Geoff Maddock (born ) is a New Zealand musician, composer, and producer. He is best known as a member of the rock group Bressa Creeting Cake and for co-founding

Goldenhorse Goldenhorse is a pop and folk-pop band from New Zealand. The group was formed in 1999 by lead vocalist Kirsten Morrell and guitarist Geoff Maddock, who brought in Joel Wilton and Ben King from other projects to found the initial lineup. Go ...

, for which he was a central creative force as a song-writer, producer, and guitarist. Maddock became involved in music as a teenager at

Avondale College Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale, Auckland, Avondale. With a roll of students from years 9–13 (ages 12–18), it is the third largest secondary schoo ...

, where he formed Bressa Creeting Cake with Edmund McWilliams and Joel Wilton in 1991. The band's tracks received regular play on the local radio station bFM, and they later signed to

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 bringi ...

. The band released one EP and performed in support of

The Mutton Birds The Mutton Birds were a New Zealand rock music group formed in Auckland in 1991 by Ross Burge, David Long and Don McGlashan, with Alan Gregg joining a year later. Four of their albums reached the top 10 on the New Zealand Albums Char ...

and

Hunters & Collectors Hunters & Collectors are an Australian rock band from Melbourne, formed in 1981. Fronted by founding member, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Seymour, the band's other mainstays are John Archer on bass guitar and Doug Falconer on drums an ...

, before parting ways in the late 90s. Maddock then formed

with Kirsten Morrell in 1999. Maddock co-wrote and produced the hit single " Maybe Tomorrow" from '' Riverhead'' (2002), which was awarded an APRA Silver Scroll Award for Most Performed New Zealand Work after becoming the most played song on New Zealand radio in 2003. Maddock was twice-nominated for an APRA Silver Scroll Award for his writing on ''

Out of the Moon ''Out of the Moon'' is the second album by New Zealand band Goldenhorse, released in 2005 under Siren Records.Reporter A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...

'' (2007), for the singles "

Out of the Moon ''Out of the Moon'' is the second album by New Zealand band Goldenhorse, released in 2005 under Siren Records.Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra and Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. Following the effective breakup of Goldenhorse in 2007, Maddock wrote the soundtrack for

Katie Wolfe Katie Wolfe (born 1968) is an actor, film and stage director from New Zealand. She appeared in television series including '' Marlin Bay'' (1990s), ''Shortland Street'' (late 1990s), and ''Mercy Peak'' (2000 - 2001). Her screen directing work has ...

's 2008 short-film ''This Is Her'', and the music for

Michael Galvin Michael Galvin (born 27 March 1967) is a New Zealand actor, singer and playwright, well known for his role as Chris Warner on the soap opera Shortland Street, a character he has played almost since the show's debut in 1992 until 1996 and again ...

's play "Station to Station". In 2014, Maddock relocated to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

with Nick Gaffaney, where he formed Young Winona with Gaffaney's wife, Cass. Throughout the 2010s, Maddock continued work as a producer with various artists both in New Zealand and Los Angeles, and also as a session musician. Young Winona released several tracks from 2019 until 2023, when Gaffaney moved to Las Vegas, putting the band in an indefinite hiatus. A

multi-instrumentalist A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments, often but not exclusively at a professional level of proficiency. Also known as woodwind doubler, doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and mor ...

, Maddock has numerous credits to his name for his instrumental work and song-writing, including on projects by

The Wedding Present The Wedding Present are an English indie rock group formed in 1985 in Leeds, England, by members of The Lost Pandas. The band has been led by vocalist and guitarist David Gedge, the band's only constant member. Closely linked to the C86 scene ...

, Natasha Beddingfield, Daniel Beddingfield,

The Finn Brothers The Finn Brothers are a New Zealand musical duo consisting of brothers Neil Finn, Neil and Tim Finn. In June 1993 both members were Queen's Birthday Honours, awarded the Order of the British Empire, OBE for their contribution to music. The two ...

Bic Runga Briolette Kah Bic Runga (born 13 January 1976), recording as Bic Runga, is a New Zealand singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist. Her first three studio albums debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga ...

Anika Moa Anika Rose Moa (born 21 May 1980) is a New Zealand recording artist and television presenter. Her debut studio album ''Thinking Room'', was released in September 2001, which reached number one on the Official New Zealand Music Chart, New Z ...

, and former band mate Kirsten Morrell, to name some.

Career

1991–1998: Bressa Creeting Cake

In 1991, Maddock co-founded the band Breast Secreting Cake with Edmund McWilliams and Joel Wilton. McWilliams and Maddock were both attending

and met during an art class. At a school talent show, the pair took notice of Joel Wilton, who was a drummer. The group played together at school performances. During their first public gigs and early effort to record music, the band expanded its lineup to include Dave Neilsen on bass. The band's first recordings were made by McWilliams on four tracks, then with the help of Neilsen on a 16-track studio the band was lent. Some of their songs were played on the local college radio station bFM by 1994, and the band had a stream of top 10 placings on the station's playlist. The group initially struggled to find a label, despite other local music acts taking interest.

Andrew Fagan Andrew Fagan (born 1962) is a New Zealand writer, singer-songwriter and long-distance solo sailor. He grew up in Wellington. He gained fame in New Zealand in the 1980s as the lead singer of the pop group The Mockers.The Mockers The Mockers were a New Zealand pop band formed in Wellington in 1979 by Andrew Fagan Andrew Fagan (born 1962) is a New Zealand writer, singer-songwriter and long-distance solo sailor. He grew up in Wellington. He gained fame in New Zealand ...

introduced the group to Malcolm Smith (from the electronic dance-pop band The Fan Club) who gave them unsupervised access to his studio in

Grey Lynn Grey Lynn is an inner suburb of Auckland, New Zealand, located to the west of the city centre. Originally a separate borough, Grey Lynn amalgamated with Auckland City in 1914. Grey Lynn is centred on Grey Lynn Park, which was not part of t ...

. Soon after, the band caught the attention of Nick Morgan, who offered to manage the group, and arranged for them to work from Revolver Studios in

Royal Oak The Royal Oak was the English oak tree within which the future King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester in 1651. The tree was in Boscobel Wood, which was part of the park of Boscobel House ...

. Following a gig in the mid-90s as a supporting act for

, representatives for Flying Nun came backstage to sign the band. At the request of Flying Nun Records' parent company

Mushroom Records Mushroom Records was an Australian flagship record label, founded in 1972 in Melbourne. It published and distributed many successful Australian artists and expanded internationally, until it was merged with Festival Records in 1998. Festival ...

, the band changed its name to Bressa Creeting Cake, believing the original name was unmarketable. McWilliams, Maddock and Wilton each took on a part of that name as their own stage name; Maddock adopted the alias Geoff Creeting. By this time, Neilsen had left the band, and the group proceeded as a trio, recording their first self-titled EP and album in 1996.Shute, Gareth. NZ Rock, 1987 – 2007. Random House New Zealand, Auckland, 2008 The album was launched with a party at Alexandra Park Raceway, and the group went on to create several music videos, including one for "Palm Singing" featuring Jonathan Brugh. The band also toured in support of

, but rarely played live shows by the late 90s. By 1999, McWilliams and Maddock had parted ways due to diverging creative interests, bringing an effective end to Bressa Creeting Cake.

1999–2007: Goldenhorse

In 1999, Maddock formed

with Kirsten Morrell. The pair were seeking to form a band to play at a wedding; Ben King was brought in as a founding member, as was Wilton from Bressa Creeting Cake. The group had a limited budget, mostly from funding provided by Morrell's mother, and used its local connections to acquire equipment loaned from

Tim Finn Brian Timothy Finn (born 25 June 1952) is a New Zealand singer, songwriter, musician, and composer. He is best known as a founding member of Split Enz. Finn founded the band in 1972 with Phil Judd and served as lead singer and principal songw ...

and

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 ...

. In 2002, Goldenhorse released '' Riverhead'' to commercial success, going 3× platinum and topping the New Zealand charts in 2004. It was recorded on-and-off over a year, with most of the recording in a home studio in the Waitakere Ranges. The success of the album subsequently lead to a record deal with Siren Records. The hit single " Maybe Tomorrow" was awarded an APRA Silver Scroll Award for Most Performed New Zealand Work after becoming the most played song on New Zealand radio in 2003. In 2004, Maddock wrote the arrangements for two special orchestral performances involving Goldenhorse. The first took place on 31 July at

Aotea Centre The Aotea Centre () is a performing arts and events centre in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at the western edge of Aotea Square, off Queen Street, the centre provides a cultural, entertainment and conventions venue space in the heart of the ...

with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. The second was on 6 August at

Christchurch Town Hall The Christchurch Town Hall, since 2007 formally known as the Christchurch Town Hall of the Performing Arts, opened in 1972, is Christchurch, New Zealand's premier performing arts centre. It is located in the Christchurch Central City, central ...

with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. In 2005, the band followed up with ''

Out of the Moon ''Out of the Moon'' is the second album by New Zealand band Goldenhorse, released in 2005 under Siren Records.Out of the Moon ''Out of the Moon'' is the second album by New Zealand band Goldenhorse, released in 2005 under Siren Records.''Reporter''. It was recorded at

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 ...

with sound engineer Clint Murphy and producer Phil Vinall, the latter known for working with

Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...

and

Placebo A placebo ( ) can be roughly defined as a sham medical treatment. Common placebos include inert tablets (like sugar pills), inert injections (like saline), sham surgery, and other procedures. Placebos are used in randomized clinical trials ...

among other big acts. In addition, Nick Gaffaney joined the band to provide drums. The album had a lukewarm commercial reception, spending one week at 38 on the top 40 charts. Goldenhorse subsequently went on an indefinite hiatus, considered to be an effective break-up. However, Maddock was nominated again for an APRA Silver Scroll Award for his writing on the single "Say My Name".

2008–2013: Production and session work

Following the end of Goldenhorse, Maddock continued work as a producer and session musician, and began composing. Maddock wrote the soundtrack for

's 2008 short-film ''This Is Her'', and the music for

's 2009 play "Station to Station", which was well-received. In 2009, Maddock worked with Morrell on her debut solo album, ''

Ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

'' (2010) providing instrumentals and assisting with the recording. Around this period, Maddock and King also worked with Daniel Beddingfield, along with Jol Mulholland who had produced ''Ultraviolet''. In the early 2010s, Maddock was credited numerous projects for his guitar work, including on ''More Fun'' (2011) by Panther and the Zoo, and working with Flip Grater on "The Sheriff" for Greg Johnson's ''Exits'' (2012). In 2013, Maddock contributed to the debut album of Debbie and the Downers. That same year, he joined

as a contributor and performer, supporting the New Zealand leg of their tour.

2014–2023: Santa Barbara and Young Winona

In 2014, Maddock and Gaffaney permanently relocated to Los Angeles to pursue new career oppourtunities. The pair formed a new band, Santa Barbara, with Gaffaney's wife, Cass. The group was described as alternative "60’s influenced pop/rock". The following year, the trio became Young Winona, with Cass as the lead vocalist. In 2017, Flying Nun reissued Bressa Creeting Cake's debut EP with additional material. Meanwhile, Maddock continued with Young Winona, releasing "Reptile Lover / Girl in Black" in 2019 in collaboration with poet Jeffrey Holgate. During this time, Maddock also worked as a producer for other acts, including on ''OpenHearts'' (2019) by Tommy and The Fallen Horses. In 2020, Young Winona signed a record deal with Poor Man Records. The band had planned to release an EP, but delayed it to 2021 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. In 2021 and 2022, the band released several singles including "LA Waste", "Killer Daisies, "Confess", "Sadistic" and "Red Dress". On 18 March 2023, Young Winona played their last show before going on an indefinite hiatus, after Nick and Cass Gaffaney announced they were relocating to

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

Personal life

Maddock attended

. He was formerly in a long-term relationship with fellow band mate Kirsten Morrell. In 2014 he moved to

, where he currently resides.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maddock, Geoff New Zealand musicians New Zealand composers Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Place of birth missing (living people) People educated at Avondale College