The brainchild of
Seaweed's
Aaron Stauffer (vocals/guitars) and
the Screaming Trees'
Van Conner (guitars, keyboards, drums), Gardener's origins date back to the late '80s, when Stauffer missed a show by
the Screaming Trees
on his 16th birthday. He began calling the band on a regular basis,
inviting them to play with him; eventually, he and the band became
friends. Meanwhile, Stauffer formed
Seaweed with drummer
Alan Cage, bassist
John Atkins, and guitarist
Clint Werner.
As the Seattle scene gained worldwide prominence,
Seaweed and
the Trees
found themselves touring together frequently. During a 1996 U.K. tour,
the two groups finally collaborated, writing two songs that would appear
on Gardener's 1999 debut album
New Dawning Time.
The new group added to their lineup when Conner recruited his brother
Pat (sitar, drums) and friend Adrian Makins (bass, slide guitar).
Shortly after, Stauffer moved to North California to
pursue a more rural, rugged life, penning more songs and incorporating
more members -- including a tabla player and a flutist -- into Gardener.
Their debut featured a more expansive, arranged sound than that of
either
the Screaming Trees or
Seaweed, with flourishes of sitar, Mellotron, and flute rather than the charged rock sound of Gardener's parent bands.
Tracklist
1 |
Tamed |
4:07
|
2 |
New Dawning Time |
3:14
|
3 |
Backseat |
3:57
|
4 |
Shakedown Cruise |
3:07
|
5 |
Outside Looking In |
3:07
|
6 |
(You Wear The) Raincoat |
3:34
|
7 |
Canyon |
4:11
|
8 |
Quay |
1:51
|
9 |
End Up That Way |
3:00
|
10 |
Struggle With Sickness |
3:11
|
11 |
Come Again |
4:14 |