Laura MacFarlane explained

Laura MacFarlane
Background:solo_singer
Birth Name:Laura Sandra MacFarlane
Birth Place:Glasgow, Scotland
Origin:Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Genre:Indie rock
Occupation:Musician
Audio engineer
Fanzine publisher
Teacher
Instrument:Vocals, guitar, drums, bass guitar, keyboards, trumpet, viola, vibraphone xylophone
Years Active:1988–present
Label:Patsy
Associated Acts:Ninetynine
Sleater-Kinney
Sea Haggs/Keckle
The Brautigans
Cold Cold Hearts
Dragster
Manic Pizza
Lee Memorial

Laura Sandra MacFarlane (also credited as Lora MacFarlane) is a Scottish multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter and audio engineer. Since 1996 she is the founding mainstay of the Australian indie rock band, ninetynine. MacFarlane also performs solo and has been in other bands, including as an early drummer and singer with United States rock group, Sleater-Kinney (1994–96).

Biography

Laura Sandra MacFarlane is from Glasgow, Scotland. Her parents are George MacFarlane (1936–2006) and Patricia "Patsy" MacFarlane. She has two older siblings and one daughter.[1] [2] [3] The MacFarlane family migrated to Perth in October, 1978.[2] George was an accomplished musician, and had played trombone and percussion instruments with British and Australian army bands.[3]

MacFarlane began her interest in music as a child, playing vibraphone and trumpet. She went on to receive a music scholarship at Perth Modern School, for vocals and percussion, and later studied music at The University of Western Australia. MacFarlane began performing in independent bands in Perth from 1988 onwards. She was the main songwriter in the Brautigans from 1989-1991, performing vocals, guitar and vibraphone.[4] She performed in other local bands, including Halcyon Days on drums[4] and Louder than God, which had an extensive line-up of ten members, co-founded by Iain McIntyre.[4] [5]

MacFarlane then joined Manic Pizza, on bass guitar and vocals, with Gareth Edwards (Sandro) on guitar and Cameron Potts on drums.[6] As a member of Manic Pizza, MacFarlane relocated to Melbourne in the early 1990s.[6] Edwards later told René Schaefer, of Mess+Noise website, that "Cameron was heavily into the Pixies at the time. I was a Hüsker Dü freak. Laura provided the actual talent."[6] In 1992, MacFarlane formed Sea Haggs (later renamed Keckle)[7] on guitar, viola, percussion and vocals, with McIntyre and Potts. That group's material was later included on a compilation album, Jelly (1995).[7]

In 1992, MacFarlane began publishing Woozy fanzine with McIntyre. Woozy was a self-published fanzine, with a DIY philosophy, that promoted local Melbourne and Australian bands, as well as international underground acts and grassroots politics. Woozy produced over 20 publications from 1992-2002. In 1996, MacFarlane also co-founded, with McIntyre, Choozy independent distribution (1996–2002), which distributed music, fanzines and small publications within Australia and overseas.[8]

MacFarlane began playing drums and vocals in 1994 with visiting United States rock group, Sleater-Kinney, and in 1995 she went to Olympia and Seattle to tour and record with the band. She is the drummer, co-producer and co-writer on their self-titled debut album, Sleater-Kinney.[9] She is also lead singer and guitarist on the track "Lora's Song". MacFarlane provided drums, backup vocals and guitar (track 12) on their follow up album, Call the Doctor (March 1996).[10]

In 1996, MacFarlane returned to Melbourne and founded an indie rock band, ninetynine, initially as a solo project, playing all the instruments on the debut album, 99 (October 1996).[11] Her project soon became a band, including Potts (from 1997) and McIntyre (from 2000).[11] [12] By 2010, ninetynine had released eight albums, and toured the world several times. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary with the release of Further in 2016.[11] [13] MacFarlane founded her own record label, Patsy,[11] [12] which issued ninetynine material, as well as that by the bands Sea Scouts, Fiona Beverage, Boo Who, Baseball, Trixies Undersea Adventure, and Vivian Girls.

MacFarlane has played a variety of instruments on a number of records, including vibraphone, drums, guitar, keyboard and vocals.[14] She has worked with other artists, including Lee Memorial (alongside Karl Smith of Sodastream),[15] Bombazine Black, The Wonder,[16] Winterborn, Tarantula,[13] New Buffalo,[17] Trixies Undersea Adventure, Boo Who, Popemobile,[18] Dragster, Scared of Horses, Cold Cold Hearts, Madigan, Disaster Plan, Clag, and Low Talk.

MacFarlane has worked as audio engineer at 3CR Melbourne radio, and on many recordings, including solo work, recent ninetynine releases, Covens Revenge, The Hatchets, Cleber Claux Memorial Singers, Baseball, Love of Diagrams, The Stabs, and Jules Sheldon. MacFarlane is also a teacher and educator of music, establishing Augment Music Education in 2016. She is based in Melbourne, and still plays as a member of ninetynine, as well as performing solo.[19]

In 2020, during the Melbourne Covid lockdown, MacFarlane started the Vivid Recording Project, which was a series of three EPs that featured a specific instrument, and only that instrument, with vocals. The EPs were Into the Metalude (vibraphone), The Narrows (guitar) and Future Obscura (Casio keyboards). Their initial releases were in conjunction with the Bandcamp Fridays, held to assist music artists during the pandemic. In 2021, the whole project was released as the album ViViD.

Discography

Ninetynine

Laura MacFarlane

Sleater-Kinney

Other

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) . 'At the Backdoor' at APRA search engine . 5 October 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020448/https://www.apra.com.au/cms/worksearch/worksearch.srvlt?action=workSearch . 17 November 2015 . Note: User may have to click 'Search again' and provide details at 'Enter a title:' e.g At the Backdoor or at 'Performer:' Laura MacFarlane
  2. Web site: Item details for: PP704/1, MacFarlane G . . 13 March 2008 . 6 October 2015 .
  3. Web site: In Memory of... George MacFarlane . Kralevich, Bert . Justina Harring . North Perth Bowling & Recreation Club . Sporting Pulse . October 2006 . 6 October 2015 .
  4. Web site: Perth Bands . Gerard, David . 3 . Party Fears . Summer 1990–91 . 11 . 5 . 5 October 2015 .
  5. Web site: Perth News . Gerard, David . 1 . Party Fears . August–September 1991 . 15 . 6 October 2015 .
  6. Web site: Gareth Edwards: Part One . Schaefer, René . Mess+Noise . 12 May 2009. 5 October 2015 .
  7. Note: This source uses "Lora" MacFarlane.
  8. Web site: https://web.archive.org/web/20150922030708/http://wemakezines.ning.com/events/i-was-a-zinester-in-the-90s . I Was a Zinester in the '90s . McIntyre . Iain . Iain McIntyre . Sticky Institute . We Make Zines . 22 September 2015 . 20 February 2010 . 5 October 2015 .
  9. Web site: Sleater-Kinney – Sleater-Kinney | Credits . . . 4 October 2015 . Note: This source uses "Lora" MacFarlane.
  10. Call the Doctor . . 1996 . CD booklet . . Portland, Oregon . CHSW #13.
  11. Web site: Artists :: Ninetynine . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20051121130000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/44131/20051122-0000/www.amo.org.au/artist7202.html . dead . 21 November 2005 . . . 6 October 2015 .
  12. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20030806140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36937/20030807-0000/www.ozmusicproject.net/band/artist3991.html . ninetynine . Oz Music Project . 6 August 2003 . 7 October 2015 .
  13. Web site: Bande Magnétique . Trevor . Junkee Media . Mess+Noise . 30 July 2010 . 6 October 2015 .
  14. ninetynine – 180° – Review . Andrews, Chris . Stylus Magazine . 1 September 2003 . 7 October 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305005935/http://stylusmagazine.com/reviews/ninetynine/180.htm . 5 March 2016 . dmy-all .
  15. News: Lee Memorial @ NSC, Melbourne . https://web.archive.org/web/20151007150349/http://fasterlouder.junkee.com/lee-memorial-nsc-melbourne-10052009/801868 . dead . 7 October 2015 . Lubulwa . Eva . FasterLouder . . 13 May 2009 . 6 October 2015 .
  16. News: Bombazine Black – The Toff in Town . Gray . Michele Davis . The Au Review . Heath Media & the AU review . 8 October 2010 . 6 October 2015 .
  17. Web site: Music News: February 2003: Thursday 13th . Attlee, Mathew . Aus Music Scrapbook . February 2003 . 6 October 2015 .
  18. Web site: https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20030806140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/36937/20030807-0000/www.ozmusicproject.net/band/artist1f63.html . Bruna . Oz Music Project . 6 August 2003 . 6 October 2015 .
  19. Web site: Packed book launch in Melbourne . Emma . Linacre . . 23 July 2015 . 6 October 2015 .