Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed
Origin	Wollongong, NSW
Genres	Hard rock, stoner metal, grunge, punk
Years active	1990 - 2003, 2009 - present
Labels	Waterfront, Polydor, Universal, Shock
Associated acts	Proton Energy Pills, Radio Birdman, Hoodoo Gurus, Celibate Rifles, Fridge, Cape Tribulation, Hot Rollers, Immolate, Richie and the Creeps, Leadfinger, The Pink Fits, The Unheard, Brother Brick
Members	Luke Armstrong, Lenny Curley, Paul Hausmeister, Richie Lewis, Steve O'Brien
Past members	Jay Curley, Nik Reith, Phil Lally, Dave Achille, Dave Curley

Band Members

• Line-Up
  • Luke Armstrong (bass)
  • Lenny Curley (guitar)
  • Paul Hausmeister (guitar)
  • Richie Lewis (vocals)
  • Steve O'Brien (drums)

• Former Members
  • Jay Curley (bass) 1990 - 2000, 2009 - 2014 (d. 26/8/14)
  • Nik Reith (drums) 1996 - 2003
  • Phil Lally (bass) 2000 - 2003
  • Dave Achille (guitar) 2000 - 2003
  • Dave Curley (vocals) 1990

Band Information

Formed out of the remnants of Proton Energy Pills and The Unheard in Wollongong in 1990, Tumbleweed started out as a straight ahead punk rock band but soon became a heavy riffing fuzzed-out hard rock band who are often considered to be a stoner band, although the band consistently refuses that classification. The band's first line-up featured Jay and Lenny Curley, Richie Lewis on drums and Dave Curley on vocals. After Captain's Log was recorded, the 'classic' line-up came together when Lewis moved to vocals and Paul Hausmeister and Steve O'Brien joined. A second single Stoned soon followed and Tumbleweed appeared at the first Big Day Out in January 1992 and toured with Nirvana. Two more EPs and a self-titled album were released by the end of 1992, and during the year they went on to tour the US and the UK with Mudhoney and Lemonheads and featured at Metalfest '92 in Sydney and Brisbane's Livid Festival.

After appearing at the Big Day Out in 1993, Sundial was released and peaked at #35 on the ARIA singles chart. A tour with You Am I followed, then more international shows. The release of Daddy Long Legs coincided with 1994's Big Day Out appearances and in June they supported Rollins Band. By now they had signed to Polydor and began recording their second album. After appearing at Livid and the Big Day Out yet again, Galactophonic was released in June 1995 and peaked at #6 on the ARIA album chart. At the end of that year, Dave Achille replaced Hausmeister and O'Brien was replaced by Nik Reith (Celibate Rifles, Radio Birdman).

In January 1996 Tumbleweed appeared at the inaugural Homebake Festival and then toured with Monster Magnet. Return to Earth arrived in September and was supported by a national tour with Magic Dirt.

Following festival appearances at Livid, Homebake and the Big Day Out in the summer of 96/97, Tumbleweed took a year off. Lewis formed HOt Rollers with Kram from Spiderbait and Jay Curley and Reith joined Brother Brick.

Tumbleweed continued to tour extensively over the next two years, appearing regularly on the festival circuit including consecutive Sydney Big Day Out shows in 1993 and 1994 and in 1995 the second album Galactophonic entered the national chart at #5.

Nik Reith and Dave Achille joined in 1996 as Tumbleweed prepared for the release of Return to Earth. The "Lava Bread" and "Silver Lizard" singles were moderate hits. Late that year the group opened for the Hoodoo Gurus farewell tour and in early 1998 played at the Homebake festival. During much of the year Tumbleweed was off the road while Lewis played in The Hot Rollers with Kram from Spiderbait, but the band reconvened for a late tour with You Am I, after which Jay Curley departed.

Tumbleweed was again quiet for most of 1999 as they worked on a new album and sought a replacement for Curley. Ex-Fridge drummer Phil Lally joined as bass player and in mid-2000 the album Mumbo Jumbo appeared, peaking on the ARIA alternative chart at #18 and gaining an ARIA Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Support for the band was flagging however as the musical climate that had spawned them shifted and internal issues eventually ended the band in 2003. Former guitarist Dave Achille joined Immolate in 2010.

In mid-2009 the classic line-up of Tumbleweed reformed and was immediately added to the bill for the Homebake festival. The band also appeared at the Sydney Big Day Out on January 23, 2010 and toured sporadically. They opened for Kyuss Lives! in Sydney in May 2011. An album of new material was expected in 2012 but was delayed. In April 2013 Tumbleweed opened the Sydney leg of the Dig it Up! Festival alongside Blue Öyster Cult, Hoodoo Gurus, Buzzcocks and others before completing work on Sounds from the Other Side, released on September 27. A short time later they embarked on a national tour. Following the announcement of festival dates for late 2014, Jay Curley died suddenly on August 28, 2014. Tumbleweed played some shows in Jay's memory late in the year, with Dave Curley on bass with a view to disbanding afterwards; however, the band returned to live performance at Brisbane's Dead of Winter festival on July 27, 2015 and then played a small-scale tour.

Discography

Albums:

1992	Tumbleweed	Polydor
1995	Galactaphonic	Polydor
1996	Return to Earth	Polydor
2000	Mumbo Jumbo	Universal
2010	The Waterfront Years: 1990 - 1993	Aztec
2013	Sounds From the Other Side	Shock

EPs:

1990	Theatre of Gnomes	Waterfront
1991	Weedseed	Waterfront
1992	Sundial	Polydor

Singles:

1990	Captain's Log	Waterfront
1991	Stoned	Waterfront
1991	Carousel	Waterfront
1992	Acid Rain	Polydor
1993	Daddy Long Legs	Polydor
1994	Gyroscope	Polydor
1994	Hang Around	Polydor
1995	Armchair Ride	Polydor
1996	Lavabread	Polydor
1996	I Remember	Polydor
1996	Silver Lizard	Polydor
1998	Fang It!	Universal
1999	Glow in the Dark	Universal
2013	Like a Night Owl	Shock