The Shrubbies were an English pop group from Southwest London, active from 1996 to 1999. The band was formed as Shrubby Veronica by Craig Fortnam (vocalist and guitarist), Sharron Saddington (vocalist and bass guitarist) and the former Cardiacs members Sarah Smith (vocals, saxophone, keyboards) and Dominic Luckman (drums). They gigged enthusiastically in London for several years and then split up as Fortnam was disillusioned with playing the traditional indie rocktoilet circuit.
Fortnam had a chance meeting with William D. Drake which led to him joining Drake's band, Lake of Puppies, with Saddington. Fortnam and Saddington fell in love, forming the Shrubbies with Smith and Luckman. The band released an eponymous EP, The Shrubbies, in 1997 and the album Memphis in Texas in 1999. Fortnam and Saddington later married and recruited musicians associated with Cardiacs to form the North Sea Radio Orchestra.
History
After playing bass guitar in a jazz fusion band, Craig Fortnam had a chance meeting with the former Cardiacs member William D. Drake, which led to him joining Drake's post-Cardiacs psychedelic pop[2] combo Lake of Puppies with Sharron Saddington.[3] Fortnam fell in love with Saddington, and the couple formed the Shrubbies alongside former Cardiacs and Sea Nymphs member Sarah Smith on saxophone and keyboards, and Ben Clarke on drums. Former Cardiacs drummer Dominic Luckman joined the fold when Clarke left the band.[4][5][6] The pop group,[7] initially called Shrubby Veronica,[8] originated from Balham, London in 1996.[9][6] They gigged enthusiastically in London and beyond,[6] supporting a headlining gig by Huge Baby and playing concerts with like-minded bands the Monsoon Bassoon, Podsdarapomuk and Delicate AWOL.[10] Following Sarah's departure from the band (prior to 8 March 1999[8]), Dan Maitland signed up.[6]
I began to realise that most people were there for a social thing, and people were talking all the way through. That just started annoying me and I thought, 'I'll write music that doesn't have drums, that isn't loud, and we’ll play places where people sit down and then they won’t talk.'
Though the collaboration was creatively rewarding for Fortnam, he became disillusioned with playing the traditional indie rocktoilet circuit.[3] Fortnam was annoyed the poor etiquette and atmosphere he encountered at concerts, so the band split up in 1999.[7][11][6][a] Following their dissolution, Fortnam went to Dartington College to study composition and decided he "wanted to be Stravinsky",[2] married Saddington and recruited like-minded musicians associated with Cardiacs and classical connections to form the North Sea Radio Orchestra, with Sharron on lead vocals.[3]
Shrubbies, featuring Dominic Luckman, were set to specially reform for the Alphabet Business Convention at the Salisbury Arts Centre on 26 August 2017,[13][14] but were replaced by the band Prescott on the revised bill.[15]
A self-titled EP featuring a selection of songs from Memphis in Texas was released by Merlin Audio on 20 September 1997, exclusively on CD. Misfit City described the tracks as "four complex and leaping songs, swinging through an adventure playground of sophisticated eccentric harmony based around Craig’s dextrous gut-strung acoustic guitars and Sharron’s fluffy chirrup", praising Sarah Smith's saxophone and keyboard riffs.[18]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Sharron Saddington except "Sabled Fur" by Craig Fortnam; all music is composed by Fortnam.
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Carefree Clothes"
3:31
2.
"Body Cried Alive"
4:13
3.
"Perfect Present"
4:08
4.
"Sabled Fur"
3:26
Total length:
15:27
Personnel
Credits adapted from The Shrubbies EP liner notes.[1]
The Shubbies' lone album was released on CD by Merlin Audio in 1999.[18]Memphis in Texas (stylised in all lowercase) was reissued on Bandcamp on 11 September 2011.[19]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Sharron Saddington except "Sabled Fur" by Craig Fortnam; all music is composed by Fortnam.
The Inkling Quartet – strings on "Hearty Connection"
Technical
Jonnie Hamilton – photography
Big Faluda Productions (Ian Johnson) – design
Tim Smith – production
Notes
^ abDescriptions of the North Sea Radio Orchestra album Gap Species suggest that Shrubbies dissolved in 1998.[7][12]
^Saddington is credited as "Sharron Fortnam" on Bandcamp, following her marriage to Craig.[6]
References
^ abcThe Shrubbies (liner notes). Merlin Audio. 1997. MER97028CD. Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022 – via Discogs.
![Left to right: Sharron Saddington, Dominic Luckman, Sarah Smith, and Craig Fortnam.[1]](File:The_Shrubbies.jpg)
