Deadstar
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | August 1995 in Melbourne, Australia |
| Defunct | 2001 |
| Headquarters | Melbourne , Australia |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Deadstar (presented as deadstar) was an Australian alternative rock group established in Melbourne in August 1995. The lineup featured Peter Jones, formerly of Crowded House, on drums; Caroline Kennedy handling lead vocals and guitar; and Barry Palmer, known from Hunters & Collectors, playing guitar and bass. Their discography includes three studio albums: deadstar released in October 1995, Milk in April 1997, and Somewhere Over the Radio in September 1999. In 1999, two singles, "Run Baby Run" and "Deeper Water," entered the ARIA top 100 charts. Before disbanding in 2001, the band earned three nominations at the ARIA Music Awards.
History
Initially conceived as a side venture by Palmer and Jones, Deadstar invited Kennedy to add lyrics and melodies atop guitar parts originally crafted for the short film The Baby Bath Massacre. Their first album, Deadstar, came out in October 1995 via White Records with distribution through Mushroom Records and Festival Records. Produced by Palmer, the record blended indie rock with pop sensibilities, featuring raw production. Singles from this album included "Going Down" / "Valentine's Day" (June 1995), "She Loves She" (October), and "Sister" (April 1996), predominantly written collaboratively by the trio.
In November 1996, Nick Seymour of Crowded House joined on bass, allowing Palmer to concentrate on lead guitar during live performances. The band toured the United Kingdom, where "Valentine's Day" was issued as their first single. Palmer also produced Mark Seymour’s solo debut King Without a Clue in 1997, with contributions from Deadstar members.
Deadstar appeared at the Big Day Out festival in January 1997. Their sophomore album, Milk, co-produced by Palmer and Kalju Tonuma, was released in August 1997. This album featured singles like "Don't It Get You Down?" and "I've Got Something to Tell You," all co-written by Jones, Kennedy, and Palmer. The UK release included the single "Sex Sell" under Discordant Records. At the 1997 ARIA Music Awards, "Don't It Get You Down?" was nominated for Best Independent Release. Later that year, Seymour left the band and was succeeded by Pete McCracken, Kennedy’s bandmate from Plum.
By mid-1998, Michael den Elzen joined as lead guitarist while Deadstar commenced work on their third album. The lead single "Run Baby Run," released in January 1999, charted within the ARIA top 100; its follow-up "Deeper Water" reached No. 28 in June. Both songs were penned by Kennedy and Palmer. Their third album, Somewhere Over the Radio, co-produced by Palmer, Tonuma, and Mark Opitz, was issued in September 1999.
After Festival Records acquired Mushroom Records in 1999, promotion for Deadstar’s album declined. Nevertheless, "Run Baby Run" secured an ARIA nomination for Best Pop Release that year. A third single titled "Somewhere Over the Radio" was released in May 2000 but failed to chart; meanwhile, the album received a nomination for Best Rock Album at the ARIA Music Awards of 2000. The group disbanded in 2001.
From a commercial standpoint, Deadstar achieved moderate success with significant airplay and touring opportunities in the UK following exposure to "Sex Sell." Their music gained national radio support on Triple J, with two tracks making it into its annual Hottest 100 countdown: "Don't It Get You Down" (#70 in 1996) and "Deeper Water" (#74 in 1999). Additionally, their songs were licensed for use on Australian television programs such as Home and Away, Queen Kat Carmel and St. Jude, Good News Week, and The Panel, broadening their audience beyond conventional music platforms.
Other projects
Prior to her involvement with Deadstar, Caroline Kennedy was a guitarist and vocalist for The Plums, performing alongside Shamus Goble on drums, Pete McCracken on bass, and Stephen Moffatt on guitar. McFarlane characterized their music as a blend of "assertive guitar riffs paired with melodic pop foundations," highlighting Kennedy as the centerpiece due to her striking stage presence and expressive singing. During her tenure in Deadstar, she also fronted The Caroline Kennedy Conspiracy, which included Goble, McCracken, and Ted Cleaver on guitar. Following Deadstar's breakup in 2001, Kennedy, McCracken, and Goble established The Kicksilvers, featuring Jane McCracken on bass. In 2002, this lineup evolved into The Tulips, releasing the country-influenced album In the Honeycone in May 2003.
While active in Deadstar, Barry Palmer maintained his role as a songwriter, recording artist, and performer with Hunters & Collectors until their dissolution in March 1998. Subsequently, he launched his own record label named The Devil's Music, concentrating on production, songwriting, and recording activities.
Peter Jones contributed as a session musician for various artists including Ross Hannaford's Reggaebites in 2002. His production credits encompass albums by Stephen Cummings (Firecracker, 2003; Close Ups, 2004), Tess McKenna (Boom Bam, 2003), and Rebecca Barnard (Fortified, 2006). In addition to his studio work, Jones taught music in Melbourne until he passed away from brain cancer on 18 May 2012 at the age of 49.
Studio albums
| Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|
| AUS | ||
| Deadstar |
|
— |
| Milk |
|
91 |
| Somewhere Over the Radio |
|
66 |
Compilation albums
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| The Definitive Collection |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUS | |||
| "Going Down"/"Valentine's Day" | 1995 | — | Deadstar |
| "She Loves She" | 1995 | — | Deadstar |
| "Sister" | 1996 | — | Deadstar |
| "Sex Sells" (UK release) | 1996 | — | Milk |
| "Don't It Get You Down" | 1997 | 124 | Milk |
| "I've Got Something To Tell You" | 1997 | 195 | Milk |
| "Run Baby Run" | 1999 | 64 | Somewhere Over the Radio |
| "Deeper Water" | 1999 | 28 | Somewhere Over the Radio |
| "Over the Radio" | 2000 | 179 | Somewhere Over the Radio |
ARIA Music Awards
Since 1987, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has annually hosted the ARIA Music Awards to honor outstanding achievement and creativity across all Australian music styles. Deadstar earned three nominations throughout their career:
|- | 1997 || "Don't it Get You Down" || Best Independent Release || |- | 1999 || "Run Baby Run" || Best Pop Release || |- | 2000 || Somewhere Over the Radio || Best Rock Album || |-
External links
- "Poster promoting Deadstar at The Continental Café, Prahran, Victoria", dated 14 January 1999, archived by State Library of Victoria
- Photographs from "26th September 99 @ The Royal Melbourne Show, Melbourne": "Caroline Kennedy", "Peter McCracken", "Michael den Elzen", captured by Melissa McKenna and preserved at Oz Music Project
- Collection of Deadstar interviews and articles
