The Verlaines are a New Zealand rock band from

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

. Formed in 1981 by Graeme Downes, Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr, the band went through multiple line-ups. Formed at the beginning of

Dunedin sound The Dunedin sound was a musical and cultural movement in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand, in the early 1980s. It helped found indie rock as a genre. The scene is associated with Flying Nun Records, an independent label. Bands associated with th ...

, The Verlaines were a key figure in the early history of

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 ...

History

The band was named after French poet

Paul Verlaine Paul-Marie Verlaine ( ; ; 30 March 1844 – 8 January 1896) was a French poet associated with the Symbolism (movement), Symbolist movement and the Decadent movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the ''fin de siècle'' ...

— not, as is occasionally suggested,

Tom Verlaine Thomas Joseph Miller (December 13, 1949 – January 28, 2023), known professionally as Tom Verlaine, was an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter, best known as the frontman of the New York City rock band Television. Biography Verlaine was ...

, who also took his stage name from the poet. "I had just been reading some of his poetry," Downes told Paul A. Harris in 1993, "and threw the name at the head of the row, and we thought it sounded cool." Their recorded debut was on the seminal '' Dunedin Double'' EP, which was released by Flying Nun Records and was the debut of several bands who would go on to be central to the mythology of the

. The Verlaines are noted for their angular, "difficult" song structures, wordy and downbeat lyrics, unusual subject matter, all contained in often frantic up-tempo playing. The Verlaines are led by songwriter and vocalist/guitarist Graeme Downes, although many other New Zealand musicians played guitar, bass, drums and brass instruments during the different stages of the band. Downes was an academic at the

University of Otago The University of Otago () is a public university, public research university, research collegiate university based in Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. Founded in 1869, Otago is New Zealand's oldest university and one of the oldest universities in ...

, where he had previously been the head of the Department of Music, until 2020 when he retired after a cancer diagnosis. He taught contemporary music and has research interests in

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

and

Shostakovich Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich, group=n (9 August 1975) was a Soviet-era Russian composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his Symphony No. 1 (Shostakovich), First Symphony in 1926 and thereafter was regarded ...

. He has released one solo album, ''Hammers and Anvils'', which came out 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 ap ...

in 2001. The group's signature songs include "Death and the Maiden", "C.D. Jimmy Jazz & Me", "Bird-dog" and "Ballad of Harry Noryb." In 2003, a career retrospective, ''

You're Just Too Obscure for Me ''You're Just Too Obscure for Me'' is a greatest hits album by New Zealand band The Verlaines, released in 2003 by Flying Nun Records Flying Nun Records is a New Zealand independent record label formed in Christchurch in 1981 by music stor ...

'', was released. The Verlaines contributed the soundtrack to the film ''Eden'', collaborating with actor Adetokunbo Adu, and screenwriter Rebecca Tansley. A song from Eden, "What Sound is This?" appeared on their album ''Untimely Meditations'' in 2012. The band's latest studio album, ''Dunedin Spleen'', was released exclusively via digital download in 2019. One year later, having been picked up by Schoolkids Records, an independent label out of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, it was released as a limited edition white vinyl, gatefold 2xLP on 24 October 2020, to coincide with

Record Store Day Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...

. There were only 700 copies made available worldwide. On 4 June 2021, the album made its debut on compact disc for further consumption.

Discography

Featured appearances

The group have appeared on several compilations over the years in New Zealand and overseas. * (1987) – '' Tuatara: A Flying Nun Compilation'' (

) – "Death and the Maiden" * (

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

) – ''

In Love With These Times ''In Love With These Times'' is a compilation of previously released songs by artists on New Zealand based Flying Nun Records. It was released by Flying Nun in 1990 and re-released in a 2CD package with the 1991 compilation '' Pink Flying Saucers ...

'' (Flying Nun) – "Slow Sad Love Song" * (

1991 It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...

) – ''Getting Older 1981-1991'' (Flying Nun) – "Pyromaniac" * (1991) – ''Pink Flying Saucers Over The Southern Alps'' (Flying Nun) – "The Funniest Thing" * (1993) – ''

No Alternative ''No Alternative'' is an alternative rock compilation album produced by Paul Heck and Chris Mundy that was released in 1993. It was the third compilation put together by the Red Hot Organization, a charity dedicated to raising money for and awa ...

'' ( Arista) – "Heavy 33", "Joed Out" (performed by

Barbara Manning Barbara Manning (born December 12, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist whose albums blend elements of rock, folk, pop and proto-punk. She is also known for her cover versions of often obscure pop songs. In addition to an acclaime ...

) * (

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

) – ''

Red Hot + Bothered Red is the color at the long wavelength end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–750 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and a secondary ...

'' (

Red Hot Organization ''Red Hot Organization'' (RHO) is a non-profit, 501(c) 3, international organization with goals to promote diversity through equal access to healthcare through pop culture. Since its inception in 1989, over 400 artists, producers and directors ...

) – "Some Fantasy" (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 ...

) * (

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

) – '' Scarfies OST'' (Flying Nun) – "Death and the Maiden"

Singles

References

External links

The Verlaines Myspace page

Official The Verlaines Flying Nun artist page

Flying Nun's liner notes for ''You're Just Too Obscure for Me''

Verlaines music videos

Untimely Meditations album
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verlaines New Zealand indie rock groups Flying Nun Records artists Homestead Records artists Dunedin Sound musical groups Musical groups from Dunedin