derwent river star

Derwent River Star is a Sydney based five piece that play a unique sort of atmospheric, folk influenced rock/post-rock. The drums-bass-guitar core is supplemented by melodic and wistful female vocals and either one of five stringed instruments currently included in the DRS repertoire courtesy of their multi-instrumentalist. Glockenspiel and melodica are frequently used to provide an additional sonic layer. The range of instruments available to DRS provides for considerable instrumental interplay and an extraordinarily wide dynamic range – from the most delicate and fragile moments to a frenetic explosion of warmth and colour.

Since its genesis in 2004 Derwent River Star has found considerable success. Their first gig being round one of the Sydney University Band Competition, Derwent River Star proceeded through all five rounds of the prestigious and highly competitive competition to be judged the competition winner. Derwent River Star put their winnings to good use as the principal funding for the recording of their debut album, The Winter Dark. Produced and engineered by Tony Dupé of Heavy Records, The Winter Dark is due for release in early 2006. Also in 2004, Derwent River Star qualified for the Grand Final of the Hopetoun Incentive Program, narrowly missing out on a chance to perform at the Homebake festival. In August of 2005 Derwent River Star made their debut release: a self recorded and produced EP entitled Dead Roads. Since its inception the band has found itself on many different stages around Sydney playing both support and headline slots at venues including: The Hopetoun Hotel, The Gaelic Club, The Annandale Hotel, Spectrum, Manning Bar, The Frequency Lab, The Mandarin Club and more. Derwent River Star has appeared at Union and O’week events at both the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales including a performance alongside The Whitlams in front of several thousand students for the national day of action against voluntary student unionism. Derwent River Star has also performed at the Australian National University in Canberra and is hoping to play more shows inter-state with the release of their upcoming album.