Winnebago Orchestra - Fifteen

A Short History of The Winnebago Orchestra

The Winnebago Orchestra were formed in 2000 by Spencer Roberts and Andy Davies in England and they perform a singularly eclectic, yet brilliant blend of melodic English beat poetry and song. 

It’s impossible to draw comparisons, so no one does!

However they both share a love for The Go Betweens, Nick Drake, Love, Fairport Convention, The Faces, The Kinks, The Velvet Underground right through to XTC but this provides but a fraction of a guide to their unique musical appeal.

Sometime in the late 1980’s Andy and Spencer first met as the only Creation, Cherry Red and Postcard Records obsessed teenaged denizens of neighbouring English Black Country towns.  They were both heavily involved in the now legendary world that was the ‘C86’ period, releasing records, writing fanzines and on their way sharing stages with such groups as Primal Scream, The Wolfhounds, James, The Wonderstuff and many more original Indie pop stars of that time.

Multi-instrumentalist Spencer and Singer-Songwriter Andy subsequently worked together in a variety of projects including bands such as The Cudgels, (BBC Radio 1’s Mark Radcliffe favourites and beloved of fanzine writers around the globe), Steamtown, Rumblefish (Successful C86 band on Pink records later to sign to East West and then Island as Low Art Thrill) and Elizabeth Jane (went on to sign to the legendary Lazy Records, home of The Primitives, Birdland and See See Rider).  They also played together in another group called Oporto selling over 5,000 7” vinyl copies of their ‘French Blue EP in the USA.

Andy and Spencer also set-up their own record label from the same idea, which is called Oporto Records. Releasing a set of ep’s as The Winnebago Orchestra and a compilation entitled ‘The Maverick Tendency’ featuring such luminaries as Malcolm Ross of Josef K, Orange Juice and Aztec Camera fame, the one time Lotus Eater Peter Coyle, former Piano Magic collaborator Lightspeed Future Lullaby and many more.

The Winnebago Orchestra (TWO) is the natural synthesis of all their prior artistic endeavours. 

Shortly after forming TWO they were joined by acclaimed Singer-Songwriter and former Blue Aeroplanes guitarist Caroline Trettine. Caroline, a former protégé of Billy Bragg, has added an extra dimension to The Winnebago Orchestra.  The new music created by TWO has been encapsulated on the new album ‘Fifteen’. 

The CD was produced by Spencer Roberts with help from their long-time friend Lee Beddow.  ‘Fifteen’ starts with Get Me, a passionate romp through the past love life of someone close through to the Talking Heads influenced  ‘Love is here with me’, there’s even a cover of the classic Jazz Butcher tune entitled ‘Angels’, which is like a little beat pop symphony.  Meanwhile the seaside stomps of ‘Pebbles’ provides an arch counterpoint.  The result is an eclectic mini masterpiece, sounding, without exception, like no one before them.