| Tadpole | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Auckland, New Zealand |
| Genres | Rock |
| Years active | 1994–2006 |
| Members | |
| Renee Brennan Dean Lawton Henry Penny Ollie Gordon |
|
| Past members | |
| DJ Kritikl Chris Yong Shannon Brown Paul Matthews |
|
Tadpole was a female-led New Zealand band from Auckland that formed in June 1994.
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Between the band's beginning and 1999 Tadpole went through so many lineup changes that there soon ended up being no original members left in the band. At one point early in their career the band were so unpopular that they played to three people at a gig, and two were bar staff. At one point, Tadpole was almost an all-women band as there were three female members.
However, vocalist Renee Brennan and drummer/manager Dean Lawton have been stable members of the band since the late 1990s, just prior to their New Zealand rise to fame.
During that time, the singles "Blind" (Radio release only, 1998), "For Me" (single release, 1999) and "Backdoor" (also a single release, 1999), were released.
Their debut album The Buddhafinger, released in New Zealand in mid-2000 proved a huge hit debuting at number 2 in the New Zealand charts. The Buddhafinger had a distinctive pop/punkish slant to it, and featured a part-time vinyl scratcher, DJ Kritikl (Kevin May), on most tracks. The 2000 Buddhafinger lineup officially consisted of Renee Brennan (vocals), Dean Lawton (drums), Chris Yong (guitar), Paul Matthews (bass) and DJ Kritikl. DJ Kritikl would leave the lineup late in 2000, and the band reverted to a 4-piece.
In January 2002, Paul Matthews left to concentrate on work with fellow New Zealand band Stylus. After a few months' speculation, his place was taken by Hamilton bass player Shannon Brown, previously from the band Mama Said.
August 2002 came the follow-up album, The Medusa which was also a top 10 hit. In contrast with The Buddhafinger, The Medusa had "a much darker, at times menacing sound".[1]
In February 2003 came a large upheaval to the band. Citing musical differences, both guitarist Chris Yong and bassist Shannon Brown left. Both would go into other bands, Redline and 48May respectively.
For months after Tadpole played sporadically with temporary guitar/bass parts, before settling on two new members, Henry and Ollie. This lineup kept a low profile during 2004-2005, playing 4-5 gigs at a time, rather than whole tours.
The Taddie (as fans affectionately call them) have ended up touring several times in New Zealand and have played gigs all around the world. In February 2005 their third album, Tadpole was recorded, however it took a year and a half for its release. During that time, the singles "Too Hard" and "Yesterday" were released to New Zealand radio and video stations.
Due to being a band in a small country, Tadpole cannot be considered as a full-time entity for the members. The vocalist, Renee, is a DJ on New Zealand's 100% NZ music radio station Kiwi FM, and also does some voiceover (she is heard on many New Zealand advertisements, promoting everything from fast-food to department stores) and acting work.
As of May 2006, Renee announced on Breakfast that after 12 years together and due to a personal conflict between herself and drummer, Dean Lawton, Tadpole as a band were to go their separate ways indefinitely, effective June 24, 2006 after a final Auckland concert and self-titled album release, Tadpole. All have now gone their separate ways:
| Date | Title | Label | Charted Positions | Certification | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Buddhafinger | Antenna Records | #2 (NZ) | 2x Platinum | |
| 2002 | The Medusa | Antenna Records | #10 (NZ) | - | |
| 2006 | Tadpole | Benthouse Records | - | - | |
| EPs | |||||
| 2001 | Nothing New | - | - | ||
| Year | Single | Album | Charted | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Blind" | The Buddhafinger | - | - |
| 1999 | "For Me" | #12 (NZ) | - | |
| "Backdoor" | #12 (NZ) | - | ||
| "Alright" | #21 (NZ) | - | ||
| 2000 | "No Man" | - | - | |
| 2001 | "Number One" | - | - | |
| "Better Days" | - | - | ||
| "Nothing new" | Medusa | #23 (NZ) | - | |
| 2002 | "Now Today Forever" | - | - | |
| "Condition Chronic" | - | - | ||
| 2003 | "Just Not Rock And Roll" | - | - | |
| "Always Be Mine" | - | - | ||
| "Frequency" | - | - | ||
| 2005 | "Too Hard" | Tadpole | - | - |
| "Yesterday" | - | - | ||
| "Offering" | - | - |