The Embers (Tasmanian band)

Last updated

The Embers
The Embers.jpg
2007 line-up (L-R): Michael Attard, Mark Vincent, Leonardo Martinez, Katy Humphries, Joel Delphin, Stu van Riel.
Background information
Origin Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Genres
Years active
  • 2005 (2005)–2008 (2008)
  • 2011–present
Website facebook.com/embermembers
Members
  • Michael Attard
  • Katy Humphries
  • Miles Bender
  • Jai Larkman
  • Kilty Salter
Past members
  • Joel Delphin
  • Leonardo Martinez
  • Stu van Riel
  • Mark Vincent
  • Michael Woods

The Embers are an Australian roots-fusion band formed in Launceston in late 2005 by mainstays Michael Attard on acoustic guitar, lead vocals and harmonica; and Katy Humphries on saxophone, violin and backing vocals. They perform classical, jazz, folk, country and traditional Mexican music. They disbanded in 2008 and reformed in 2011, they released their debut studio album, Bright, in March 2015.

Launceston, Tasmania City in Tasmania, Australia

Launceston is a city in the north of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River (Kanamaluka). Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after Hobart and the Thirteenth-largest non-capital city in Australia.

Contents

History

The Embers were formed by friends late in 2005 and aimed to compete in the National Campus Band Competition (NCBC). Duncan Ewington of Sauce Magazine caught their performance at the Art School Ball of the University of Tasmania in Hobart in December; he described how, "The Embers were tight and original – I loved the panpipes and the charango guitar, violin and stand-up-bass – what a combo." [1] They supported artists, the Violent Femmes, the Whitlams, Marcia Hines, the Red Eyes, True Live and the Exploders.

The National Campus Band Competition is an annual Australian national band competition produced by the Australian Association of Campus Activities. To enter the competition, one band member must be enrolled at a participating university. In 2006, the overall winner of the competition received $8,000 worth of equipment, 3 days studio time and 3,000 mastered and duplicated CD’s.

University of Tasmania public university located in Tasmania, Australia

The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Officially founded in 1890, it was the fourth university to be established in Australia, although Christ College, which became affiliated with the university in 1929, was established in 1846 and remains the oldest form of higher education in the country. The University of Tasmania is a sandstone university and is a member of the international Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning.

The Whitlams Australian rock band

The Whitlams are an Australian indie rock/piano rock group formed in late 1992. The original line-up was Tim Freedman on keyboards and lead vocals, Andy Lewis on double bass and Stevie Plunder on guitar. Other than mainstay, Freedman, the line-up has changed numerous times. Since 2001 he has been joined by Warwick Hornby on bass guitar, Jak Housden on guitar and Terepai Richmond on drums. Four of their studio albums have reached the ARIA Albums Chart top 20: Eternal Nightcap, Love This City, Torch the Moon and Little Cloud. Their highest charting singles are "Blow Up the Pokies" and "Fall for You" – both reached number 21. The group's single, "No Aphrodisiac" was listed at number one on the Triple J Hottest 100, 1997 by listeners of national radio station, Triple J. In January 1996 Stevie Plunder was found dead at the base of Wentworth Falls. Andy Lewis committed suicide in February 2000.

The Embers played the MS Fest and Falls Festival during 2006. [2] [3] In October of that year they travelled to Sydney for the NCBC. [4] [5] They won the national title against fellow state winners: Regicide (New South Wales), the Strange Little Girls (Queensland), Cellar Door (Victoria), Kingswood Country (Australian Capital Territory), Avedis (South Australia) and the Dee Dee Dums (Western Australia). [6] [7] [8] The prize provided "$8,000 worth of band equipment... plus 3 days studio time and 3,000 mastered and duplicated CDs." [9] Previous entrants include the Vines, Eskimo Joe, george and the Vasco Era. [10]

MS Fest

MS Fest was a music festival, held annually in Launceston, Tasmania Australia since 2006 until 2011 when it was announced that MS Fest 2012 will be held in Hobart, Tasmania. It was a single day event, held in February or March on a Saturday.

Falls Music & Arts Festival is a multi-day music festival held annually in Lorne (Victoria), Marion Bay (Tasmania), Yelgun and Fremantle, Australia over the New Year's Eve and January period. The festival hosts contemporary music performances, dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret, and other art forms. Camping is available and all locations have nearby beaches which are either walking distance or a short bus ride away. Artists playing at the festival include rock, hip hop, indie music, electronic music, blues and roots.

The Vines (band) rock band

The Vines are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1994. Their sound has been described as a musical hybrid of 1960s garage rock and 1990s alternative rock. The band has been through several line-up changes, with vocalist/guitarist Craig Nicholls serving as the sole constant throughout the band's history.

In January 2007 they played at the Cygnet Folk Festival. [11] They also performed at the inaugural International Southern Roots Festival in Hobart in that April. [12] Also in April, the Embers used their prize from the NCBC to finish recording their debut self-titled extended play at Woodstock Studios in Melbourne, which was issued in August. [13] By May 2007 the line-up was Michael Attard on acoustic guitar and lead vocals, Joel Delphin on drums, Katy Humphries on saxophone and violin, Leonardo Martinez on Pan flute, Andean flute, charango, Stu van Riel on bass guitar and double bass, and Mark Vincent on electric guitar. [14]

The Cygnet Folk Festival is a three-day folk music festival held in Cygnet in Tasmania, Australia, that is held annually on the second weekend in January.

Southern Roots Festival

Southern Roots was an annual music festival in Australia, held in Hobart, Tasmania. Similar to the Big Day Out, it is common that the well-known headlining acts will play on the outdoor "Main Stage" which overlooks the venue, and the lesser known acts will perform on the indoor "Pavilion Stage". The stages are within a short walking distance of each another.

Hobart City in Tasmania, Australia

Hobart is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. With a population of approximately 225,000, it is the least populated Australian state capital city, and second smallest if territories are taken into account. Founded in 1804 as a British penal colony, Hobart, formerly known as Hobart Town or Hobarton, is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney, New South Wales. Prior to British settlement, the Hobart area had been occupied for possibly as long as 35,000 years, by the semi-nomadic Mouheneener tribe, a sub-group of the Nuennone, or South-East tribe. The descendants of these Aboriginal Tasmanians often refer to themselves as 'Palawa'.

After an appearance at the Falls Festival in 2008 the group disbanded when Delphin left "to pursue other creative avenues." [14] Subsequently Martinez returned to his native Mexico to work "in aquaculture research", van Riel became a nurse, and Vincent joined the air force. [14] Attard and Humphries continued their music careers, working with the Launceston musicians. [14]

The pair reformed the Embers in 2011 with temporary members including Norman Abdullah, Michael Woods, Carl Burlow and Luke Young. [14] By April 2012 the line-up was Attard and Humphries joined by Miles Bender on keyboards and backing vocals; Kilty Salter on bass guitar and backing vocals; and Jai Larkman on drums, percussion and backing vocals. [14] [15] [16] Attard described their use of several genres to Stephanie Eslake of Warp Magazine in December 2014, "At first I was into blues, but by the end things got more contemporary... We do it because people like all different styles of music – and not a lot of bands do all different styles." [17] The group successfully applied for a grant from Arts Tasmania. [17]

The band's debut album, Bright, was released in March 2015. [15] [18] It was recorded with Nicky Bomba producing at his Freeburgh Station studios, near the Victoria rural town of Bright; he also provided steel drum on a track. [15] [17] Girl.com.au's reviewer found, "[it] seamlessly melds elements of reggae, blues, rock and funk to create a long-player that is jam-packed with catchy songwriting, deft instrumentation and an almost tangible live sensibility." [6] In August 2015 they started an east coast tour in support of the album's release. [16] In August 2018 they performed at WilderFeast on Flinders Island, Tasmania. [19]

Band members

Discography

Albums

Extended plays

Singles

Related Research Articles

Big Audio Dynamite British musical group formed in 1984

Big Audio Dynamite are an English band formed in London in 1984 by Mick Jones, the former lead guitarist of the Clash. The band is noted for its effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk. Big Audio Dynamite's one constant throughout frequent shifts in membership and musical direction is the vocals provided by Mick Jones. After releasing a number of well-received albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Big Audio Dynamite broke up in 1997. In 2011, the band embarked on a reunion tour.

Asmodeus is an Austrian black metal band founded in 1996.

Little Birdy Australian indie rock band

Little Birdy are an Australian indie rock band formed in Perth, Western Australia in 2002 by singer and guitarist Katy Steele, drummer Matt Chequer, guitarist and keyboardist Simon Leach, and bass guitarist Scott O'Donoghue. They gained public attention when their single "Relapse" gained popularity on alternative radio stations such as Triple J, leading them to be signed by the record label Eleven: A Music Company. To date, they have released three studio albums, two EPs, and ten singles.

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes band

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes are a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in San Francisco in 1995.

Interpol (band) American rock band from New York City

Interpol is an American rock band from Manhattan, New York, formed in 1997. Their original line-up consisted of Paul Banks, Daniel Kessler, Carlos Dengler and Greg Drudy. Drudy left the band in 2000 and was replaced by Sam Fogarino. In 2010, shortly after recording finished for the band's fourth album, Dengler left to pursue personal projects, resulting in Banks becoming the band's bass player.

Steve Miller Band American rock band

The Steve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1966 in San Francisco, California. The band is led by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals. The group is best known for a string of (mainly) mid- to late-1970s hit singles that are staples of classic rock radio, as well as several earlier psychedelic rock albums. Miller left his first band to move to San Francisco and form the Steve Miller Blues Band. Shortly after Harvey Kornspan negotiated the band’s contract with Capitol Records in 1967, the band shortened its name to the Steve Miller Band. In February 1968, the band recorded its debut album, Children of the Future. It went on to produce the albums Sailor, Brave New World, Your Saving Grace, Number 5, Rock Love and more. The band's Greatest Hits 1974–78, released in 1978, sold over 13 million copies. In 2016, Steve Miller was inducted as a solo artist in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Madder Mortem is a Norwegian progressive metal band. They were originally formed by siblings Agnete and BP M. Kirkevaag in 1993 as a doom metal/gothic metal band as Mystery Tribe, but changed the name to Madder Mortem in 1997.

<i>Brain Drain</i> (album) Ramones album

Brain Drain is the eleventh studio album by the American punk rock band the Ramones. It was released on March 23, 1989. It is the last release to feature bassist/lyricist/vocalist Dee Dee Ramone, the first release to feature Marky Ramone since his firing after Subterranean Jungle, and the last studio album on Sire Records.

Subsonica band that plays alternative rock

Subsonica is an Italian rock band that was formed in 1996 in Turin. Their eponymous debut album was released in the spring of 1997. The band gained significant success in 2000 by playing the Sanremo Music Festival. The first two singles from the album Microchip emozionale, "Tutti i miei sbagli" and "Discolabirinto" ("Discolabyrinth") were hits.

<i>Weird Tales of the Ramones</i> compilation album by Ramones

Weird Tales of the Ramones is a box set compilation by American punk band the Ramones. It was released on August 16, 2005. There are 85 songs on 3 CDs, plus a DVD containing the feature "Lifestyles of the Ramones", a documentary featuring several of their music videos up to 1990 interspaced by interview clips with the band and figures in pop culture, plus the music videos released by the band after the release of the main feature on the DVD. The set was compiled by Johnny Ramone and released by Rhino Records.

Sabaton (band) heavy metal band

Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band from Falun. The band's main lyrical themes are based on war, historical battles, and acts of heroism—the name is a reference to a sabaton, knight's foot armor. The armor and battle theme is heard in the albums Primo Victoria, The Art of War, Coat of Arms, Carolus Rex, Heroes, and The Last Stand in which all of the songs contain these motifs, except final tracks which are tribute songs to influential heavy metal bands. Lyrical content drawn from World War I, World War II and other historical conflicts is prevalent and lyrics often recite stories of heroic deeds by men and armies.

Hostage Life was a Canadian punk band from Toronto.

Theocracy (band) American power metal band

Theocracy is an American Christian progressive power metal band founded in 2002 by Matt Smith of Athens, Georgia. They have released four albums and multiple Christmas singles.

Wrap Her Up song

"Wrap Her Up" is a song by English rock performer Elton John, featured on his 1985 album, Ice on Fire. George Michael is featured on the song. Released as a single, it reached number 12 in the UK Singles Chart, number 26 in Canada on the RPM Top Singles chart and number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

<i>Sessions@AOL</i> (Snow Patrol EP) EP by Snow Patrol

Sessions@AOL is the title of two separate EPs by alternative rock band Snow Patrol. Both EPs feature the band's performance at AOL music. Snow Patrol was one of the acts chosen in AOL Music's "Breakers" in December 2003, a program to promote bands for months leading up to the release of their respective albums in the United States. Snow Patrol's appearance on the sessions was a part of the program.

City Riots are an indie rock band from Adelaide, which formed in 2005. Their lead vocalist and front man is Ricky Kradolfer. They have played in Australia, United States and United Kingdom, touring with Smashing Pumpkins, The Academy Is..., Cobra Starship, Midnight Juggernauts and Operator Please. Their single "Burning Me Out" received plenty of national airplay on Triple J, were one of the station's Next Crop Acts and were an Unearthed J Award nominee in 2008.

<i>All We Are</i> single by Warlock

"All We Are" is a song composed by the German heavy metal band Warlock, from their 1987 album Triumph and Agony. It was released as the band's fourth single and published by Vertigo Records. A music video for the song was shot by director Mark Rezyka in the Los Angeles river basin and was on heavy rotation on MTV's heavy metal program Headbangers' Ball. The song was published again in every compilation of Warlock songs and is a staple of Doro's live shows to this day.

<i>Springhead Motorshark</i> album by Britny Fox

Springhead Motorshark is the fourth and most recent studio album by the glam metal band Britny Fox. It was released in 2003 on Spitfire Records.

All the Hits Tour (Elton John)

All the Hits Tour was a concert tour by British musician Elton John that took place in North America, Europe and Oceania in 2015.

"Torn in Two" is a song by American rock band Breaking Benjamin. It was their second single off of their album Ember. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in September 2018, outperforming the album's first single, "Red Cold River", which peaked at number two on the chart.

References

  1. ↑ "Gig Reviews: Art School/Con Ball" (PDF). Sauce Magazine. Tasmanian Entertainment Press (21): 6. 7 December 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  2. ↑ "Falls Festival 2018/19 – Our History". Falls Festival . Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  3. ↑ Eliezer, Christie. "Acts Team for MS". In Music & Media. Archived from the original on 18 February 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  4. ↑ "Success Has the Embers Glowing". The Examiner. 2006.
  5. ↑ "Embers Find Flame and Glory". The Mercury. 2006.
  6. 1 2 "The Embers Bright". Girl.com.au. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. ↑ "Jim Beam National Campus Band Competition Finalists". FasterLouder . 19 October 2006. Archived from the original on 22 October 2006. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  8. ↑ "Dee Dee Dums Win Campus Band Title". FasterLouder. 8 October 2006. Archived from the original on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  9. ↑ "Full Coverage: National Campus Band Competition". FasterLouder. Archived from the original on 28 March 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  10. ↑ "News and feature stories Jan – July 2006" (PDF). University of Canberra. 9 February 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  11. ↑ "Cygnet Folk Festival"
  12. ↑ "The Embers". Southern Roots. 2007. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-07.
  13. ↑ "The Embers: Fanning the Flames of Success". Sauce Magazine (48). 8 August 2007. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Williams, David (11 April 2012). "The Embers Ignite Once Again!". Sauce Magazine. Tasmanian Entertainment Press (145): 4. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  15. 1 2 3 Embers; Attard, Michael; Humphries, Katy; Bender, Miles; Salter, Kilty; Larkman, Jai (2015), Bright, Launceston, Tas: The Embers, retrieved 24 October 2018
  16. 1 2 Fair, Alex (27 August 2015). "The Embers firing up for main event". The Examiner . Fairfax Media . Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  17. 1 2 3 Eslake, Stephanie (3 December 2014). "Music: On Fire". Warp Magazine. p. 12. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  18. ↑ Fair, Alex (25 March 2015). "Bright Outlook for the Embers". The Examiner. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "WilderFeast". Northern Tasmania Tourism. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.