Steve Garden


Search the internet for Steve Garden, and you’ll come up with lots of references to “Steve’s garden”. That’s not him. The irony is that he is a kind of musical gardener, occasionally digging plots and planting seeds, but more often planning and directing whole landscaping projects.

He may be low profile, but both out front as a player, and behind the scenes as a producer-engineer, and a label head, Steve Garden has made a significant contribution to the less commercial end of contemporary New Zealand music.

The classic 1983 3 Voices album, featuring Steve Garden on drums. Originally issued in 1983 on the Unsung label, it is now part of Rattle Records' Echo series.
Rough Justice, 1976. L to R: Mike Farrell, Patrick Bleakley, Steve Garden, Rick Bryant and John Key
Reissued on Rattle's Echo imprint, Ivan Zagni and Steve Garden's A Selection Of Trouble Spots album was first released in 1984 on Ode
The 1980 Sharon O'Neill touring band with Dave Dobbyn. L to R: Sharon, Brent Thomas, Steve Garden, Dave, Clint Brown
Elephunk in My Soup - the 1984 Low Profile (Phil Bowering and Steve Garden) EP
Elephunk In My Soup
Steve Garden
Nathan Haines's Shift Left (1994): a landmark album, it was recorded by Steve Garden in live sessions at Auckland's Revolver Studios
Steve Garden
Phil Bowering recording in Steve Garden's studio, 1983
Photo credit: Murray Cammick Collection
Two Tides the 2006 release by The Chris Mason-Battley Group. Steve Garden drums with the drum and recorded this album for Rattle Records.
Trivia:

Garden won Producer Of The Year in 1992 for his work on Midge Marsden’s Burning Rain album, a record that featured the guitar work of his original inspiration, Mike Farrell, who sadly died in 2000.

Rattle has had a run of award-winning albums recorded and/or produced by Garden, including five awards for Best Classical, and two for Best Māori.

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