Bio

A week before he was due to start a month-long residency at a well-known Melbourne music venue, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dave Rogers broke his arm playing basketball.

Dave’s then-manager scrambled around frantically, asking every musician he knew if they were available to fill a slot. Recently relocated New Zealander John Palmer’s band The Raylenes, a fey indie pop band in the tradition of Belle and Sebastian, were.

Dave and his broken arm turned up to watch his replacements play. Thus began a series of collaborations that has so far lasted fifteen years, as the two musicians have played in each other’s bands, and in bands backing other artists together, ever since.

Across that fifteen years they’ve both been promiscuous collaborators.

In addition to releasing a number of albums under the name D. Rogers, Dave has played with Ben Lee, Missy Higgins, Sophie Koh, Emmy Bryce and Georgia Fields, as well as being one of the driving creative forces behind new Laurel-Canyon-influenced folk-rockers Slow Fades. He first came to notice as a member of Melbourne rock band Klinger.

John has also played with Georgia Fields, plays pedal steel in ‘60s Indo-Pop band Duke Batavia and spent several years in London, during which time he was a member of Colin MacLeod’s backing band (Colin recently played the O2 supporting Robert Plant and Van Morrison. John is resisting drawing any connections between the fact that he is no longer part of the band and Colin’s current success).

Second Prize is John and Dave’s first joint project built from the ground up together. It stems from a long cold winter Jonh spent alone in London while his girlfriend was living in sunny Miami. John spent the time writing sketches of songs, sending them to Dave to flesh out, and drinking way too much.

Band Members:
John Palmer (vocals, guitar, pedal steel, harmonica)
Dave Rogers (guitar, backing vocals, keyboards)
Dave Kleynjans (drums, percussion)
Amy Bennett (keyboards, backing vocals)
Glenn Arnup (bass)

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