I ran into a couple of the Family Cactus band members at a dinner party. Guitarist Matt Armitage sat down and took a request from me. Thanks Matt.
-Abrith
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Some meetings of individuals produce far more than the sum of their parts, and when Zimbabwe-born Adam
Ladley and German Nina Siegler started playing and singing in Wellington, New Zealand, they invoked a gentle,
growing gravity which eventually drew in seven members of differing musical pedigrees, a number of different
approaches, and a variety of contributors, all united by a shared musical purpose. It seemed apt to recognise
both the freedoms and perils of such a well-populated setup with the name Family Cactus. Led by the
charismatic Ladley, the band populate their multi--textured and hook--laden songs with a variety of characters
and perspectives: from miners facing tragedy in crumbling coal towns to bored suburban teenage punks bent on
petty destruction.
When Family Cactus perform, they produce a lilting magnetism which draws in each audience member for a
personal and organic experience. It isn't just that the haunting voice of Nina Siegler and tumbling red hair of
pianist Sam Norton frame a clutch of rather more handsome men than one expects to encounter; on stage, the
interplay of seven talented musicians produces a sound which is at times urgent and exuberant, and at others
expansive and cinematic, evoking widescreen vistas that engage the imagination. From the very first piano trill of
the exhilarating Kingmaker to the drawn--out rattle of A Giant Flash In The Pan, these aural journeys are
captured neatly on the band's debut album Come Howling — which earned five--star praise from the New
Zealand press — and are refined and further explored on the soon--to--be--released sophomore offering.
Playing shows both large and small; appearing in parks and museums; opening for like--minded souls such as
Okkervil River; In just two years of existence, Family Cactus have set a course to redefine a particular kind of
New Zealand expression: one which will certainly resonate across the globe with anybody who cares to listen.
Come Howling is released in the U.S. on Arch Hill Recordings, and is distributed via Parasol.
For further information, please contact:
management@familycactus.com
US +1 347 506 5655 NZ +64 21 280 2705
www.familycactus.com
"Rich harmonies and stirring waves of gentle pop recalls a rockier Arcade Fire as they mine similarly clever
indie--pop sensibilities."
★★★★★ Top 5 Albums of 2009, Lindsay Davis, The Dominion Post
"The songs of frontman Adam Ladley are both cinematic and melodramatic and his septet... shows a smart
sense of dynamics, helping evoke wide horizons and the rhythms of the road. Family Cactus are a band with a
very sound engine and an even more impressive gearbox. And with a few more miles on the clock, they may
well prove unbeatable.
★★★★ Russell Baillie, New Zealand Herald
"Blending folk, alt country, melodic pop and elements of traditional Eastern European music, with Come
Howling the Wellington based seven--piece lay down an impressive sonic strategy for lyric-- melody-- and
harmony--heavy big band arrangements... An impressive debut from a promising local band who look truly
poised to do big things".
★★★★ Martin Pepperell, Rip it Up
"Dramatic, crafted, seductive or simply lapel--grabbing... Make the effort for this one, you won't be
disappointed."
Graham Reid, elsewhere.co.nz
"Come Howling's ten--track blues drenched country — with trumpets — has so far proven to comfortably stand
where Fleet Foxes were in my eyes during 2008."
8.8/10 Hannah Sarney, undertheradar.co.nz
"It's hard to accept this is Family Cactus' debut album; the expansive, at times cinematic long--player is
accomplished and advanced, belying the fact that the Wellington seven--piece are relatively new on the scene."
Amanda Mills, nzmusician.co.nz
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