The Madeira

From SurfGuitar101

1 Band Biography
2 Years Active
3 Location
4 Websites
5 Members
6 Releases
- 6.1 Sandstorm
- 6.2 Ruins
7 See Also
8 Sources

Band Biography

The Madeira started out as a side project for The Space Cossacks lead guitarist Ivan Pongracic, recording some tracks for the MuSick Records Monster Party 2000 CD. This line-up featured Pongracic, drummer Dane Carter, and Space Cossacks bassist Catherine Gray.

The Space Cossacks broke up after Pongracic moved to Michigan in 2000. A few years later in 2004, Pongracic yearned to start up a new surf band, and The Madeira were born when Pongracic reunited with Dane Carter. They soon added Patrick O'Conner, guitarist and songwriter in the Indianapolis sci-fi surf band Destination: Earth!. Following on bass was Scott Waddell who had played with Pongracic in the Shadows tribute band The Troubadours.

The band began writing songs and playing shows around the Indianapolis and Hillsdale, Michigan areas. Waddell left the band in 2005 due to time constraints and was replaced by new bass player Todd Fortier. The band released their debut album Sandstorm in December 2005. An EP of cover songs, Ruins, was released in July 2006, and a short tour of California followed.

Sandstorm established the Madeira as an extremely powerful surf band, showcasing the twin songwriting talents of O'Conner and Pongracic, along with a furious rhythm section led by drummer Carter. The album featured melodic and intricate middle-Eastern inspired melodies backed by varied and solid songwriting. Ruins, recorded at the same session as Sandstorm, payed homage to the bands' influences with covers of Dick Dale, The Treble Spankers, The Surf Coasters, and Paco de Lucia. The band has also covered songs by the legendary 60's Australian band The Atlantics.

Currently the band is working on their second full length album, Carpe Noctem, which is due in mid-2008.