Things of Stone and Wood
| Things of Stone and Wood | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | ToSaW |
| Origin | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Genres | Folk, rock, indie rock |
| Years active | 1989–1998, 2001–2006, 2013–present |
| Labels | Sony, Things, Shock, Barking Mad |
| Associated acts | Thirteen at Midnight |
| Members | Michael Allen Greg Arnold James Black Tony Floyd |
| Past members | John Bedggood Richard Tankard Justin Brady |
Things of Stone and Wood or ToSaW are an Australian folk-rock band which formed in 1989. The original line-up was Michael Allen on bass guitar and backing vocals; Greg Arnold on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Justin Brady on violin, mandolin and harmonica; and Tony Floyd on drums and percussion. Two of their albums, The Yearning (7 March 1993) and Junk Theatre (26 March 1995) peaked at No. 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart. Their 1992 single, "Happy Birthday Helen" reached No. 9 on the ARIA Singles Chart, which was written by Arnold for his then-girlfriend, whom he later married. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1993 the group won 'Best New Talent' for "Share this Wine". Arnold won 'Songwriter of the Year' at the 1993 APRA Awards.
"Happy Birthday Helen" was listed at No. 91 on the Triple J Hottest 100 in 1993. The group disbanded in 1998, reformed in 2001 and broke up again in 2006. In 2013 the original lineup reunited and in 2014 they embarked on a 25th Anniversary tour.
Things of Stone and Wood formed in Melbourne in 1989 with Michael Allen on bass guitar and backing vocals; Greg Arnold on lead vocals and acoustic guitar; Justin Brady on violin, mandolin and harmonica; and Tony Floyd on drums and percussion. Both Allen and Arnold were former members of Thirteen at Midnight, an indie rock group. That band had formed in 1986 and included Russell Hall on bass guitar and Byron Smith on guitar, they had issued a single, "She Sells Sanctuary" (1986), and an album, Warring Tribes (1988) on Cleopatra Records.
One of Things of Stone and Wood's earliest gigs was at the 21st birthday party for Helen Durham – Arnold's then-girlfriend. The group took up long term residencies in Melbourne and followed with interstate touring on the pub and club circuit. In September 1991 they issued their debut four-track extended play, The Hopeful, on Things Records, which was produced by James Black (Greg Champion). Black was also their manager and had been a guitarist or keyboardist in Russell Morris Band, Mondo Rock and The Revelators. In 1992 the band recorded their debut album, The Yearning, with Black producing – it was issued in March of the following year and peaked at No. 8 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The group had signed with Sony Records and released a single, "Share this Wine", ahead of the album in September 1992, which reached the ARIA Singles Chart top 50.
...
Wikipedia