Spindlewood's style is not easy to categorise. Some say they are the natural successors to The Seekers, yet their arrangements are reminiscent of the Irish group, Clannad, but with a contemporary Australian flavour. The five part harmony vocals blend beautifully with the instruments in the band - 6-string, 12-string, classical and baritone guitars, hammered dulcimer, flute, double bass, mandolin, harmonica and keyboard, with tasteful drums, percussion, oboe, cor anglais and violin added by other musicians.
Spindlewood began in 1987 when Wayne Collins and Jesse Rowan met at
a folk festival near Canberra. The name Spindlewood came from a book of
fairy poems by Ida Rentil Outhwaite. It captured the feel and atmosphere
of their music. The group expanded to five members, and over the years
they have supported The Chieftains and James Galway, The Battlefield Band,
The Fureys and Jethro Tull on his Roots to Branches Tour, which
ended prematurely with Ian Anderson in hospital!
The first two albums have sold out and are no longer available. Their latest album, Blue Sky -Red Earth was released in 1996. Much of the material for this album is original, written by Wayne Collins and Tony Griffiths. The sound has progressed from the first recording, which was largely folk-based. The sound of Blue Sky - Red Earth is much fuller, with layers of voices and washes of sound, while maintaining a sense of space and presence. The vocal harmonies are exquisite. For more details see the discography.
