Laura Macfarlane

Laura MacFarlane Finders St Station 2014
Laura MacFarlane performing with Ninetynine NSC 2007

Laura MacFarlane is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and audio engineer based in Melbourne, Australia. She is known for her work with Melbourne based band ninetynine, solo performances and contributions to other bands (including drumming with Sleater-Kinney).

Originally from Glasgow Scotland, she arrived with her parents in Perth when young, and was involved in a number of bands there from the late 1980s onward. She began performing Perth around this time with her band The Braughtigans. She relocated to Melbourne in the early 1990s, playing with hardcore punk band Manic Pizza with Cameron Potts and forming The Sea Haggs/Keckle (involving long-time collaborator Iain McIntyre). She also began helping with Woozy fanzine in 1992.

In 1994 she began playing with Sleater-Kinney, and in 1995 went to Olympia and Seattle to tour and record with the band. She appears as the drummer on their self-titled debut, Sleater-Kinney, on which she also sings a track titled "Lora's Song". She also drums and sings backups on their seminal follow up album Call the Doctor.

Laura subsequently returned to Melbourne and founded ninetynine, initially as a solo project. Ninetynine soon became a band, and have since released eight albums and toured the world's indie scenes many times. She founded her own record label 'Patsy' that released Ninetynine as well as other bands such as Sea Scouts, Fiona Beverage, Boo Who, Vivian Girls. She also co-founded Choozy independent distribution (1996-2002) with Iain Mcintyre, that distributed music, fanzines and small publications. She currently lives in Melbourne and performs with ninetynine, as well as performing solo.


Laura MacFarlane has played a variety of instruments on a number of records, including vibraphone, Casiotone keyboards, drums, and guitar. She has played with numerous other bands including Lee Memorial, featuring Karl Smith of Sodastream (band), Bombazine Black, Winterborn, Tarantula, Disaster Plan, and New Buffalo, Trixies Undersea Adventure, Deer, Boo Who, Popemobile, Bruna, Dragster, Scared of Horses, Clag.

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