Strawpeople

Last updated

Strawpeople
Origin New Zealand
Years active1985–2023
Labels Sony BMG
Bigpop
Members Paul Casserly
Fiona McDonald
Past membersMark Tierney
Stephanie Tauevihi
Fiona McDonald

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.

Contents

Early years

Strawpeople was created by Paul Casserly and Mark Tierney in 1985 when they were both working at 95bFM.

In 1990, Strawpeople released the single "One Good Reason", a cover of The Swingers' song from 1981, which was followed by their debut studio album Hemisphere.

In 1992, Strawpeople released Worldservice, which included a cover of "Have a Little Faith", which became their first single and album on the New Zealand charts.

The third album Broadcast was released in September 1994 and reached number seven on the New Zealand charts. The single "Sweet Disorder" won the 1995 APRA Silver Scroll Award as well as winning the duo the Songwriting award at the 1996 New Zealand Music Awards. [1] [2] "Sweet Disorder" was voted one of the APRA Top 100 New Zealand Songs of All Time, and was included on the related Nature's Best 2 CD.

In 1996 Tierney left Strawpeople. Casserly began writing with Victoria Kelly. In August 1996, the group released their fourth studio album, Vicarious , which became their most commercially successful album, peaking at number four on the New Zealand albums chart and winning Album of the Year at the 1997 New Zealand Music Awards. [3]

In 1997, the group released the remix album, 100 Street Transistors.

In April 2000, the group released their fifth studio album No New Messages, followed by the compilation The Best Of 1990>2000 in November of the same year. Their cover of The Cars' "Drive", featured vocals from fellow New Zealand musician Bic Runga and peaked at number 7 on the singles chart. [4]

Recorded over a 3 year period, the group released their sixth studio album Count Backwards from 10 in August 2004.

In August 2023, Strawpeople released their first album in 20 years, titled Knucklebones recorded at Bigpop studios with long time collaborators Joost Langeveld & Chris van de Geer [5] [6]

Vocalists

The Strawpeople, being a studio based recording outfit, have had a revolving door lineup of vocalists, normally female and from New Zealand. Notable vocalists include Leza Corban, Stephanie Tauevihi, Fiona McDonald (a vocalist from New Zealand band The Headless Chickens).

Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak positions
NZ
[7]
AUS
[8]
Hemisphere
  • Released: 1991
  • Label: Pagan Records
  • Catalogue number: PACD1067
Worldservice
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Pagan Records
  • Catalogue number: PACD1086
30
Broadcast
  • Released: September 1994
  • Label: Epic
  • Catalogue number: 477675.2 / 477676.2 (2CD)
746
Vicarious
  • Released: August 1996
  • Label: Columbia
  • Catalogue number: 485270.2
4
No New Messages
  • Released: April 2000
  • Label: Epic
  • Catalogue number: 495498.2
10
Count Backwards from 10
  • Released: August 2004
  • Label: Epic/CRS
  • Catalogue number: 5173692000
20
Knucklebones
  • Released: 4 August 2023 [6]
  • Label: Bigpop
21
[9]
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Remix albums

List of remix albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak positions
NZ
[7]
100 Street Transistors
  • Released: July 1997
  • Label: Columbia
  • Catalog number: 487709.2
19

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details and chart positions
TitleDetailsPeak positionsCertification
NZ
[7]
The Best of 1990–2000
  • Released: November 2000
  • Label: Epic
  • Catalog number: 5011412000
26

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions
TitleYearPeak chart positionsAlbum
NZ
[4]
AUS
[8] [11] [12]
"Blue"1988Hemisphere
"One Good Reason"1990
"The Slide"1991Worldservice
"Love Explodes"1992
"Have a Little Faith"36
"Trick with a Knife"19941637Broadcast
"Crying"26
"Sweet Disorder"199527
"Beautiful Skin"
"Under the Milky Way"113
"Taller Than God"199619 Vicarious
"Boxers"44
"Spoiler"199747
"Sun Comes Up"100 Street Transistors
"Scared of Flying"199945No New Messages
"Drive"20007
"It's Not Enough"
"City Lights"
"You've Been on My Mind"2004Count Backwards From 10
"Love My Way"
"Wire"2005

Awards and nominations

Aotearoa Music Awards

The Aotearoa Music Awards (previously called the New Zealand Music Awards) recognise achievements in New Zealand music.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1990HemisphereEngineer of the YearWon [13]
Paul Middleditch - "One Good Reason" (Strawpeople)Music Video of the YearNominated
StrawpeopleMost Promising GroupWon
1994World ServiceAlbum of the YearNominated
StrawpeopleGroup of the YearNominated
Strawpeople - World ServiceProducer of the YearWon
"Love Explodes"Single of the YearNominated
1995Wayne Conway - Broadcast (Strawpeople)Album Cover of the YearWon
1996Mark Tierney / Paul Casserly / Anthony Ioasa - Sweet Disorder (Strawpeople)Songwriter of the YearWon
"Sweet Disorder"Single of the YearNominated
1997VicariousAlbum of the YearWon
Chris Van Der Geer (Strawpeople)Engineer of the YearNominated
Fiona McDonald (Strawpeople)Female of the YearNominated
Greg Johnson - "Boxers" (Strawpeople)Songwriter of the YearNominated
"Taller Than God"Single of the YearNominated
2001The Best of 1990-2000Film Soundtrack / Cast Recording / Compilation of the YearWon
Paul Casserly & Joost Langveld - No New Messages (Strawpeople)Producer of the YearNominated

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References

  1. Strawpeople | Artists at muzic.net.nz
  2. 1996 Winners Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at nzmusicawards.co.nz
  3. 1997 Winners Vodafone New Zealand Music Awards at nzmusicawards.co.nz
  4. 1 2 "Search for: Strawpeople songs" . Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  5. "Strawpeople - part two - Article | AudioCulture".
  6. 1 2 "Strawpeople Unveil Their First New Album In Nearly 20 Years". The Music . 4 August 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 "Search for: Strawpeople albums" . Retrieved 2 June 2018.
  8. 1 2 "Discography Strawpeople". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  9. "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 14 August 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  10. "Gold and platinum New Zealand albums to 2013". Te Ara. Encyclopedia of NZ. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  11. "RE: ARIA Chart Peaks". Imgur.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  12. "ARIA Hit Seekers – Week Ending 19th November, 1995 (from The ARIA Report No. 301)". ARIA, via Imgur.com. Retrieved 11 January 2020.
  13. "Awards History". Aotearoa Music Awards . Retrieved 22 September 2023.