Deadstar

For the Muse single, see Dead Star/In Your World.

Deadstar was an Australian band from Melbourne based around the songs of singer Caroline Kennedy and guitarist Barry Palmer (Hunters and Collectors).

Deadstar was initially a side-project for Caroline Kennedy and Hunters and Collectors guitarist Barry Palmer, who invited Caroline into the studio to write melodies and lyrics over tracts of guitar music he had recorded for a short film. The collaboration worked immediately and what had been film music became, with the addition of Kennedy-McCracken’s lyrics and melodies, the group’s first self-titled album.

With both musicians already signed to Mushroom's White label, it became a simple thing for that label to release the first and second record [Milk].

As their Australian record company was sold, things became difficult for the band, with the release of their third recording Somewhere Over the Radio compromised. This situation was a precursor to the band breaking up.

Other members of the band were (at different times) Peter McCracken (bass), Michael den Elzen (guitar; ex-Schnell Fenster), and ex-Crowded House members Peter Jones (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass).

Their style can be described as rock, the guitars, on especially the first two albums, are the core of their music. The third album Somewhere Over The Radio saw a greater emphasis on their distinctive brand of jangly pop/rock spawning two singles "Run Baby Run" and "Deeper Water" (their biggest hit, reaching #28 on the Australian ARIAnet Singles Chart^[1]) bringing the band some success in Australia in 1999.

The band enjoyed mixed success during its lifetime. They had some success in the UK and toured there after extensive radio play of single Sex Sell. Always Triple J favourites and in later days finding themselves on high rotation on the commercial radio stations, and with their music being used in television and film productions, they were a perhaps a promise that was never fully realised.

The band split due to lack of record company support^{[citation needed]}.

Other projects

Before Caroline sang in Deadstar, she was in The Plums with Shamus Goble and Peter McCracken, and she also had her own project, The Caroline Kennedy Conspiracy. Caroline and Peter have, again with help of Shamus Goble, released a country-tinged album, (In The Honeycone (2004)), under the name The Tulips^[2].

Barry Palmer continued to write, record and perform with Hunters and Collectors during his time with Deadstar until Hunters disbanded in 1998. Barry has since formed his own label, The Devil's Music, and continues to record, produce and write.

Discography

• Deadstar (1996)
• Milk (1997) (Deadstar in the UK release)
• Somewhere Over The Radio (1999)
• The Definitive Collection (2004)

References

1. ^ "DEADSTAR IN AUSTRALIAN CHARTS". http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?key=274152&cat=s. Retrieved 2008-10-04. 
2. ^ Mushroom Music Publishing | Tulips, The

External links

• Discography
• Mushroom Records page