Newly discovered 2010 ‘lost recordings’ by The Winter –
An improvised music trio of Mike Kingston, Dave Edwards, and Simon Sweetman –
Includes live performances at Fred’s (the only known video of the band), and previously unheard recording sessions on 25-4-10 and 6-6-10.
credits
releases June 6, 2023
Simon Sweetman – drums, percussion
Mike Kingston – acoustic guitar, charango, vocal, clarinet, bass, djembe
Dave Edwards – electric guitar, banjo, ukulele, bass, harmonica, loop pedal
Recorded in Wellington, New Zealand, 2010
Special thanks to Daniel Beban, Nell Thomas, Chrissie Butler, Kieran Monaghan, Antony Milton, Katy Sweetman
Tracklist
| 1. | ANZAC day #1 08:12 |
| 2. | 6-6-10 1.1 (bonus) 01:55 |
| 3. | 6-6-10 1.2 05:48 |
| 4. | 6-6-10 1.3 02:43 |
| 5. | Newtown #4 03:11 |
| 6. | BBQ Reggae (live at Fred’s) 06:17 |
| 7. | 6-6-10 #2.2 07:56 |
| 8. | 6-6-10 #2.3 (bonus) 05:38 |
| 9. | 6-6-10 #2.4 05:18 |
| 10. | Fred’s Exit (live at Fred’s) 04:57 |
Simon says
In 2010 I was working a steady job and I was writing for the newspaper about music. I was getting into trouble with people who didn’t know what music criticism was and decided to take it personally on behalf of their favourite bands. Wellington is also a very small place. It always has been. But its walls were shrinking in on me in 2010.
The Winter was such a nice escape. Always. We were and are a sporadic group – we’re currently on our longest ever hiatus, but I consider the band a going concern still. Always?
I had never played anything like improvisational music – and maybe The Winter is closer to a type of Outsider Folk Music if anything. But it certainly came about from a basis in improvisation. I definitely didn’t know what I was doing – and that was the scary thrill of it all. I’d previously made money playing in covers bands. And had a laugh with my friends jamming. This was serious. Even if it didn’t always sound like it. And even when we had a lot of fun doing it.
Hearing these “lost” recordings is a real joy to me. I barely recognise myself in some ways, and yet I’ve no doubt this work here has gone on to inform my playing to this day. I’ll never make music like this ever again. Until the next time The Winter finds a stage, or a lounge, or some more “lost” recordings.
But I’m forever grateful we got to do this when we did. It opened me up to new possibilities within music. And I feel like the best of the work we made is getting better with age. But that’s an obvious bias. And why not eh.
Simon Sweetman
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