CEREMONY ~ [April 28th, 2023 - LP]
We are proud to announce our fourth album is out on April 28th, 2023. If Olympic Girls was an album suffused with existential emptiness, portraits often sketched from afar or in empty buildings, Ceremony zooms right in, unafraid of intimacy and connection. Noodly 70s electric guitars, eclectic percussion and prominent bass might make it our most listenable and accessible album to date. The songs are all of a theme - exploring the coastal shores of the Manukau Harbour and working through a psychological 'shellscape', while tending toward a joyful / hopeful take on the passing of time.
Tracklisting ~
Credits ~
All songs written by Hollie Fullbrook
All songs performed by Hollie Fullbrook, Cass Basil, Alex Freer & Tom Healy
Vocals, acoustic, nashville & electric guitars, cello - Hollie
Bass guitars, backing vocals, fife - Cass
Drums & percussion - Alex
Fender jag electric guitars, 12-string guitars, piano, hammond b3 organ, mellotron, minimoog, oberheim xpander, backing vocals - Tom
All songs recorded at Paquin Studios, Auckland & engineered by Tom Healy, except for -
Tracks 8 & 10 recorded at Roundhead Studios & Paquin Studios, Auckland - engineered by Emily Wheatcroft-Snape, Alex Corbett & Tom Healy
Track 9 recorded at Paquin Studios & Alex Freer Studios - engineered by Tom Healy & Alex Freer
Mixed by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Produced by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road
Cover art painting by Christiane Shortal (@icyfolkart)
Art direction by Hollie Fullbrook
Art layout by Angus Mcbryde
OUT OF PHASE ~ [Apr 2023 - Single]
DOGS DREAMING ~ [Mar 2023 - Single]
DOROTHY BAY ~ [Feb 2023 - Single]
THE CRAB/ WATERBABY ~ [Jan 2023 - Single]
‘Out of Phase’ was one of the quickest songs to write and to record - it all fell into place very simply. It follows a theme of crossed wires / power outages and turmoil but is more focused on speaking to a romantic partner than the other songs. It’s a ‘major chord’ song that manages to still feel really moody, maybe due to its arrangements and minor chord bridge. I’m happy with how we captured a sort of happy and sad contrast. The cello & mellotron add a bittersweetness / nostalgia element.
Listen: in the player above or HERE
Watch the lyrics visualiser HERE
Pre-Save ‘Ceremony’: HERE
Pre-Order ‘Ceremony’ from Bandcamp: HERE
Credits ~
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Performed by Tiny Ruins: Hollie Fullbrook, Cass Basil, Alex Freer & Tom Healy
Vocals, acoustic guitars, cello - Hollie
Hofner bass, bvs - Cass
Drums & percussion - Alex
Fender jag electric guitars, hammond b3 organ, bvs - Tom
Recorded at Paquin Studios
Engineered by Tom Healy
Mixed by Tom Healy
Produced by Tom Healy
at Paquin Studios
Mastered by Christian Wright
at Abbey Road
Cover art by Christiane Shortal
Art direction by Hollie Fullbrook
Art layout by Angus Mcbryde
Released: April 25th - by Tiny Ruins / Ursa Minor in Aotearoa, Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU & Ba Da Bing Records in North America.
© all rights reserved.
‘Dogs Dreaming’ - an exuberant gallop. Alex Freer’s drums lay a particularly playful bedrock amidst rippling organ and strong, unyielding vocals from Hollie Fullbrook. Deft clusters of Cass Basil’s bass notes free-wheel between floating and sliding, while Tom Healy’s spirited guitar flourishes and additional vocals lace the song with a sort of mid-80s nostalgia. 'Dogs Dreaming' was written on a solo expedition to the Āwhitu Peninsula, where Fullbroook surveyed the isolated lighthouse alone at dusk, freaking herself out in the process.
Listen: in the player above or HERE
Watch the lyrics visualiser HERE
Pre-Save ‘Ceremony’: HERE
Pre-Order ‘Ceremony’ from Bandcamp: HERE
Credits ~
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Performed by Tiny Ruins: Hollie Fullbrook, Cass Basil, Alex Freer & Tom Healy
Vocals, acoustic guitars, vocoder - Hollie
Fender P bass, bvs - Cass
Drums & percussion- Alex
Fender jag electric guitar, hammond b3 organ, piano, fender rhodes, mellotron, 12-string Rickenbacker, bvs - Tom
Recorded at Paquin Studios
Engineered by Tom Healy
Mixed by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Produced by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road
Cover art by Christiane Shortal
Art direction by Hollie Fullbrook
Art layout by Angus Mcbryde
Released: March 9th - by Tiny Ruins / Ursa Minor in Aotearoa, Milk! Records in Australia,
Marathon Artists in UK/EU
Ba Da Bing Records in N. America
© all rights reserved.
‘Dorothy Bay’ - a stomping propulsion forward. Like a passing storm, the songwriter is pulled along the pavement by two wayward dogs, yoinking the listener along too into a swirling vortex of sound. A song with a strong pull & loudly beating heart, 'Dorothy Bay' continues the saga taking place on the coves of Little Muddy Creek, with more chapters to follow in the much anticipated new album Ceremony due out on April 28th.
Listen: in the player above or HERE
Watch The Official Video: HERE
Pre-Save ‘Ceremony’: HERE
Pre-Order ‘Ceremony’ from Bandcamp: HERE
Credits ~
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Performed by Tiny Ruins: Hollie Fullbrook, Cass Basil, Alex Freer & Tom Healy
Vocals, acoustic & nashville guitars - Hollie
Rickenbacker bass, backing vocals - Cass
Drums - Alex
Fender jag electric guitar, glockenspiel, backing vocals - Tom
Recorded at Paquin Studios
Engineered by Tom Healy
Mixed by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Produced by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road
Cover art by Christiane Shortal
Art direction by Hollie Fullbrook
Art layout by Angus Mcbryde
Released: February 21st - by Tiny Ruins / Ursa Minor in Aotearoa, Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU & Ba Da Bing Records in North America.
© all rights reserved.
‘The Crab / Waterbaby’ - a shimmering meditation on being stuck. On a time-honoured walk around the coves of Little Muddy Creek aside the Manukau Harbour, a Crab is found upturned, showing its soft belly. The songwriter sees themself in the Crab’s suffering - ‘you cannot help but speak about it’. A song about the transcendent comfort of ritual and ceremony that ‘returns you the right way’, to ‘give this day a chance’.
Listen: HERE
Watch the lyrics visualiser HERE
Pre-Save ‘Ceremony’: HERE
Pre-Order ‘Ceremony’ from Bandcamp: HERE
Credits ~
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Performed by Tiny Ruins: Hollie Fullbrook, Cass Basil, Alex Freer & Tom Healy
Vocals, gibson firebird electric guitar, cello - Hollie
P-bass & Fretless fender jazz bass - Cass
Fender jag electric guitar, mellotron, minimoog, oberheim xpander - Tom
Recorded at Paquin Studios
Engineered by Tom Healy
Mixed by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Produced by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios
Mastered by Christian Wright at Abbey Road
Cover art by Christiane Shortal
Art direction by Hollie Fullbrook
Art layout by Angus Mcbryde
Released: January 18th - by Tiny Ruins / Ursa Minor in Aotearoa, Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU & Ba Da Bing Records in North America.
© all rights reserved.
OLYMPIC GIRLS SOLO ~ [2019 - companion LP]
A 'companion collection' of live, whole takes recorded to 2” tape.
“I was very lucky to have 3 afternoons alone at Roundhead studios, in late 2017 and early 2018, when as a band we were just about finished mixing the full band record. It had taken a long time to realise the album - it was a fun, beautiful, big project. So much happened during that process... so I felt a need to get a snapshot of the songs at the end of it, with all that learning & reflecting on where the songs had been, and where they'd ended up.”
Listen: https://ffm.to/olympicgirls-solo
Bandcamp link: https://tinyruins.bandcamp.com/album/olympic-girls-solo
Credits:
Written, performed and produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded live to tape by Simon Gooding [Tracks 1, 6 & 4, as above] &
Jordan Stone [Tracks 2,3,5,7,8,9,10,11 as above]
at Roundhead Studios New Zealand, Newton, Auckland
Mixed by Tom Carmichael & Mastered by Coda
Cover photo by Cass Basil
Cover art based on the original album design by Tomas Cottle
Thank you – Cass, Alex, Tom H. My friends & family.
Jono Lee for lending his Guild guitar. Tom C for mixing.
Roundhead crew: Simon, Jordan, Emily, Paddy, Neil, Charlotte.
Released digitally, with CDs and Cassettes available at live shows until stocks last.
Proud to be releasing this album on Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in Europe, Ba Da Bing Records in North America and on our own imprint Ursa Minor in NZ.
OLYMPIC GIRLS ~ [2019 - LP]
MOJO - ★★★★
UNCUT - 8/10
"Part of the charm of Olympic Girls lies in the layers of mystery in each song. Inspired by literature, science, nature and human experience, these mysteries lie waiting to be carefully unfolded…” God Is In the TV - 9/10
"An album confident in its vulnerability and
luxuriating in a bigger sound." Loud & Quiet - 8/10
"… songs that change sound and mood during their duration, never meandering and always captivating.” BUST - 5/5
“… a deeper listen to these eleven tracks exposes a breadth of influences that spans decades.”
- The Wire
Tracklisting
Olympic Girls
School of Design
How Much
Sparklers
Holograms
Kore Waits in the Underworld
Bounty
One Million Flowers
My Love Leda
Stars, False, Fading
Cold Enough to Climb
Huge thanks to —
Cass, Alex & Tom, for always bringing the magic.
Our families & friends.
Special thanks to Rob O’Meara & Sarah Firmston & Finn Scholes.
Milk! Records, Marathon Artists, Ba Da Bing Records & Flying Out.
Liv Young, Jen Cloher, Lisa Paris, David Vodicka, Ben Goldberg, Katie Slicher, Courtney Barnett, Pru Harris, Warul Islam, Olivia Hobbs, Beth Heaton, Tomas Cottle, Si Moore, Brid Walpole, Natalie Quesnel, Sweetie Zamora, Bec Young, Eleanor McGuinness, Ben Furniss, Olly Harmer & The Lab, Jeremy Toy, Dave Parker, Mike Hall, David Rowe, William Bisley, Simon Raymonde, Aaron Curnow, Ben Howe, Josh Burgess, NZ on Air, The New Zealand Music Commission
Buy the album on CD, 12” Vinyl or digitally HERE
Stream the album HERE or on the player above…
Watch the videos for How Much, Olympic Girls & Holograms.
Produced & Mixed by Tom Healy
Written & co-produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded at Paquin Studios at The Lab, Mt. Eden, Auckland
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering
Cover photograph of Hollie, Alex & Tom taken at Dave’s flat in Island Bay, Wellington by Cass Basil
Design & layout by Tomas Cottle
Made with support from NZonAir
Performed by -
Cass Basil: electric & upright bass, backing vocals, mellotron
Hollie Fullbrook: acoustic & electric guitar, vocals, cello, mellotron
Alex Freer: drums, percussion, backing vocals
Tom Healy: electric & 12 string guitars, roland juno 6, clavichord, mini moog model d, oberheim xpander, mellotron
Finn Scholes: wurlitzer, hammond organ, vibraphone, piano
12" Vinyl & Compact Disc available from good record shops, or direct from Milk! Records (Australia), Ba Da Bing Records (North America), Marathon Artists (Europe/United Kingdom) & Flying Out (New Zealand). Shipping costs will be best if you choose the store closest to you.
Available digitally on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.
Released February 1st by Milk! Records, Ba Da Bing Records, Marathon Artists & Ursa Minor (Tiny Ruins). © all rights reserved
HOLOGRAMS [Jan 2019 - Single]
Produced & Mixed by Tom Healy
Written & co-produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded at Paquin Studios at The Lab, Mt. Eden, Auckland
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering
Cass Basil: bass, backing vocals
Alex Freer: drums, percussion, backing vocals
Hollie Fullbrook: vocals, electric guitar, cello, backing vocals
Tom Healy: roland juno, clavichord, electric guitar
Finn Scholes: wurlitzer
Cover photograph by Si Moore
Artwork layout by Tomas Cottle
Made with support from NZ on Air
Released: January 17th - by Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU, Ba Da Bing Records in North America & by Ursa Minor in NZ. © all rights reserved
SCHOOL OF DESIGN [Nov 2018 - Single]
Produced & Mixed by Tom Healy
Written & co-produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded at Paquin Studios at The Lab, Mt. Eden, Auckland
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering
Cass Basil: upright bass
Alex Freer: hand-drums, big drum & percussion
Hollie Fullbrook: vocals, acoustic guitar, cello
Tom Healy: electric guitar
Finn Scholes: vibraphone
Cover photograph by Si Moore
Artwork layout by Tomas Cottle
Made with support from NZ on Air
Released: November 23rd - by Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU, Ba Da Bing Records in North America & by Ursa Minor in New Zealand. © all rights reserved
OLYMPIC GIRLS [Oct 2018 - Single]
Produced & Mixed by Tom Healy
Written & co-produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded at Paquin Studios at The Lab, Mt. Eden, Auckland
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering
Cass Basil: upright & electric bass, backing vocals
Alex Freer: drums & percussion
Hollie Fullbrook: vocals, acoustic guitar, cello, mellotron
Tom Healy: electric guitar
Finn Scholes: vibraphone
Cover photograph by Si Moore
Artwork layout by Tomas Cottle
Made with support from NZ on Air
Released: October 18th - by Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU, Ba Da Bing Records in North America & by Ursa Minor in New Zealand. © all rights reserved
HOW MUCH [Aug 2018 - Single]
Produced & Mixed by Tom Healy
Written & co-produced by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded at Paquin Studios at The Lab, Mt. Eden, Auckland
Mastered by Paul Gold at Salt Mastering
Cass Basil: bass guitar, backing vocals
Alex Freer: drums
Hollie Fullbrook: vocals, acoustic guitar, cello
Tom Healy: electric guitar
Cover photograph by Si Moore
Artwork layout by Tomas Cottle
Made with support from NZ on Air
Released: August 7th - by Milk! Records in Australia, Marathon Artists in UK/EU, Ba Da Bing Records in North America & by Ursa Minor in NZ. © all rights reserved
DREAM WAVE [2016 - Single]
SIDE A - Dream Wave
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Produced by David Lynch
Recorded and mixed by David Lynch
& Dean Hurley
Mastered by Dean Hurley.
Hollie Fullbrook - Guitar & Vocals
Dean Hurley - Bass, Percussion, Effects
SIDE B - Dream Wave (Instrumental)
Written by Hollie Fullbrook
Produced by Tiny Ruins.
Engineered & mixed by Tom Healy
at Paquin Studios, The Lab, Auckland.
Mastered by Olly Harmer
Cass Basil - Bass
Alex Freer - Drums, Xylophone
Hollie Fullbrook - Acoustic Guitar
Tom Healy - Electric Guitar
Photo by Hollie
Layout by Tomas Cottle
Released on 7" vinyl, June 17, 2016
Available digitally on Spotify, etc.
by Bella Union. © all rights reserved
HURTLING THROUGH [2015 - EP]
★★★★½ - Les In Rocks (France) “Haunting melodies and deeply involved lyricism marked Tiny Ruins as one of the best acts to harness the power of dark folk…Expansive, experimental and exciting.” - Hhhappy Music Blog
“…this record, with its rough edges showing, is more tactile; it invites you to get right up close.” - Nick Bollinger, Radio New Zealand, Music 101
Songs written by Hollie Fullbrook, except for the words of Tread Softly, from the W.B. Yeats poem ‘Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven’, and Wandering Aengus, the words from the W.B. Yeats poem 'The Song of Wandering Aengus' and the chords owing credit to the Christy Moore version of this song.
Produced by Hollie Fullbrook, Hamish Kilgour & Gary Olson.
Engineered & Mixed by Gary Olson at Marlborough Farms, Brooklyn, NY.
Mastered by Chris Chetland at Kog.
Cover photo by Hollie. Layout by Luke Jarvis.
Tracklisting
Tread Softly
Hurtling Through
Turn Around
Little Did I Know
Wandering Aengus
Public Menace
King's County
12" Vinyl available from good record shops, or from Bella Union (UK/EU) & Flying Nun Records (NZ).
CD - SOLD OUT. Available digitally on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.
Released November 27, 2015 by Flying Nun, Spunk Records & Bella Union. © all rights reserved
All songs performed by -
Hollie Fullbrook - acoustic & electric guitars, vocals, cello, organ, dulcimer.
Hamish Kilgour - drums, percussion, windchimes, jews harp, harmonica, shakers, guiro, tambourine, tabla, hand drums, spoon.
With additional playing by -
Turn Around - Danny Tunick upright bass / Greg Vegas saxaphone
Song of the Wandering Aengus - Danny Tunick upright bass / Gary Olson space echo
King’s County - Danny Tunick vibraphone
BRIGHTLY PAINTED ONE [2014 - LP]
★★★★ - MOJO “…impressive, beautifully poised stuff.”
★★★★ - Q Magazine
★★★★ - Rolling Stone Australia
★★★★ - Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★★ - New Zealand Herald
Winner of Best Alternative Album at the VNZMAs 2014
All songs by Hollie Fullbrook
Recorded & mixed by Tom Healy at Paquin Studios, The Lab, Auckland
Additional mixing by Tom Healy at York St, Auckland
Mastered by Roger Seibel at SAE
Paintings by Johl Dwyer.
Layout by Carl Breitkreuz.
Lyrics collage made by Hollie feat. on Bella Union 12" inner sleeve, available as a PDF - email tinyruins@gmail.com.
Tracklisting
1. Me at the Museum, You in the Wintergardens
2. Carriages
3. Chainmail Maker
4. Reasonable Man
5. She'll Be Coming 'Round
6. Straw Into Gold
7. Ballad of the Hanging Parcel
8. Jamie Blue
9. Night Owl
10. White Sheet Lightning
Available at good record shops in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA, Europe & Digitally on iTunes Worldwide, Spotify etc.
Released May 5, 2014 by Bella Union, Flying Nun & Spunk Records. © all rights reserved
All songs performed by -
Cass Basil - upright & electric bass, backing vocals
Alex Freer - drums & percussion
Hollie Fullbrook - vocals, acoustic guitars, cello, rhodes, hammer dulcimer
Tom Healy - electric guitars, sound effects
with additional playing by -
Finn Scholes - vibraphone, hammond organ, brass
Siobhanne Thompson - violin
Matthew Hutching - pedal steel
HAUNTS [2013 - EP]
A collection of older songs/B-sides.
Recorded live in the bush surroundings of the Waipu Gorge, by Jonathan Pearce on an 8-track tape machine.
“…hushed yet forceful songs, packed with obsessives and resilient loners, demand your full attention.★★★★” - Andy Fyfe, Q
Tracklisting
Holes in My Pockets
Rolling Mill Blues
North of Greytown
Days are Long, Nights are Longer
Cold Comfort
Always You, Tiptoeing Through
Cass Basil - double bass, harmony vocals
Alexander Freer - drums & percussion
Hollie Fullbrook - vocals, guitar
Jonathan Pearce - piano on 'Rolling Mill Blues'
Mixed into the Neve by Simon Gooding & Jonathan Pearce at York St.
Mastered by Simon Gooding.
All songs by Hollie Fullbrook, except for 'Rolling Mill Blues' by Peg Leg Howell.
Cover photograph by Theo Krynauw.
Text & Layout by Hollie Fullbrook & Carl Breitkreuz.
Released by Spunk Records.
PHYSICAL COPIES of CD & 10" VINYL - SOLD OUT.
Available digitally on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.
released April 19, 2013. © all rights reserved
SOME WERE MEANT FOR SEA [2011 - LP]
★★★★1/2 “One of the most sophisticated and moving albums of the year” - New Zealand Herald
★★★★ - Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ - MOJO
“One of the top 5 albums of 2011” - BBC World Service Programme ‘The Strand’
“An absolutely gorgeous album” - Bob Harris - BBC Radio 2
All songs written & performed by Hollie Fullbrook.
Produced & mixed by Greg 'J' Walker at the Moyarra School Hall and the Jumbunna General Store, South Gippsland, Australia in December 2010, except for 'Little Notes', recorded & mixed by Hollie Fullbrook & Lieven Scheerlinck in Barcelona, July 2010.
Mastered by Matthew Redlich.
Art layout by Carl Breitkreuz.
Tracklisting
Old as the Hills
Priest with Balloons
You've Got the Kind of Nerve I Like
Death of a Russian
Adelphi Apartments
Little Notes
Cat in the Hallway
Running Through the Night
Just Desserts
Pigeon Knows
Bird in the Thyme
The Oldest Bar in Town (Bonus Track on Vinyl)
PHYSICAL COPIES of CD - Repressed & Back In Stock!
- 10 Year Anniversary Edition with bonus track ‘Oldest Bar in Town’ - Please order via our Bandcamp or at your local record shop (NZ).
12" VINYL
- First Pressing sold out (Own Records)
- Second Pressing available on Record Store Day 2018 & from Bella Union / Record shops (UK)
- Third Pressing - 10 Year Anniversary Edition - Sea-Green Translucent Vinyl - available now via our Bandcamp or at your local record shop (NZ).
Originally released on May 30, 2011 by Spunk Records in NZ, Australia & Europe.
© Tiny Ruins / Ursa Minor - all rights reserved.
LITTLE NOTES [2010 - EP]
“tales of blustery evenings, late night journeys…”
- Folk Radio UK - Bristol, UK - 25 November 2010
“delicate and tough as a willow sapling.”
- Americana UK - Liverpool, UK - 14 February 2011
Lieven Scheerlinck lived in Barcelona while Hollie Fullbrook lived in New Zealand. The two knew each other through their music, but had not met. This all changed in June 2010, when they embarked on a small yet noble tour of northern Spain. One hospital visit, one birthday cake, several piggy-back rides, a couple of tequilas and thousands of wrong turns later, and they’d recorded six songs during one week, in one room of one charming old apartment in Barcelona.
Tracklisting
Little Notes
Feathers
Running Through the Night
Lost Son
Down South
Please Don't Forget Me
All songs played, recorded and mixed by Hollie Fullbrook & Lieven Scheerlinck in Barcelona, July 2010.
Songs 1, 3 and 5 written by Hollie Fullbrook (Tiny Ruins).
Songs 2, 4 and 6 written by Lieven Scheerlinck (a Singer of Songs).
Mastered by Jim Bob Aiken.
PHYSICAL COPIES of CD - SOLD OUT. Available digitally on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music etc.
Released December 6, 2010 independently, with help from hi54lofi records. © all rights reserved.