Peter Jefferies is a musician from
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. He is known for his involvement with
Nocturnal Projections and
This Kind of Punishment as well as his extensive solo and collaborative work.
History
In 1981 Peter and his brother
Graeme Jefferies formed the
post-punk
Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...
band
Nocturnal Projections. The band released a few records, and performed around their hometown of
New Plymouth, as well as
Auckland
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about ...
. After Nocturnal Projections disbanded in 1983, the brothers formed
This Kind of Punishment, and released three full-length albums and an EP. In 1985 Jefferies released the ''Randolph's Going Home'' 7" and the "fish out of water" 12" with
Shayne Carter
Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012).
Carter is a member of the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the ...
. This was followed in 1986 with the ''
At Swim 2 Birds'' LP, recorded with
Jono Lonie, on the
Flying Nun
''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere ...
label. This was reissued on
Xpressway
Xpressway was a record label founded by New Zealand musician Bruce Russell (musician), Bruce Russell in Dunedin in 1988. Until it ceased in 1993, Xpressway released a variety of New Zealand musicians, primarily on cassette, but its catalogue incl ...
and later on
Drunken Fish. The ''Catapult'' 7", a collaboration with Robbie Muir, was released on
Xpressway
Xpressway was a record label founded by New Zealand musician Bruce Russell (musician), Bruce Russell in Dunedin in 1988. Until it ceased in 1993, Xpressway released a variety of New Zealand musicians, primarily on cassette, but its catalogue incl ...
in 1989, reissued by the Chicago-based
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
label in 1991. Further recordings by Jefferies and Muir were released by Ajax in 1992 as the double 7" ''Swerve''. ''
The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World'' album was released on cassette by the
Xpressway
Xpressway was a record label founded by New Zealand musician Bruce Russell (musician), Bruce Russell in Dunedin in 1988. Until it ceased in 1993, Xpressway released a variety of New Zealand musicians, primarily on cassette, but its catalogue incl ...
label in 1990. Another collaboration with
Shayne Carter
Shayne P. Carter is a New Zealand musician best known for leading Straitjacket Fits from 1986 to 1994, and as the only permanent member of Dimmer (1995–2012).
Carter is a member of the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame, and has been awarded the ...
, the ''Knocked Out or Thereabout'' 7", was released on Flying Nun in 1992. The ''
Electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
'' LP was released on
Ajax
Ajax may refer to:
Greek mythology and tragedy
* Ajax the Great, a Greek mythological hero, son of King Telamon and Periboea
* Ajax the Lesser, a Greek mythological hero, son of Oileus, the king of Locris
* ''Ajax'' (play), by the ancient Gree ...
in 1994, followed by ''Elevator Madness'' on
Emperor Jones
Emperor Jones is a small Austin, Texas based independent record label founded in 1995 by Craig Stewart. It has released albums by acts such as Alastair Galbraith, The American Analog Set, Roky Erickson, Thuja, ST37, The Mountain Goats, Stic ...
in 1996, then ''
Substatic'' on Trance Syndicate in 1998, and ''
Closed Circuit
Closed circuit can refer to:
*Closed-circuit television
*Closed-circuit radio
*Rebreather – breathing sets
* ''Closed Circuit'' (1978 film), a 1978 Italian film
* ''Closed Circuit'' (2013 film), a 2013 British thriller film
*An electric circuit
...
'' in 2001 (also on Trance Syndicate). Jefferies formed
2 Foot Flame with
Jean Smith of
Mecca Normal
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valle ...
. The band released two LPs on
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of mainly indie rock, but also punk rock, experimental rock, alternative rock, and electronic acts.
History
Matador was created in 1989 by Chris Lombardi in his New York City apar ...
, 1995's
self titled
An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''.
Usage of the word
The term ''epon ...
LP, and 1997's ''
Ultra Drowning''.
''
The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World'' was re-issued in 2013 on vinyl by de Stijl records.
At Swim 2 Birds was reissued by
Flying Nun Records
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 bringin ...
in 2017.
Jefferies lives in
New Plymouth, New Zealand and is employed three days per week at
Spotswood College. He is a key member of the Music Department overseeing drum tuition, songwriting, mentoring students and he manages the recording studio every Friday with students enrolled in the school's Gateway Programme. He also runs a weekly session of music at the school's Special Needs Unit.
In addition, Jefferies is employed by two other high schools in Taranaki where he teaches drums and songwriting and records students' compositions: Stratford High School and Coastal Taranaki School.
Jefferies is a part of the New Zealand Music Commission's "Music Mentoring in Schools Program", going into schools and fostering the development of songwriting and composition skills in primary, intermediate and secondary school students.
Musician
Amanda Palmer described Jeffries as her "teenage idol". In 2012, Palmer said she had toured New Zealand for the past five years and always hoped to find a link that would lead her to Jefferies. The pair performed solo songs at Vinyl Countdown store in New Plymouth to a crowd of 40, before combining on a number of covers including
Oasis's
Wonderwall and
Wild Thing.
Discography
Solo albums:
* ''
At Swim 2 Birds'' (1987)
* ''
The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World'' (1990)
* ''
Electricity
Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter that has a property of electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as describ ...
'' (1994)
* ''
Elevator Madness'' (1996)
* ''
Substatic'' (1998)
* ''
Closed Circuit
Closed circuit can refer to:
*Closed-circuit television
*Closed-circuit radio
*Rebreather – breathing sets
* ''Closed Circuit'' (1978 film), a 1978 Italian film
* ''Closed Circuit'' (2013 film), a 2013 British thriller film
*An electric circuit
...
'' (2001)
Compilation albums:
* ''
Chorus of Interludes'' (1996)
With
Nocturnal Projections:
* ''
Nerve Ends in Power Lines'' (1995)
With
This Kind of Punishment:
* ''
This Kind of Punishment'' (1983)
* ''
A Beard of Bees'' (1984)
* ''
In the Same Room'' (1987)
With Cyclops:
* ''
Goat Volume'' (1994)
With 2 Foot Flame:
* ''
2 Foot Flame'' (1995)
* ''
Ultra Drowning'' (1997)
References
External links
AudioCulture profileNew Zealand Music Commission
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jefferies, Peter
Year of birth missing (living people)
Living people
Jefferies, Peter
People from New Plymouth