
Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music store manager Roger Shepherd. Described by The Guardian as "one of the world's great independent labels", Flying Nun is notable for bringing global attention to the Dunedin sound, a cultural and musical movement in early 1980s Dunedin.
The Dunedin sound was a musical and cultural movement in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, in the early 1980s. It helped found indie rock as a genre. The scene is associated with Flying Nun Records, an independent label.
Malcolm Welsford is a New Zealand Record Producer and is best known for his work with Shihad, The Feelers and Supergroove.
Straitjacket Fits were a four-piece alternative indie rock band that formed in Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1986 and broke up in 1994. They released three studio albums, Hail (1988), Melt (1990), and Blow (1993), and several EPs. Their line-up for their first two albums consisted of Shayne Carter, John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass), and Andrew Brough. Brough departed the band in 1991 and was replaced for the band's final album by Mark Petersen.
Able Tasmans were an indie pop band from Auckland, New Zealand, initially formed as a duo in 1983. They released four albums and two EPs on Flying Nun Records before splitting up in 1996.
The following lists events that happened during 1992 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1994 in New Zealand.
The following lists events that happened during 1995 in New Zealand.
The Headless Chickens was a New Zealand band. Going against the grain of the Dunedin sound that dominated the Flying Nun Records roster at the time, the Headless Chickens made extensive use of electronic instruments in their music.
"George" is a song by New Zealand rock band Headless Chickens, released as the lead single from their third studio album, Greedy, in 1994. Charting as a double A-side with the Eskimos in Egypt mix of their 1991 song "Cruise Control", the single reached number one in the band's native New Zealand for four weeks in 1994 and 1995 and received a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ). "George" was nominated for Single of the Year at the 1995 New Zealand Music Awards, losing to Purest Form's "Message to My Girl". In 1997, the song was released in Australia, where it peaked at number 67 on the ARIA Singles Chart.
"Juice" is a song by New Zealand rock band Headless Chickens, released as a single in 1992. The track was originally titled "Dreamchild", having been written and performed by Fiona McDonald for Strawpeople. When McDonald later joined the Headless Chickens, the song was reworked and renamed "Juice". It was released as a double A-side with "Choppers" and peaked at number seven on the New Zealand Singles Chart, staying on the chart for 15 weeks. In Australia, the track was voted in at number 44 on the Triple J Hottest 100 of 1993. In 1994, a 12-inch vinyl disc was issued in the United Kingdom featuring two remixes by Ollie J.
Stephanie Ann Tauevihi is a New Zealand songwriter, singer and actress, known for her work as the fictional character, Donna Heka, in the New Zealand television series Shortland Street. She also played a Real estate Agent in one episode of short-lived NZ program Rude Awakenings. She has provided songs and vocals for New Zealand band Strawpeople.
Strawpeople are a New Zealand band. They were created by Paul Casserly and Mark Tierney after they had met while working at the Auckland university radio station now known as 95 bFM. Over the years, Strawpeople has brought together various New Zealand songwriters, vocalists and musicians in a collaborative effort and achieved some success.
Chris Matthews is a New Zealand rock musician. He has been a member of numerous bands, notably Children's Hour, This Kind of Punishment and The Headless Chickens for whom he was guitarist and lead vocalist, as well as writer or co-writer of many of their songs. Among these was the 1991 single "Cruise Control", co-written by Matthews and Michael Lawry, which was voted by APRA's members as the 76th greatest New Zealand song of all time.
Body Blow is the second studio album by New Zealand rock band the Headless Chickens. It was originally released in 1991, then rereleased for Australia in 1993 with a substantially reworked track list, losing "Crash Hot" and "Road Train" but gaining "Mr. Moon", "Juice", "Choppers" and some remixes. Another Australian version followed in 1994 with the addition of a bonus disc containing six remixes.
"Cruise Control" is a song by New Zealand band Headless Chickens. Written by members Chris Matthews and Michael Lawry, the track was released as the second single from the band's second studio album, Body Blow (1991), in 1991 and reached number six on the New Zealand Singles Chart. Three years later, the song was remixed and re-released as the "Eskimos in Egypt" mix. This version of the song peaked at number 26 in Australia and topped the New Zealand chart as a double A-side with "George".
Vicarious is the fourth studio album by New Zealand band Strawpeople, featuring vocalist Fiona McDonald. Released in 1996 by Columbia Records, the electronic album produced by McDonald and Strawpeople member Paul Casserly was commercially successful, staying on the New Zealand charts for nearly six months and peaking at #4. It was also awarded Album of the Year at the 1997 New Zealand Music Awards.
Stunt Clown is the debut full-length studio album by the New Zealand rock band Headless Chickens. The album, released in 1988 through Flying Nun Records, peaked at number 18 in the New Zealand charts. Primarily produced by Rex Vizible and Roland Morris as well as the Headless Chickens themselves, Strawpeople member Mark Tierney also served production duties on the album's bonus tracks. It was reissued in 1995, affixed with the tracks featured in the band's 1986 EP that had previously been included in some international releases of Stunt Clown.
A Different Hunger is the only studio album by New Zealand singer-songwriter Fiona McDonald, released on 30 September 1999 by Flying Nun Records and Mushroom Records.
"Taller Than God" is a song released by New Zealand electronic band Strawpeople in 1996 as the lead single from their fourth album Vicarious. Written and produced by core Strawpeople member Paul Casserly and singer-songwriter Fiona McDonald, the track reached the top 20 of the New Zealand singles chart and was a finalist for Single of the Year at the New Zealand Music Awards.