Wayne Gillespie & Famous Blue Raincoat

“Wayne Gillespie ..has a great way of weaving words together, creating nice juxtapositions and irony, with a strong sense of landscape and place….His songs manage to be personal to both himself and the listener… One of our unsung heroes” – Steve Garden (Rattle Records NZ)

“When I say this new album from Wayne Gillespie & Famous Blue Raincoat is all over the place I mean it as a total compliment, such is the diversity of songs, styles, and sounds on it. That’s why they call it FRAZZ – think Folk, Rock, and Jazz.” – Stuart Coupe Music Writer Sydney 2022.

“His songs shine with dark brilliance” – Colin Hogg NZ Herald

“Like Leonard Cohen in a cosmic country folk dream” – Post To The Wire – Sept 22

FRAZZ album “FRAZZ) Gillespie has stretched himself and pushed the boundaries here ……Lyrically these songs are also multi-layered and repay careful attention to their detail.” – Graham Reid, 6/3/2023. FRAZZ_Elsewhere.com.nz

APRA award winning Kiwi born Singer/songwriter Wayne Gillespie has been making quality music in NZ/Australia since he released his first indie effort Wayward Son in 1984 followed by CBS NZ/Australia releasing his second album New Locations back in 1987.

Gillespie made his professional debut busking in Paris subways, playing to audiences in London folk clubs and Sydney’s Darlinghurst cafes before returning to Auckland in the early 80’s.

Wayne Gillespie’s first independent release, the acoustic Wayward Son made the finals of the New Zealand Music awards in 1984 and the song Away With You also won a special APRA award in the same year.

The success of Wayward Son resulted in Gillespie coming to the attention of producer Trevor Lucas (Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny, Goanna) and being signed by CBS Records (NZ). Lucas produced Gillespie’s second album; the electric New Locations in Jan-March 1986, which achieved critical acclaim and chart success and saw Gillespie relocating to Sydney to support the albums Australian release in 1987.
Gillespie’s 3rd album was made in Sydney with a local community of Australasian musicians (such as Sir Dave Dobbyn, Margaret Urlich, Amanda Brown (Go-Betweens), Pedro Bull (Paul Kelly), Mal Green (Split Enz), Dave Sparks (the Saints), Peter Moloney (Johnny O Keefe), Tony Waine (Narcs) and Nigel Gavin (Ex-Robert Fripp) to produce his third album Living in Exile (released in 1993 by Sony (NZ) .

Subsequently Gillespie was invited by the NZ Music award winners the Narcs to produce and co-write their third album Push the Boat Out released in 1996 on Hark Records NZ.

During the 90’s & 2000’s Wayne took a break from music and completed a psychology degree at Macquarie University. His thesis The Personality of Rock Musicians was published in the UK Journal of Music Psychology in October 2000 which led to him combining songwriting/performing with working arts as a counselling psychologist to those in the creative arts field.

2006 saw the independent release of Live at the Bunker in NZ an acoustic album with long-time associate guitar wizard Nigel Gavin.

Over his career Gillespie has shared the stage with: Suzanne Vega, Sir Dave Dobbyn, Chris Whitley, Stan Ridgeway, Colin Hay, Ed Keupper, The Narcs, Shona Laing and Margaret Ulrich.

His latest collaboration with drummer Rob Grosser and Australiasian band Famous Blue Raincoat has produced the album FRAZZ released on 24 June 2022. Since then he has returned to live playing in Australia and New Zealand with his band Famous Blue Raincoat fluctuating in line-up depending on the location.

Wayne also plays solo and duo with Nigel Gavin when a smaller unit is required.

Photo Credit: Axel Duane