Shrubbies

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This article is about the band. For the plant, see Shrub. For other uses, see Shrub (disambiguation).

Shrubbies
Left to right: Sharron Saddington, Dominic Luckman, Sarah Smith, and Craig Fortnam.[1]
Left to right: Sharron Saddington, Dominic Luckman, Sarah Smith, and Craig Fortnam.[1]
Background information
Also known asShrubby Veronica
OriginWallington, London, England
Genres
Years active1996–1998
LabelsMerlin Audio
SpinoffsNorth Sea Radio Orchestra
Spinoff ofLake of Puppies
Past members

The Shrubbies were an English pop group from Wallington, London, active from 1996 to 1998. The band was formed as Shrubby Veronica by Craig Fortnam (vocalist and guitarist), Sharron Saddington (vocalist and bass guitarist) and the former Cardiacs members Sarah Smith (vocals, saxophone, keyboards) and Dominic Luckman (drums). They gigged enthusiastically in London for several years and then split up as Fortnam was disillusioned with playing the traditional indie rock toilet circuit.

Fortnam had a chance meeting with William D. Drake which led to him joining Drake's band, Lake of Puppies, with Saddington. Fortnam and Saddington fell in love, forming the Shrubbies with Smith and Luckman. The band released an eponymous EP, The Shrubbies, in 1997 and an album Memphis in Texas, in 1999, following its dissolution. Fortnam and Saddington later married and recruited musicians associated with Cardiacs to form the North Sea Radio Orchestra.

History[edit]

After playing bass guitar in a jazz fusion band, Craig Fortnam had a chance meeting with the former Cardiacs member William D. Drake, which led to him joining Drake's post-Cardiacs psychedelic pop[2] combo Lake of Puppies with Sharron Saddington.[3] Fortnam fell in love with Saddington, and the couple formed the Shrubbies alongside former Cardiacs members Sarah Smith and Dominic Luckman.[4][5] The pop group,[6] initially called Shrubby Veronica,[7] originated from Wallington, London in 1996.[8][9] They gigged enthusiastically in London and beyond,[9] supporting a headlining gig by Huge Baby and playing concerts with like-minded bands the Monsoon Bassoon, Podsdarapomuk and Delicate AWOL.[10]

I began to realise that most people were there for a social thing, and people were talking all the way through. That just started annoying me and I thought, 'I'll write music that doesn't have drums, that isn't loud, and we’ll play places where people sit down and then they won’t talk.'

—Craig Fortnam to The Stool Pigeon[3]

Though the collaboration was creatively rewarding for Fortnam, he became disillusioned with playing the traditional indie rock toilet circuit.[3] Fortnam was annoyed the poor etiquette and atmosphere he encountered at concerts, so the band dissolved in 1998.[6][11] Following their dissolution, Fortnam went to Dartington College to study composition and decided he "wanted to be Stravinsky",[2] married Saddington and recruited like-minded musicians associated with Cardiacs and classical connections to form the North Sea Radio Orchestra, with Sharron on lead vocals.[3]

Shrubbies, featuring Dominic Luckman, were set to specially reform for the Alphabet Business Convention at the Salisbury Arts Centre on 26 August 2017,[12][13] but were replaced by the band Prescott on the revised bill.[14]

Discography[edit]

The Shrubbies' discography was produced by Cardiacs frontman Tim Smith and released though the record label Merlin Audio.[1][15] The songs were recorded at Apollo 8 in Chessington, Surrey and Purple Studios in Norwich, Norfolk.[15][9] The music has been described as folk-pronk and folk prog by Misfit City and Ondarock [it] respectively,[16][5] and their releases have been categorised as acoustic pop, baroque pop, electroacoustic folk, folk baroque, psychedelic folk, psychedelic pop and psychedelic rock.[17] A four-track EP released in 1997 and the album Memphis in Texas in 1999 following the dissolution.[17]

The Shrubbies EP[edit]

The Shrubbies
EP by
the Shrubbies
Released20 September 1997
StudioApollo 8 (Chessington)
Length15:27
LabelMerlin Audio
ProducerTim Smith
Shrubbies chronology
The Shrubbies
(1997) 		Memphis in Texas
(1999)

A self-titled EP featuring a selection of songs from Memphis in Texas was released by Merlin Audio on 20 September 1997, exclusively on CD. Misfit City described the tracks as "four complex and leaping songs, swinging through an adventure playground of sophisticated eccentric harmony based around Craig’s dextrous gut-strung acoustic guitars and Sharron’s fluffy chirrup", praising Sarah Smith's saxophone and keyboard riffs.[17]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics are written by Sharron Saddington except "Sabled Fur" by Craig Fortnam; all music is composed by Fortnam

No.TitleLength
1."Carefree Clothes"3:31
2."Body Cried Alive"4:13
3."Perfect Present"4:08
4."Sabled Fur"3:26
Total length:15:27

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from The Shrubbies EP liner notes.[1]

Memphis in Texas[edit]

Memphis in Texas
Studio album by
Shrubbies
Released1999
Studio
Length46:03
LabelMerlin Audio
ProducerTim Smith
Shrubbies chronology
The Shrubbies
(1997) 		Memphis in Texas
(1999)

The Shubbies' lone album was released on CD by Merlin Audio in 1999.[17] Memphis in Texas (stylised in all lowercase) was reissued on Bandcamp on 11 September 2011.[18]

Track listing[edit]

All lyrics are written by Sharron Saddington except "Sabled Fur" by Craig Fortnam; all music is composed by Fortnam

No.TitleVocalLength
1."My Shoulder Ride"Sharron2:55
2."No Sounds"
  • Sharron
  • Craig
2:21
3."Body Cried Alive"Sharron4:15
4."Sabled Fur"Craig3:30
5."Twiddle Your Thumbs Mum"Sharron2:00
6."Carefree Clothes"Sarah3:31
7."Visitors' Book"Sharron3:50
8."Memphis in Texas"
  • Sharron
  • Craig
7:42
9."Perfect Present"Sharron4:09
10."Hearty Connection"Sharron5:07
11."Knives"Sharron6:43
Total length:46:03
  • Adapted from Bandcamp.[9]

Personnel[edit]

Adapted from the Memphis in Texas liner notes.[15]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Saddington is credited as "Sharron Fortnam" on Bandcamp, following her marriage to Craig.[9]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c The Shrubbies (liner notes). Merlin Audio. 1997. MER97028CD – via Discogs.
  2. ^ a b Lester, Paul (4 November 2016). "Outer Limits: How Prog are North Sea Radio Orchestra?". Prog. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Graham, Ben (22 June 2011). "Interview: North Sea Radio Orchestra". The Stool Pigeon. Archived from the original on 5 July 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  4. ^ Davis, Steve; Torabi, Kavus (15 April 2021). Medical Grade Music. London: Orion Publishing Group. ISBN 9781474619509. Note: Search "Shrubbies".
  5. ^ a b Sgrignoli, Marco (20 July 2022). "Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto". Ondarock (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  6. ^ a b Marmoro, Gianfranco (13 July 2019). "North Sea Radio Orchestra - Gap Species :: Le Recensioni di OndaRock". Ondarock (in Italian). Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  7. ^ "The Cardiacs - FAQ". Cardiacs. 8 March 1999. Archived from the original on 3 August 2002. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  8. ^ "Shrubbies". Myspace. Archived from the original on 24 June 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e "memphis in texas". Shrubbies. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2022 – via Bandcamp.
  10. ^ Bell, Adrian (2011). Aylesbury Bolton Wolverhampton Hove: A Little Man and 101 Cardiacs Gigs. Sullivan County, New York: Iron Bell Publishing. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-95-687950-9.
  11. ^ "Gap Species". North Sea Radio Orchestra. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2022 – via Bandcamp.
  12. ^ Worral, Sean (15 March 2017). "ORGAN THING: William D Drake will play a rousing selection of tunes from the Mr Drake and Sea Nymphs repertoire for free this Friday…". Organ. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  13. ^ Drake, William D. (18 March 2017). "ABC, Salisbury Arts Centre 26th August". William D Drake. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  14. ^ "The Alphabet Business Convention - Revised bill for the day!". Facebook. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2022.
  15. ^ a b c Memphis in Texas (liner notes). Merlin Audio. 1999. MER99105CD – via Discogs.
  16. ^ "North Sea Radio Orchestra @ St Clement Eastcheap". Misfit City. 18 March 2003. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  17. ^ a b c d "The Shrubbies". Misfit City. 24 September 1997. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  18. ^ "Shrubbies' Community". Shrubbies. 11 September 2011. Retrieved 17 September 2022 – via Bandcamp.


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