About
Folk Rebels - the early years 2000-2010
Delgirl began as an acoustic three-piece musical group in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, NZ. Founding members Deirdre Newell, Erin Morton and Lynn Vare started making music together in 2000 playing their first gig to friends in the kitchen.
After drifting around for a few years playing gigs here and there they took a break to decide what they wanted to do. In 2005 they got themselves a manager, Scott Muir, and worked out a five year plan and developed a strategy that led them beyond the Kilmog to recording their debut album.
The album two, maybe three, days ride received great acclaim and was awarded the Tui NZ Folk Album of the Year for 2008. Delgirl headed into the recording studio in June/July 2009 to work on their second album Porchlight, which was released in Dunedin on the 16th October.
Delgirl never wanted to sound or be anything other than themselves, despite the efforts of the industry to put them in a genre box. When asked the group described its sound as “skiffily, folky, country, jazzy, bluesy roots music with a Pacific edge bordering a swamp”, with harmonies built around the double bass, guitar, ukulele banjo, snare and percussion. It's just Delgirl.
Delgirl & Dodd 2011-
Well known Dunedin musician and bass maestro and long-time friend, John Dodd joined Delgirl when double bass player Deirdre Newall left the band in August 2010. Bringing an enormous wealth of performance experience and technical mastery, Dodd was a perfect fit to get the group back working.
The new Delgirl trio released the EP Freaky Pea in March 2011 and played at venues, events and festivals around the country until 2016 when they took a break to have a life and tend to their gardens and whānau.
They get asked regularly by fans to play live, and who knows, maybe one day they will. In the meantime, you can still enjoy listening to the music...
You can contact them at delgirls@gmail.com
You can listen to them at Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4fiexhYyckRsjr5AfIeDR8