The Phoenix Foundation is a New Zealand

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band formed in

Wellington Wellington 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 third-largest city in New Zealand (second largest in the North Island ...

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 organisation 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 MacGyver (1985 TV series), 1985 original series. Lucas Till portrays a younger version of MacGyver in Mac ...

''. 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 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 95bFM is a New Zealand college radio, student radio station. It operates in Auckland on a Schedule 7 (educational purposes) semi-commercial licence. The station is based in the Student Union Building at the University of Auckland, is owned by ...

and RDU-FM.

''Pegasus''

In 2004, the band began work on their second album ''

Pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...

'', 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 () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

. It was released in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

by Remote Control Records in October 2006. In 2005, the Phoenix Foundation toured with the Finn Brothers 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 released

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

es 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'' (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, 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 that Scott's songs on ''Pegasus'' hinted at.

''Happy Ending''

The band recorded the original score to the Taika Waititi film '' Eagle vs Shark'' in early 2006. The film was released world-wide on

Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...

at the

Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...

in 2007. Following this success they also provided the score to Waititi's 2010 film, '' Boy''. The Phoenix Foundation signed a deal with label Young American Recordings to release their records in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. 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 there is a positive outcome for the protagonist or protagonists, and in which this is to be considered a favourable outcome. In storylines where the protagonists are in phy ...

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

Festival A festival is an event 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, Melā, mela, or Muslim holidays, eid. A ...

arm of

Warner Music Group Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment and record label Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the "Record label#M ...

to Flying Nun, 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 ( ) is a Somma volcano, 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 several volcanoes forming the Campanian volcanic arc. Vesuv ...

''. In 2009, Conrad Wedde, Will Ricketts and Richie Singleon all released debut solo albums: Wedde's ''Bronze'', Ricketts' (under the name Wild Bill Ricketts) ''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'', which featured many Phoenix Foundation tracks. The Phoenix Foundation played support on the

Split Enz Split Enz were a New Zealand band formed in 1972. Regarded as the first New Zealand band to gain significant recognition outside of Australasia, they were initially noted for their progressive rock, progressive/art rock sound, flamboyant visua ...

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, 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. 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 in Portugal and Spain, usually in triple metre, triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, tambourine or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is u ...

'' 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. He is best known for being a principal member of Split Enz and for being the lead singer of Crowded House. He was also a member of Fleetwood Mac from 2018 ...

's Roundhead Studios, 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 Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

'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 music and blues singer-songwriter and guitarist. In addition to his own success, his songs " If I Were a Carpenter", " Reason to Believe", " Misty Roses" and " ...

'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 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 publis ...

'' 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.

Collaboration with New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

In 2018 the band performed some of their music with the

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Wellington, New Zealand. The national orchestra of New Zealand, the NZSO is an autonomous Crown entity owned by the New Zealand Government, per the New Zealand Symphony ...

at concerts in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. The songs were selected by conductor Hamish McKeich and arranged for orchestra by composers Claire Cowan, Gareth Farr, Chris Gendall and Hamish Oliver.

''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

* '' Eagle vs Shark'' (2007) * '' Boy'' (2010) * '' Hunt for the Wilderpeople'' (2016)

Awards

New Zealand Music Awards

, - , rowspan="3" ,

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

, 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 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

, 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 2008 was designated as: *International Year of Languages *International Year of Planet Earth *International Year of the Potato *International Year of Sanitation The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...

, 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 year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

, 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 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

, 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 effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

, The Phoenix Foundation – "The Drinker" , Best Unreleased Song , , - ,

, The Phoenix Foundation "Hitchcock" , Best Unreleased Song , , - ,

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, The Phoenix Foundation "Damn the River" , Best Pop Track ,

Handle the Jandal

, - ,

, 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

, - ,

, 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 Aotearoa Music Award winners Flying Nun Records artists Musical groups from Wellington City New Zealand indie rock groups