Waves (band)
| Company type | Music group |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1973 |
| Founder | Graeme Gash, Kevin Wildman, Geoff Chunn (as Rosewood) |
| Defunct | 1977 (initially) |
| Fate | Disbanded; reunited in 2013 |
| Headquarters | Auckland , New Zealand |
| Products | Music albums and singles |
Waves was a folk rock group from New Zealand, recognized for their highly successful 1975 self-titled album before disbanding in 1977. Originating from the acoustic trio Rosewood, which featured Geoff Chunn—later a member of Split Enz—Waves gained substantial radio play in Auckland. Their album Waves climbed to number seven on New Zealand's charts and has since become a sought-after collector’s item.
In 1976, the band recorded a follow-up album that was rejected and subsequently erased by their record label, prompting their breakup the following year. A rough version of this lost album emerged in 2013 under the title Misfit, included with the first official CD release of Waves.
Co-founder Graeme Gash went on to release a solo record titled After the Carnival in 1981.
The group reunited in 2013 for an event at an Auckland record store and announced plans to work on new material.
History
During the early 1970s, Auckland Technical Institute art students Graeme Gash and Kevin Wildman formed Rosewood, an acoustic folk-pop trio alongside Geoff Chunn. They performed frequently, including an appearance at the 1973 Ngaruawahia Music Festival. After Chunn departed in April 1973 to join Split Enz, Gash and Wildman continued their collaboration, eventually expanding the lineup by adding guitarist David Marshall and bassist Michael Matthew, forming Waves.
Waves played at folk clubs and notable Auckland venues such as Town Hall and His Majesty's Theatre. Their style centered on soft rock enriched by four-part vocal harmonies. They deliberately avoided pub performances to maintain the integrity of their complex sound and focused on original compositions from New Zealand songwriters despite limited mainstream popularity at that time.
The band’s profile grew thanks to increasing local support, with radio stations like Radio Hauraki promoting domestic music through initiatives like Buck-a-Head concerts, which helped elevate Waves alongside contemporaries such as Split Enz.
Waves album
In 1975, Roger Jarrett, editor of the local music publication Hot Licks, introduced Waves to Kerry Thomas and Guy Morris—co-owners of both the magazine and Direction Records, an independent label with retail outlets. On 7 July 1975, Waves commenced a five-day recording session for their debut album at Stebbing Studios in Ponsonby, close to where the band members lived. Gash recalled dedicating significant preparation time over the previous year ahead of these sessions.
Thomas arranged for Peter Dawkins, a New Zealand expatriate producer then based in Sydney, to return to Auckland to oversee production. Gash described Dawkins as efficient yet demanding, noting that he even dismissed one band member during recording. The sessions included contributions from close friends and studio associates. Gash characterized the process as both thrilling and intimidating.
Following recording, Dawkins returned to Sydney to mix the tracks, leaving the band somewhat detached from the final sound. When these mixes proved unsatisfactory, Kerry Thomas authorized a remix with engineer Phil Yule at Stebbing Studios; only two of Dawkins’ original mixes were retained on the final album.
Released in October 1975, Waves reached number seven on New Zealand’s album charts and became one of the decade’s best-selling local releases. The band issued three singles: "The Dolphin Song"/"Letters", "Arrow"/"Clock House Shuffle", and "At the Beach"/"Waitress".
Follow-up and breakup
Capitalizing on the success of Waves, the group—now featuring Rex Carter on drums and Michael Mason on bass—entered Mandrill Studios in 1976 to record their sophomore album for WEA Records. This collection incorporated a fusion of folk-rock with newly introduced electric guitar sounds.
According to Gash, the band took charge of producing this record independently, without involving external musicians, which reflected their growing confidence and unity. Nonetheless, just prior to the mixing phase, label executive Tim Murdoch rejected the recordings and demanded that the multi-track tapes be erased.
Fortunately, studio manager Dave Hurley permitted the band to retain a rough mix before the tapes were wiped. Gash expressed deep regret over losing an entire album’s worth of material despite their dedication and artistic development. This incident significantly demoralized the ensemble.
In July 1977, they recorded a final song titled "Vegas," but Murdoch once again prevented its release before mixing could occur.
After disbanding, Gash launched a solo project called After the Carnival in 1981. Meanwhile, Marshall became involved with bands Lip Service (1980) and Martial Law (1984).
2013 revival
The band reunited briefly in 2003 for a special performance at the St James Theatre, featuring artists such as Dave Dobbyn, Don McGlashan, Anika Moa, Liam Finn, and Martin Phillipps. In 2012, Roger Marbeck from Ode Records and archivist Grant Gillanders approached the group about reissuing the 1975 Waves album—then a sought-after collector’s item—on both CD and vinyl for Record Store Day in April. The launch included a live show at Real Groovy in Auckland. Discovering an additional unfinished album from 1976, they opted to issue both records together as a double CD. Gash highlighted the significance of bringing this material "out of the shadows and into the light."
During preparation, it was revealed that the original master tapes for Waves had gone missing following Direction Records' collapse in the 1970s. To overcome this, Gash sourced pristine vinyl copies to produce high-quality digital transfers at Stebbings Studios, where Steve McGough mastered them for vinyl release with input from original engineer Phil Yule. The artwork was updated, and packaging was handled by United Record Pressing in Nashville. Gash remarked, "It actually sounds good, if not better, than the original."
For the unreleased 1976 sessions, McGough digitized the sole surviving unmixed tape, while Marbeck tracked down multi-track tapes of "Vegas," Waves’ last recording. After carefully baking the tape to ensure preservation, they mixed "Vegas" at York St Studios with engineer Hayden Taylor and mastered the Mandrill recordings. Due to missing multi-tracks from 1976, no further mixing could be completed.
The final package featured a remastered edition of Waves on both vinyl and CD formats along with a bonus disc titled Misfit, containing nine tracks from the lost second album. A limited pressing included 500 vinyl copies and 1,000 double CD sets. The band performed at Real Groovy and participated in signing events. Gash recalled enthusiastic support from fans across generations, some bringing original albums for autographs alongside new vinyl editions.
Encouraged by this reception, the band resumed rehearsals and songwriting aimed at producing a new Waves album. While Gash acknowledged difficulties in matching their classic hits’ appeal, he expressed optimism about their current compositions’ quality. Kevin Wildman’s prolific songwriting has motivated both Gash and David Marshall to enhance their contributions, sustaining the tradition of having three principal writers within the group.
Albums
- Waves (Direction, 1975)
- Waves / Misfit (remastered edition) (Ode, 2013)
Singles
- "The Dolphin Song" / "Letters" (Direction, 1975)
- "Arrow" / "Clock House Shuffle" (Direction, 1975)
- "At the Beach" / "Waitress" (Direction, 1975)