Laura Macfarlane


Laura Sandra MacFarlane is a 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.

Biography

Laura Sandra MacFarlane is from Glasgow Scotland, her parents are George MacFarlane and Patricia "Patsy" MacFarlane; she has two older siblings and one daughter Astrid MacFarlane. The MacFarlane family migrated to Perth in October 1978. George was an accomplished musician and had played trombone and percussion instruments both with Scottish and Australian army bands.
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 University of Western Australia. MacFarlane began performing in independent bands in Perth from 1988 onwards. She was the main songwriter in the Brautigans from, performing vocals, guitar and vibraphone. She performed in other local bands including Halcyon Days on drums and Louder than God which had an extensive line-up of ten members co-founded by Iain McIntyre.
MacFarlane then joined Manic Pizza, on bass guitar and vocals, with Gareth Edwards on guitar and Cameron Potts on drums. As a member of Manic Pizza, MacFarlane relocated to Melbourne in the early 1990s. Edwards later told René Schaefer of Mess+Noise that "Cameron was heavily into the Pixies at the time; I was a Hüsker Dü freak; Laura provided the actual talent." In 1992 MacFarlane formed Sea Haggs on guitar, viola, percussion and vocals with McFarlane and Potts. That group's material was later included on a compilation album, Jelly.
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 which distributed music, fanzines and small publications within Australian and overseas.
, Northcote Social Club, 2007
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. She is also the lead singer guitarist on the track, "Lora's Song". MacFarlane provided drums, backup vocals and guitar on their follow up album, Call the Doctor.
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. Her project soon became a band including Potts and McIntyre. By 2010 ninetynine had released eight albums and toured the world several times. The band celebrated their 20th anniversary with release of Further in 2016 MacFarlane founded her own record label, Patsy, which issued ninetynine material as well as that by other 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. She has worked with other artists including Lee Memorial, Bombazine Black, The Wonder Winterborn, Tarantula, New Buffalo, Trixies Undersea Adventure, Deer, Boo Who, Popemobile, Bruna, Dragster, Scared of Horses, Cold Cold Hearts, Madigan, Disaster Plan, Clag and Low Talk.
MacFarlane has worked as audio engineer at 3CR radio; and on many recordings including recent ninetynine releases, Covens Revenge, The Hatchets, Cleber Claux Memorial Singers, Baseball, Love of Diagrams and The Stabs. In 2015 she produced and recorded the second album by Melbourne singer/songwriter Jules Sheldon entitled Football, Trams, Parties, and Other Extended Highlights. MacFarlane is also a teacher and educator of music, establishing Augment Music Education in 2016. MacFarlane is based in Melbourne, and still plays as a member of ninetynine, as well as performing solo.

Discography

Ninetynine

Ninetynine The Triantiwontigongolo - Ninetynine EP CD 1996
Ninetynine 99 CD 1996
Ninetynine 767 CD and LP Album 1998
Ninetynine Girl Crazy - Woekender LP 1998
Ninetynine Ersatz Split 7” 1999
Ninetynine 180 Degrees CD and LP 2000
Ninetynine Vivian Girls Split 7” 2001
Ninetynine Anatomy of Distance CD 2002
Ninetynine The Process CD and LP 2002
Ninetynine Receiving the Sounds of Science Fiction CD EP 2003
Ninetynine World of Space World of Population World of Robots CD 2006
Nineytynine Chapter 99 - Compilation CD 2006
Ninetynine Silo EP 2008
Ninetynine Bande Magnetique CD 2010
Ninetynine Woods 7” 2016
Ninetynine Further 7” and CD 2016

Laura MacFarlane

Laura MacFarlane Into The Metalude EP 2020

Sleater-Kinney

Sleater-Kinney Sleater-Kinney 1995 CD LP
Sleater-Kinney Call the Doctor 1996 CD LP
Sleater-Kinney Start Together 2014 CD LP

Other

The Brautigans Walk Along the Waterfront/Homecoming 1991 Cassette Single
The Brautigans Scar-red 1991 Cassette Album

Manic Pizza Deep Pan Delivery 1991 CassetteAlbum
The Sea Haggs Beastie 1993 Cassette EP
The Sea Haggs Jelly 1995 CD
Dragster Dragster CD LP 1996
Popemobile The Triantiwontigongolo CD 1996
Pip Proud Matildas You Fiend LP 1996
Madigan Rock Stop 1996 CD LP
Cold Cold Hearts Yer So Sweet 7” 1996
Casini Woozy 20 Compilation CD 1997
Bruna Lumber CD 1998
Scared of Horses An Empty Flight CD 1998
Sea Scouts Beacon of Hope 1998
The Cats Meow The Long Goodbye 10”
Boo Who Tigers Are Better Looking 2000
Trixie Undersea Adventure Life Raft CD 2001
Small Sips Morning Ripples CD 2006
Up For Grabs movie soundtrack Count with Kevin 2007
Lee Memorial The Lives of Lee Memorial CD 2009
Tunnel Vision Song Contest No Tunnel No Way Single 2014
Covens Revenge Covens Revenge CD 2017