The Verlaines

The literate and dramatic New Zealand guitar-pop band The Verlaines formed in 1981; led by singer/guitarist Graeme Downes, the group's original roster also included guitarist Craig Easton, keyboardist Anita Pillai, bassist Philip Higham and drummer Greg Kerr. Both Easton and Pillai quickly exited, and The Verlaines remained a three-piece for the remainder of the decade; the early lineup remained in a constant state of flux, however, and of the original group only Downes and Kerr remained by the time of their debut on the 1982 Dunedin Double compilation EP, recorded with bassist Jane Dodd. Drummer Alan Haig then replaced Kerr for the 1983 single "Death and the Maiden," for many fans the archetypal Verlaines song; the lineup finally cemented with the substitution of Haig for drummer Robbie Yeats, who first appeared on the 1984 EP 10 O'Clock in the Afternoon.



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