Album artwork for Harry by Dead Famous People

Back in the 80s Dons Savage of Dead Famous People joined her first band Freudian Slips which soon ended so she along with fellow Freudian Slip refugee Biddy Leyland could pursue their own talents. A chance encounter with Flying Nun's spiritual guru, Chris Knox, led to a one-off deal with the label that resulted in a five-song EP, Lost Persons Area. Moving to London in 1986 the fabled "Flying Nun sound" began making an impact outside New Zealand. The release of near-perfect compilations by The Clean and The Chills except Dead Famous People were a little early for that buzz. Stumbling into a deal with Utility Records, Billy Bragg and legendary manager Pete Jenner. Dons later started singing with new combo, Saint Etienne, her vocals feature on the original version of their cover version hit, Kiss And Make Up, as well as a cover of Gil Scott-Heron's Winter In America’. Around this same time, Martin Phillipps of The Chills asked Dons requested she sing on Heavenly Pop Hit. Dons soon returned home to Auckland without an outlet for her music, three decades later Fire tracked her down and the rest is history. Now comes her new album Harry, it’s more philosophical than her earlier work. It feels like the right one for a world of apocalyptic pandemic, uncertainty and quarantine. Dons' power over melody and knack for profundity remains unchanged since Dead Famous People's original incarnation. A rare record in a time of musical factionalism and a world divided into camps of willful obscurity and grotesque mockeries of stardom and art, it’s a document of unadorned perfection.

Dead Famous People

Harry

Fire Records
Album artwork for Harry by Dead Famous People
LP

£22.99

Black
Includes download code
Released 09/10/2020Catalogue Number

FIRELP564

Learn more
Album artwork for Harry by Dead Famous People
CD

£12.99

Digipack.

Released 09/10/2020Catalogue Number

FIRECD564

Learn more
Dead Famous People

Harry

Fire Records
Album artwork for Harry by Dead Famous People
LP

£22.99

Black
Includes download code
Released 09/10/2020Catalogue Number

FIRELP564

Learn more
Album artwork for Harry by Dead Famous People
CD

£12.99

Digipack.

Released 09/10/2020Catalogue Number

FIRECD564

Learn more

Back in the 80s Dons Savage of Dead Famous People joined her first band Freudian Slips which soon ended so she along with fellow Freudian Slip refugee Biddy Leyland could pursue their own talents. A chance encounter with Flying Nun's spiritual guru, Chris Knox, led to a one-off deal with the label that resulted in a five-song EP, Lost Persons Area. Moving to London in 1986 the fabled "Flying Nun sound" began making an impact outside New Zealand. The release of near-perfect compilations by The Clean and The Chills except Dead Famous People were a little early for that buzz. Stumbling into a deal with Utility Records, Billy Bragg and legendary manager Pete Jenner. Dons later started singing with new combo, Saint Etienne, her vocals feature on the original version of their cover version hit, Kiss And Make Up, as well as a cover of Gil Scott-Heron's Winter In America’. Around this same time, Martin Phillipps of The Chills asked Dons requested she sing on Heavenly Pop Hit. Dons soon returned home to Auckland without an outlet for her music, three decades later Fire tracked her down and the rest is history. Now comes her new album Harry, it’s more philosophical than her earlier work. It feels like the right one for a world of apocalyptic pandemic, uncertainty and quarantine. Dons' power over melody and knack for profundity remains unchanged since Dead Famous People's original incarnation. A rare record in a time of musical factionalism and a world divided into camps of willful obscurity and grotesque mockeries of stardom and art, it’s a document of unadorned perfection.