Dreamboat, the new album from Wellington band the Spines will be launched at San Fran in Wellington on Saturday 23 November 2019. The album has been 18 months in the making and features the Spines current line-up of Jon McLeary (lead vocals and guitars), Hannah Fraser (keyboards, violin and vocals), Les Knight (electric and double bass) and Malky Taylor (percussion and vocals.) The album includes performances by special guests, former Spines member Riki Gooch on drums and percussion, and vocalists Lisa Tomlin and Louise Loft.
All 10 songs on the album are written by McLeary and arranged by him with input from Hannah Fraser. McLeary describes the songs as “mostly about love and the various problems and pleasures that go with it. The songs are recorded in different musical styles, but link together like pages taken from a diary, different days and moods. Each track was recorded in a way that is specific to that song”.
The Spines was formed by McLeary in 1981 and over the years, as line-ups have changed, the band has evolved and built a loyal following through their live gigs and recordings. Dreamboat was recorded and co-produced by Maurice Priestley of PriMau Productions in Wellington. McLeary and Priestley first worked together in 1985 when the Spines recorded their album The Moon at Capture Recordings in Gisborne. The two hooked up again mid-2018 to develop the Dreamboat songs starting with simple vocal, acoustic guitar and guide drum track recordings, and finally arriving at the finished product.
Dreamboat will be available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music and other digital services. CDs will be available at the Spines gigs, starting at San Fran in Wellington this Saturday 23 November 2019.