The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand

indie rock Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produc ...

band formed in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by metr ...

in 1997.

History

Early years and ''China Cove''

The band was founded by Conrad Wedde, Samuel Flynn Scott, and Luke Buda in 1994 while students at Wellington High School. In 2001, the band expanded their lineup, and were joined by Tim Hansen (bass), Richie Singleton (drums) and Will Ricketts (percussion). The band took their name from a fictional organization on the popular television show ''

MacGyver Angus "Mac" MacGyver is the title character and the protagonist in the TV series ''MacGyver''. He is played by Richard Dean Anderson in the 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in the 2016 reboot. In both p ...

''. After playing together for several years, they released the ''China Cove'' EP in 2000.

''Horsepower''

Their first full-length album ''

Horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

'' was released by

Capital Recordings Capital Recordings is a small record label formed in November 2001 based in Wellington, New Zealand. Their aim is to help musicians recording in their bedrooms, apartments and beach houses around Wellington and New Zealand reach a wider audience. ...

in mid-2003 to critical acclaim, and was moderately successful. ''Horsepower'' included such singles as "This Charming Van" and "Let Me Die A Woman", which received extensive airplay on alternative radio stations such as 95bFM and RDU-FM.

''Pegasus''

In 2004, the band began work on their second album '' Pegasus'', with Warner Emery replacing Hansen on bass. The album was released in early 2005 and met with some commercial success, eventually obtaining gold status in

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 ...

. It was released in Australia by Remote Control Records in October 2006. In 2005, the Phoenix Foundation toured with the

Finn Brothers The Finn Brothers are a New Zealand musical duo consisting of brothers Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were awarded the OBE for their contribution to music. The two brothers began making music together at a young age; later, when ...

and put on their own theatre tour which included shows at the Wellington Opera House and Auckland's grand St. James Theatre. In June 2005 producer

Jet Jaguar is a 1973 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Jun Fukuda, written by Fukuda and Shinichi Sekizawa, and produced by Tomoyuki Tanaka, with special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano. Distributed by Toho and produced under their effects subsidiary Toho–E ...

released remixes of songs from ''Horsepower'' on his website which are available for download. Luke Buda was the first of the group to release solo material. His EP ''

The C-Sides ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

'' (2003) met with critical acclaim in local music reviews. This recording features the long time live favourite from the early days of The Phoenix Foundation, "Television Songs". Both Buda and Samuel Flynn Scott released solo albums in 2006. Buda's ''Special Surprise'' came out on

Arch Hill Recordings Arch Hill Recordings, formerly Arch Hill Studios, is a New Zealand recording studio and record label in Auckland. It was founded in 1998. Artists include David Kilgour, The Clean, The Bats, Don McGlashan, Bachelorette, The Boxcar Guitars, Lu ...

, and showcases his love of synth pop and carefully crafted melody. Scott's record ''The Hunt Brings Us Life'' was released on Loop Recordings. It has a more ramshackle feel than the music of The Phoenix Foundation and delves deeper into the

Americana Americana may refer to: *Americana (music), a genre or style of American music *Americana (culture), artifacts of the culture of the United States Film, radio and television * ''Americana'' (1992 TV series), a documentary series presented by J ...

that Scott's songs on ''Pegasus'' hinted at.

''Happy Ending''

The band recorded the original score to the

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. He is a recipient of an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award, and has received two nominations at ...

film ''

Eagle vs Shark ''Eagle vs Shark'' is a 2007 New Zealand romantic comedy film written and directed by Taika Waititi (in his directorial debut) and financed by the New Zealand Film Commission. The film had its world premiere at Sundance in the World Cinema Drama ...

'' in early 2006. The film was released world-wide on Miramax at the Sundance Film Festival in 2007. Following this success they also provided the score to Waititi's 2010 film, ''

Boy A boy is a young male human. The term is commonly used for a child or an adolescent. When a male human reaches adulthood, he is described as a man. Definition, etymology, and use According to the ''Merriam-Webster Dictionary'', a boy is ...

''. The Phoenix Foundation signed a deal with label

Young American Recordings Young American Recordings was an American record label based in New York City. Founded by Rocco Giordano of Kinetic Records and Josh Swade of Maverick Records, it was an independent label that included groups such as British rock band South an ...

to release their records in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. The first American release was ''Horsepower'', on 13 March 2007. The Phoenix Foundation released ''

Happy Ending A happy ending is an ending of the plot of a work of fiction in which almost everything turns out for the best for the main protagonists and their sidekicks, while the main villains/antagonists are dead/defeated. In storylines where the protago ...

'', their third album, in New Zealand in September 2007. This release was a switch from the

Festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival ...

arm of

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

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 ...

, and features the single "Bright Grey". After the release of ''Happy Ending'', five members of the band released solo projects. In 2008, Scott's ''Straight Answer Machine'' was released (under the name ''Samuel F. Scott and the B.O.P.'') and Buda released ''

Vesuvius Mount Vesuvius ( ; it, Vesuvio ; nap, 'O Vesuvio , also or ; la, Vesuvius , also , or ) is a somma- stratovolcano located on the Gulf of Naples in Campania, Italy, about east of Naples and a short distance from the shore. It is one of ...

''. In 2009, Conrad Wedde, Will Ricketts and Richie Singleon all released debut solo albums: Wedde's ''Bronze'', Ricketts' (under the name

Wild Bill Ricketts Wild, wild, wilds or wild may refer to: Common meanings * Wild animal * Wilderness, a wild natural environment * Wildness, the quality of being wild or untamed Art, media and entertainment Film and television * ''Wild'' (2014 film), a 2014 A ...

) ''John Dryden'' and Singleton's (under the name Rebel Peasant) '' The Walls of the Well''. In 2009, Scott and Buda composed the soundtrack for the film ''

Separation City ''Separation City'' is a 2009 New Zealand film starring Joel Edgerton, Rhona Mitra, Danielle Cormack, and Les Hill. It is directed by Paul Middleditch. Filming concluded in June, 2009, after 5 weeks of shooting. It is a comedy-drama, following ...

'', which featured many Phoenix Foundation tracks. The Phoenix Foundation played support on the

Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand rock band formed in Auckland in 1972 by Tim Finn and Phil Judd and had a variety of other members during its existence. Originally started as a folk-oriented group with quirky art rock stylings, the band built ...

tour of 2008.

''Buffalo''

The Phoenix Foundation released the ''Merry Kriskmass'' EP in December 2009. It included songs that, according to the band, wouldn't fit with the atmosphere of their forthcoming album. The band's fourth album, '' Buffalo'', was released in New Zealand on 26 April 2010. For the first time in the band's history, the album was released on

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl ...

as well as a digital download together with ''The Do Son'' EP. Bass player Warner Emery left the band during the recording of ''Buffalo'' on amicable terms. He was replaced by Tom Callwood, who had previously provided double bass on the ''Merry Kriskmass'' track 'Forget It', and cello on ''

''. At the end of September 2010, the Phoenix Foundation announced a new record deal with UK record label

Memphis Industries Memphis Industries is a British independent record label. Memphis Industries was established as a record label in 1998 by the brothers Ollie and Matt Jacob with the first release being Blue States' Forever EP. It is perhaps best known for The ...

, which released ''Buffalo'' worldwide on 24 January 2011. To coincide with the release, the band toured the UK and Europe in January and February, and returned for a longer tour from May to July 2011. ''Buffalo'' was well received by English critics, with The Guardian giving the album a 5-star rating. The band performed live on the BBC's ‘' Later... with Jools Holland'‘ on 25 October 2011. It was their UK TV debut. The band played two songs, "Buffalo" and "Flock of Hearts". The album was shortlisted for the 2011

Taite Music Prize The Taite Music Prize is an annual New Zealand music award event. It features the same-named prize awarded for the best album from New Zealand. The prize is named after respected New Zealand music journalist and broadcaster Dylan Taite, who die ...

. In the meantime, Will Ricketts worked on his second solo album, ''West Wind'', which was released on 3 October 2011.

''Fandango''

The Phoenix Foundation's fifth album ''Fandango'' – their first double album – was announced at the end of January 2013. It was released on 26 April 2013 in New Zealand and Australia (Universal), and 29 April for the UK and Europe (Memphis Industries) rest of the world. The release of the album was celebrated with a free download of the first single from the album: "The Captain" and UK/Europe Tour announcement in May and June in support of the album release. ''

Fandango Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...

'' was recorded over 15 months at four studios, partially at

Neil Finn Neil Mullane Finn (born 27 May 1958) is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and musician who is known for being a member of Crowded House, Split Enz (which he co-fronted with brother Tim), and Fleetwood Mac. Finn rose to prominence in the late ...

Roundhead Studios Roundhead Studios is an Auckland-based sound recording studio owned by singer-songwriter Neil Finn. It was officially opened in June 2007, however by the time of its opening, several international artists had already used it whilst the studio was ...

, partially at a barn in the depths of the NZ countryside, partially at The Party Room in Dunedin, but mostly at the bands' own HQ, The Car Club in Wellington. The album was then mixed with the assistance of long term associate Lee Prebble at The Surgery. Two different drummers took part in the recording session of ''Fandango''. In September 2012, The Phoenix Foundation announced that Richie Singleton was leaving the band to focus on his work for the environment. It was an amicable split after 12 years playing with the band. Soon after that, Chris O'Connor joined TPF as their new drummer. The Phoenix Foundation contributed covers to two tribute compilations. The first song was Fleetwood Mac's " Don't Stop" for '' MOJOs free cover CD ''Rumours Revisited'' (Issue No. 230, January 2013) and the second one

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including " If I Were a Carpenter" and "Reason to Believe", beca ...

's "Don't Make Promises You Can't Keep" for ''Reason To Believe – The Songs of Tim Hardin''. The latter tribute album from

Full Time Hobby Full Time Hobby is an independent record label formed in London in January 2004. Since its inception it has released records by artists such as Dana Gavanski, Timber Timbre, Tunng, Micah P. Hinson, Michael Nau, Katie Von Schleicher and Wh ...

was released on 28 January 2013 and received very positive reviews. ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...

'' gave 4 out of 5 stars mentioning The Phoenix Foundation's version of "Don't Make Promises" as one of the highlights of the album and a BBC reviewer said that "Kiwi experimental popsters The Phoenix Foundation call upon sublimely intelligent arranging skills to flesh out Don’t Make Promises." The song is regularly broadcast on BBC 6 Music.

''Give Up Your Dreams''

On 7 August 2015, The Phoenix Foundation released their sixth studio album, ''Give Up Your Dreams'', which was met with wide acclaim from critics. The band embarked on an eight-gig tour around New Zealand in support of the album, The album spawned two new singles, "Mountain" and "Give Up Your Dreams", both of which had music videos made for them.

''Friend Ship''

On 16 October 2020, The Phoenix Foundation released their seventh studio album, ''Friend Ship''. Hollie Fullbrook of Tiny Ruins joins them on two tracks (Decision Dollars and Tranquility), and Nadia Reid guests on Hounds of Hell.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

Soundtracks

* ''

'' (2007) * ''

'' (2010) * '' Hunt for the Wilderpeople'' (2016)

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

, - , rowspan="3" , 2004 , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Horsepower'' , Album of the Year , , - , Lee Prebble – ''Horsepower'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Engineer , , - , Tana Mitchell – ''Horsepower'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Album Cover , , - , rowspan="3" , 2005 , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Pegasus'' , Album of the Year , , - , Reuben Sutherland and The Phoenix Foundation – "Hitchcock" , Best Music Video , , - , Lee Prebble – ''Pegasus'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Producer , , - , rowspan="5" ,

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

, The Phoenix Foundation – "Bright Grey" , Single of the Year , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Happy Ending'' , Best Group , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Happy Ending'' , Best Rock Album , , - , Lee Prebble – ''Happy Ending'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Producer , , - , Lee Prebble – ''Happy Ending'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Engineer , , - , rowspan="8" , 2010 , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Buffalo'' , Album of the Year , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – "Buffalo" , Single of the Year , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Buffalo'' , Best Group , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Buffalo'' , Best Rock Album , , - , Nathan Hickey – "Buffalo" (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Music Video , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Buffalo'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Producer , , - , Lee Prebble – ''Buffalo'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Engineer , , - , Paul Johnson – ''Buffalo'' (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Album Cover , , - , rowspan="5" ,

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, The Phoenix Foundation – ''Fandango'' , Album of the Year , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Fandango'' , Best Group , , - , The Phoenix Foundation – ''Fandango'' , Best Alternative Album , , - , The Phoenix Foundation/ Lee Prebble/Brett Stanton – ''Fandango'' , Best Producer , , - , Brett Stanton/ Lee Prebble/The Phoenix Foundation – ''Fandango'' , Best Engineer , , -

bNet NZ Music Awards

, - , 2002 , The Phoenix Foundation – "The Drinker" , Best Unreleased Song , , - , 2005 , The Phoenix Foundation "Hitchcock" , Best Unreleased Song , , - , 2006 , The Phoenix Foundation "Damn the River" , Best Pop Track ,

Handle the Jandal

, - , 2004 , Richard Bell – "Gone Fishing" (The Phoenix Foundation) , Best Cinematography ,

Kodak Music Clip Awards

, - , 2003 , Richard Bell – "Let Me Die a Woman" (The Phoenix Foundation) , Knack Award , , - , 2004 , Richard Bell – "Gone Fishing" (The Phoenix Foundation) , Knack Award ,

Qantas Film & Television Awards

, - , 2010 , Lukasz Buda, Samuel Scott and Conrad Wedde – ''Boy'' , Best Original Music in a Feature Film ,

References

External links

*
AudioCulture profile

NZ Musician Phoenix Foundation interview

Eventfinder's Phoenix Foundation page

Luke Buda – Special Surprise
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix Foundation, The New Zealand indie rock groups Flying Nun Records artists Musical groups from Wellington