The 3Ds
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | May 1988 |
| Founder | Dominic Stones, Denise Roughan, David Saunders |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Dunedin , New Zealand |
| Products | Albums, EPs |
The 3Ds were a noise pop group originating from Dunedin, New Zealand, active between 1988 and 1997. Throughout their career, they produced three full-length albums and multiple EPs, with The Venus Trail (1993) standing out as their most acclaimed release. Their work achieved both commercial appeal and critical recognition worldwide from 1992 to 1995.
History
The band was established in May 1988 by Dominic Stones, Denise Roughan, and David Saunders, with their name derived from the common initial "D" shared by the founding members. In 1989, David Mitchell became part of the lineup, introducing a dual-guitar dynamic that became central to their musical identity. Mitchell also took responsibility for designing most of their album and EP covers. Their sound drew inspiration from acts such as the Pixies, Black Sabbath, and Fairport Convention.
Early recordings included the track "Meluzina Man," which appeared on the 1990 compilation Xpressway Pileup. Their debut release on Flying Nun Records was the EP Fish Tales in early 1990, followed by the EP Swarthy Songs for Swabs and their first album Hellzapoppin' over the subsequent two years.
In 1992, The 3Ds toured the United States and supported the Lemonheads during their Australian dates. That same year, they shared the stage with Nirvana in New Zealand.
Their sophomore album, The Venus Trail (1993), included notable singles such as "Hey Seuss" and "Beautiful Things." The following year saw them embark on a three-month tour across the U.S.
They performed alongside Pavement in New Zealand and Australia before supporting U2 on their Zoo TV tour dates in New Zealand. A dispute arose when a champagne bottle incident caused the promoter to withhold payment; however, Bono stepped in to ensure they received double compensation plus an additional bottle.
The band's final album, Strange News from the Angels, was released in 1997, coinciding with their announcement to disband.
In July 2009, The 3Ds reunited for two performances at Merge Records' 20th anniversary festival held in North Carolina. They returned to touring New Zealand in 2010, including an appearance at the inaugural Laneways festival, followed by an invitation to play at the Pavement-curated All Tomorrows Parties event in the United Kingdom.
Albums
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 1992 | Hellzapoppin' |
|
24 |
| 1993 | The Venus Trail |
|
12 |
| 1997 | Strange News from the Angels |
|
— |
| "—" denotes recordings that did not chart or were unreleased in that territory. | |||
EPs
| Year | Title | Details | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 1990 | Fish Tales |
|
— |
| 1991 | Swarthy Songs For Swabs |
|
— |
| 1994 | Caterwauling |
|
— |
| "—" denotes recordings that did not chart or were unreleased in that territory. | |||
Compilations
| Year | Title | Information | Peak chart positions |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 1991 | Fish Tales/Swarthy Songs for Swabs |
|
— |
| 2011 | We Bury The Living: Early Recordings 1989-90 |
|
— |
| "—" indicates titles that did not enter the charts or were not released in that market. | |||
Featured appearances
- (1995) Abbasalutely (Flying Nun Records) – track: "Mama Mia"
- (1997) Topless Women Talk About Their Lives (Flying Nun Records) – tracks: "Hey Seuss", "Animal", "Spooky"
- (1999) Scarfies (Flying Nun Records) – track: "Outer Space"
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| NZ | |||
| 1992 | "Outer Space" | — | Hellzapoppin |
| 1993 | "Beautiful Things" | 49 | The Venus Trail |
| "Hey Seuss" | — | ||
| 1996 | "Dust" | — | Strange News from the Angels |
| "—" signifies singles that did not chart or were not issued in the specified region. | |||
Members
- Dominic Stones – drums
- Denise Roughan – bass guitar, keyboards, tambourine, vocals
- David Saunders – guitar, vocals
- David Mitchell – guitar, mandolin, vocals