History
In May 1986 Peggy Van Zalm (ex-Distant Carnival), on lead vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, co-founded Martha's Vineyard with Anthony Best (later known as Bhante Sujato) on guitar, harmonica and vocals, Lisa Jooste on violin, Norman Parkhill (The Scream, Matinee Idols, Photoplay, Scant Regarde) on bass guitar and vocals, and Aidan D'Adhemar on drums, percussion and vocals. The Perth-based band took their name from the holiday resort island off the coast of Massachusetts, United States. Van Zalm had grown up in Cowaramup, a small farming and vineyard town, before studying Fine Arts at Curtin University. The band's first performance was on 21 May 1986 at the Red Parrot nightclub supporting The Saints, three weeks after forming. Soon after they issued a self-titled five-track cassette, recorded at Northlake Studios in Fremantle with James Hewgill, which was followed with a shared single, "Our Day", with Errol H. Tout's "Sounds of Swimming" on Lizard Records/Monkey Music. "Our Day" was written by Van Zalm. Catherine McAuliffe joined on bass guitar and Parkhill switched to guitar.
In the following months the band played support performances for Paul Kelly, Weddings, Parties, Anything, The Go-Betweens and Mental As Anything. Martha's Vineyard also supported Eurythmics and INXS at the Perth Entertainment Centre.
In October 1987 a six-track mini-album, For a Small World, followed on the Monkey Music label. The title track was written by Best. Soon after Stuart Fenner replaced Jooste on violin and Phil Kakulas (ex-The Triffids) replaced McAuliffe on bass guitar. In late 1987 the band went on an Eastern States tour supporting The Triffids on their Calenture tour. In 1988 the line-up of Best, D'Adhemar, Kakulas and Van Zalm re-located to Sydney. The following year they signed with the rooArt label alongside The Trilobites, Crash Politics, Tall Tales and True, Hipslingers and The Hummingbirds. Martha's Vineyard contributed the track "Unravelling" to the first of rooArt's compilations, RooArt Present Young Blood (September 1988), which was "a collection of newer indie acts". "Unravelling" was written by Van Zalm. The band were one of four selected from the compilation which were signed for a three album deal. In 1989 Toby Creswell, the editor of Australian Rolling Stone named them as one of five 'new' bands that he thought most deserve to succeed on the charts.
In April 1989 The Sydney Morning Herald's reviewer John O'Donnell caught their performance at Harold Park Hotel, he praised their "lilting, well constructed arrangements, van Zalm's assured voice and the intelligent, minimal use of volume all combined to provide ... the ambience of a folk club. Fortunately, tidy folk tunes are not all that M. V. play". Martha's Vineyard recorded their only album at Planet Studios in Perth, which was produced by Nick Mainsbridge (The Triffids, Tall Tales and True). In June 1989 rooArt issued the self-titled album, Martha's Vineyard, and a single, "Old Beach Road", which were distributed by PolyGram Records. The album received favourable reviews nationally and abroad. It peaked in the top 100 on the Kent Music Report Albums Chart. "Old Beach Road" receivied airplay on both commercial and community radios stations, including 2JJJ, 3RRR and Triple M, reaching No. 86 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart. It was co-written by Best and Van Zalm.The record company negotiated Martha’s Vineyard as opening act with Simply Red on their national tour throughout Australia as part of the promotion of the band's album. Early the following year, "Old Beach Road" was also issued as a four-track 12" extended play of the same name for the European market.
A second single, "More of the Same", was released on rooArt; before pressures from both within and outside the band led to its split in 1990. RooArt nevertheless released the album in the UK, Europe, Japan and the United States, under the title Old Beach Road taking advantage of the success of the single. The band attracted much critical acclaim and shared stages on tours with Simply Red, INXS, Eurythmics, The Go-Betweens, Paul Kelly, The Triffids, Mental as Anything, The Saints and Weddings, Parties, Anything. Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, described their sound as "reflective folk rock mixed melancholy vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, gentle percussion and spacious arrangements to arrive at a harmonious and intriguing whole". He felt that they shared a similar sound and outlook to that of fellow Perth bands The Triffids, The Honeys and Chad's Tree. He drew positive comparisons between Van Zalm's vocals with Patti Smith, Chrissie Hynde and Joni Mitchell.
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