Everything about Straitjacket Fits totally explained
Straitjacket Fits formed in
Dunedin,
New Zealand in 1986 and were a prominent band in the
Flying Nun label's second wave of the
Dunedin Sound.
Biography
Like many of their stable-mates, the band hailed from the southern city of Dunedin. They formed from the ashes of
The DoubleHappys, a band comprising
Shayne Carter, Wayne Elsey and John Collie. The tragic accidental death of Elsey saw Carter and Collie join forces with David Wood in
1986 to form Straitjacket Fits.
Andrew Brough (from The Orange) signed on the following year, adding a foil in the form of pop sensibility to Carter's more raucous songwriting. From their inception, the sound of the band was marked by the seemingly incongruous but highly effective pairing of Carter's rough abrasive voice and strident guitar and Andrew Brough's saccharine-sweet vocals and pop hooks.
1987 marked the release of their first EP.
Life in One Chord defined their sound, spending 10 weeks in the Top 50. All four of the songs are justifiable New Zealand rock classics, none more so than the astonishing "She Speeds", which was to become the band's hallmark song. Its edgy lead vocal (from Carter) was underpinned with a dynamic jagged guitar and stabs of strings which tumbled into a churning melodic chorus on which Brough's voice soared. The exact opposite approach was taken on "Sparkle That Shines", its gentle downbeat melody sung by Brough giving way to a chorus laced with Carter's knife-edge harmonies.
The band left Dunedin, briefly moving to
Christchurch, before making the shift to the country's main marketplace,
Auckland in
1988. Their first album
Hail was produced by Terry Moore (a former member of
The Chills) and was released later that year (it would later be re-released on CD accompanied by the four songs from
Life in One Chord). The band's first overseas venture, to
Australia, came in
1989, followed soon by a tour of Europe.
In
1990 the band started work on their follow-up album
Melt (produced by Gavin Mackillop), probably their finest album, and one which was to produce moderate hits with the Brough composition "Down In Splendour" and Carter's "Bad Note For A Heart". The following year the band was back on the road with an American tour, but the strain was beginning to show, with reputed "musical differences" between Carter and Brough. Brough left the band at the end of the tour and was replaced by guitarist Mark Petersen.
1992 saw the band release the EP
Done. Produced by Tony Cohen and without Brough,
Done was an altogether louder and guitar driven record. The band then moved to California to record their third album
Blow, with producer Paul Fox. The album was released in
1993, and starts where
Done left off, but lacked the carefully balanced dynamic that had always been evident in the interplay between Carter and Brough. It produced the singles, "Cat Inna Can" and "If I Were You", but the writing was largely on the wall for the band and they decided to go into a semi-permanent hiatus, following their appearance at
1994's
Big Day Out.
Shayne Carter has since found more success with his band
Dimmer, whose music bears surprisingly little similarity to that of Straitjacket Fits. Allowed more complete control of the music's sound, his new band's music is sparser. Gone are the strident guitars, and what remains has a decidedly funky, jazzy edge.
Andrew Brough released one album with the band
Bike before moving back to Dunedin and retreating from the music scene.
In
2005, Straitjacket Fits reformed without Brough for a brief series of concerts around New Zealand.
Band members
1986
Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass)
1987 to 1991
Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass), Andrew Brough (guitar/vocal)
1991 to 1994
Shayne Carter (guitar/vocal), John Collie (drums), David Wood (bass), Mark Petersen (guitar)
Discography
Featured appearances
The group has appeared on many compilations and soundtracks since their inception in both
New Zealand. The following is a list of these albums that have featured tracks by the
Straitjacket Fits.
Featured DVD appearances
(2004) - Second Season Flying Nun DVD II (Flying Nun Records) - Down With Splendour
(2004) - Very Short Films: A Flying Nun DVD (Flying Nun Records) - She Speeds
Singles
Further Information
Get more info on 'Straitjacket Fits'.
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