The Brunettes were one of the most popular acts on local student radio in the early years of the new millennium and they seemed destined for international success when they signed to US label Sub Pop in 2006.
Instead, they toured relentlessly but never quite reached the tipping point needed to make a sustainable career out of music. The band ended in 2010, leaving behind four albums, four EPs, and an audience of fans across the world.
Scott Mannion helped Bree gain an all-encompassing 1960s reverb sound for Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks (2002) – the pair went to Mannion's workplace at Auckland University and blasted the album in a large auditorium, then recaptured the room sound with a microphone before mixing it with the original track to get a good balance.
The original DAT tape sessions for the Holding Hands, Feeding Ducks album (first recording sessions) still exist and due to technology available now could probably be put into time digitally for a completely different version of the album.
In addition to the core members, The Brunettes Orchestrette players included Bronwyn Robertson (violin), Edmund Cake (vocals), Tamasin Taylor (violin), Dionne Taylor (lap steel), Scott Mannion (keyboards, Omnichord), Mark Lyons (guitar), Jade Farley (Theremin) and Lawrence Mikkelsen (sitar).
Jonathan Bree - vocals, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard
Heather Mansfield - vocals, keyboards, clarinet, xylophone, glockenspiel, percussion
Mark Anderson - drums, glockenspiel
Marcus Sellwood - bass, guitar
Cameron Rowe - keyboards
Andy Baxter - drums
Simon Rycroft - bass
Mike Hall - bass, double bass
Kari Hammond - drums
James Milne - guitar, bass, keyboard
Gerald Stuart - bass
Nick Harte - drums
Ryan McPhun - drums
Harry Cundy - trumpet, banjo, percussion, keyboards
Amee Robinson - saxophone, percussion
Tosh Ahkit - saxophone, cello, percussion
Stu Kett - drums
Sjionel Timu - bass
Jamie Power - drums
Will Cotton - guitar, saxophone
Peter Smith - bass
Stephen Hart - guitar, saxophone
Hayden Eastmond-Mein - saxophone, guitar, bass
John Parker - drums
Chelsea Nikkel - keyboards, saxophone, percussion
Edward Castelow - guitar, bass
Gareth Shute - bass, guitar, trumpet, valve trombone
Andrew Thompson - bass, guitar