Wagons (band)
Wagons | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
Genres | Alt Country |
Years active | 1999 | –present
Labels |
Spunk! Records Thirty Tigers Six Shooter Records Chapter Music |
Associated acts |
Henry Wagons (solo) Si the Philanthropist (solo) |
Website | http://www.wagonsmusic.com |
Members |
Henry Wagons (Henry Krips) - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard Mark “Tuckerbag” Dawson - Drums, Bass Guitar Si “Philanthropist” Francis – Drums, Bass guitar Richard Blazé - Guitar John Guscott - Guitar Matthew “Softmoods” Hassett – Keyboards, Backing Vocals |
Wagons are an Australian alt-country band from Melbourne, Australia, led by singer/songwriter/television and radio presenter Henry Wagons.
History
The band was formed in Melbourne in 1999 by Henry Wagons with his school friends from Glen Waverley in Melbourne; Si “The Philanthropist” Francis, Richard Blazé, Steve “Harmony” Hassett and Mark “Tuckerbag” Dawson.[1][2][3]
The band has cited influences including Johnny Cash, Scott Walker, Nick Cave and Vegas-era Elvis on their musical style. A regular feature of their live shows is a version of the Wayfaring Strangers song “Willie Nelson”.[4] They are known for their energetic and dramatic indie country rock performances in which Henry Wagons engages in banter with the audience [5] between songs.[6][7]
Henry Wagons is the grandson of Henry Krips, a Viennese emigree conductor of the South Australian Symphony Orchestra.[8][9] He was named one of the 100 most influential people in Melbourne by the AGE magazine in 2009.[10][11] Prior to forming the band, Henry (as Henry Krips), was synthesizer player in a Melbourne improvisational quartet called Dworzec.[12][13]
Wagons released their first EP in 2000.[7] In March 11, 2002 they released their debut album Trying To Get Home on Chapter Music.[14][15]
In July 26, 2004, they released Draw Blood on Spunk Records.[15] The Curse of Lightning was released on October 15, 2007 on Spunk Records.[15]
The Rise and Fall of Goodtown was released on April 21, 2009 on Spunk Records.[15] The album was produced by Cornel Wilczek.[16] In 2009 they won The Age EG Best Band and Best Album awards.[17]
Rumble Shake and Tumble was released on August 16, 2011 on Spunk Records, and was again produced by Cornel Wilczek.[18] Wagons toured in the USA and Canada appearing at the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle in September 2011.[19] They won The Age EG awards for Best Band, and the Best Album award for Rumble Shake and Tumble.[20] The album also won the Best Independent Country Album award in the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards 2011.[21]
Wagons performed in the USA and appeared at SXSW in March 2011.[22]
Acid Rain and Sugar Cane was released on 16 May 2014 on Spunk Records.[5] The album was produced by Mick Harvey of the Bad Seeds, who also played on the album.[23] Wagons again toured North America in 2014 appearing at festivals including the Vancouver Folk Festival,[24] Montreal Jazz Festival,[25] and RBC Ottawa Bluesfest.[26]
Wagons have toured extensively in Australia as well as in New Zealand, the USA and Canada, appearing at music festivals including SXSW, Bumbershoot, Montreal Jazz Festival, Bluesfest, Big Day Out and Laneway.[23][10]
Members
Current
- Henry Wagons (Henry Krips) - Vocals, Guitar, Keyboard
- Mark “Tuckerbag” Dawson - Drums, Bass Guitar
- Si “Philanthropist” Francis – Drums, Bass guitar
- Richard Blazé - Guitar
- John Guscott - Guitar
- Matthew “Softmoods” Hassett – Keyboards, Backing Vocals
Former members
- Chad Mason
- Steve “Harmony” Hassett
- Chris Altman
Awards and nominations
- 2009: Best live act in the Mess and Noise Readers' Poll[27] and best album for The Rise and Fall of Goodtown.[28]
- 2009: The Age EG awards for Best Band, and Best Album, for The Rise and Fall of Goodtown.[17]
- 2011: The Age EG awards for Best Band, and Best Album, for Rumble Shake and Tumble.[20]
- 2011: The Best Independent Country Album award in the Jagermeister Independent Music Awards[21]
- 2014: Nominated for Best Country Album in The Age genre awards[29] and nominated for best band in The Age Music Victoria awards.[30]
Discography
- Wretched Soul (2000)
- Trying To Get Home (2002)
- Draw Blood (2004)
- The Curse Of Lightning (2007)
- The Rise And Fall Of Goodtown (2009)
- Tumble, Shake And Tumble (2011)
- Acid Rain & Sugar Can (2014)
References
- ↑ "Wagons ready to roll - Music - Entertainment". Theage.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Preview of Episode 5 - Series 5". Nucountry.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Trying To Get Home by Wagons". Chaptermusic.com. 2013-11-08. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "iPod anxiety – Henry Wagons Taste in Music". Tasteinmusic.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- 1 2 "How 1960s Bollywood Music Informed Wagons' Latest Album". Double J. 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑
- 1 2 "All Aboard The Band Wagons". The Australian. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Henry Wagons' eccentricity has Nick Cave's backing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Category". NT News. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- 1 2 http://web.archive.org/web/20150906103824/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2016. Missing or empty
|title=
(help) - ↑ Heather Phares. "Henry Wagons | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Australia Underground". Furious.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Henry Wagons | Biography & History | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Wagons - Trying To Get Home". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- 1 2 3 4 "Wagons | Album Discography | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Wagons - Good Sounds | Blog Archive | Home & Hosed | triple j". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- 1 2 "EG's Dock and roll of honour". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Wagons | Album Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Bumbershoot 2011 Sept 3 - The Snipe". Thesnipenews.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- 1 2 "Gotye and Wagons dominate 2011 EG Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- 1 2 "Winners announced for the 2011 Jagermeister Independent Music Awards | the AU review". the AU review. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Loading up the Wagons". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- 1 2 "HENRY WAGONS INTERVIEWED (2104): The write stuff". Elsewhere by Graham Reid. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Wagons". Vancouver Folk Music Festival. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Concert: Wagons - Festival International de Jazz de Montréal". Montrealjazzfest.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "RBC Bluesfest Ottawa: Wagons". Rbcbluesfestottawa2014.sched.org. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ Levin, Darren (2009-12-07). "2009 Readers Poll Results: Pt 1 | Mess+Noise: An Australian Music Magazine". Messandnoise.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ Levin, Darren (2009-12-07). "2009 Readers Poll Results: Pt 2 | Mess+Noise: An Australian Music Magazine". Messandnoise.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ↑ "Music Victoria Unveils 2014 Genre Awards Nominees - Music Feeds". Music Feeds. Retrieved 2016-01-18.
- ↑ "Music Victoria | The Age Music Victoria Awards". Musicvictoria.com.au. Retrieved 2016-01-18.