The Puddle, a revolving line-up of musicians assembled around the unstable core of George D. Henderson, have been around, in one form or another, since 1984. Three albums and a 7” single on Flying Nun between 1986 and 1993 attracted critical appreciation and notoriety in equal measures for “pop as shambling and sweet as you could possibly imagine”. In 1993 The Puddle toughened up and recorded the definitive brainy outsider rock album, “Songs for Emily Valentine”, but, apart from a 1995 single on a French label, the SFEV recordings were not released until 2005.

Late in 2005 Henderson and The Puddle line-up that had played since 2000 (Ross Jackson – bass & Heath Te Au – drums) recorded the as-yet unreleased album “Playboys in the Bush” in a Wellington studio. Rumours are swirling that this will be a vinyl and download only release (it’s not on Fishrider). But when is anyone’s guess.

Meanwhile in 2007 Henderson recorded the album "No Love No Hate" with his brother in Dunedin and released it to general acclaim and some surprise that he was not only still alive and lucid but also absolutely on top of his songwriting game as well.

Henderson continues to write and record iconic eccentric psych-pop in Dunedin and a further album, to be called "The Shakespeare Monkey" was completed in 2008. Frequent journalistic references to Henderson as the "Syd Barrett of the South Seas" are mis-placed, however his music and guitar playing was always inspired by Syd (as evidenced by early Puddle improvisation called “Interstellar Gothic” and a cover of “Candy & a Currant Bun” on their debut Flying Nun EP in 1986).

"The Shakespeare Monkey" will only be the Puddle’s 6th album in over 25 years, and sees Henderson joined by Gavin Shaw (Sferic Experiment, Children’s Television Workshop) on bass and brother Ian Henderson (The Dark Beaks) once again on drums to deliver a joyfully diverse collection of tunes with a stylistic range playfully described as “Andy Williams meets The Stooges”.

“The Shakespeare Monkey” refers to the idea of infinite probability… the idea that monkeys typing typewriters for an infinite amount of time would eventually produce the works of Shakespeare. So could it also be true that if you left The Puddle’s George D. Henderson with a guitar and piano for over 30 years he would eventually produce an album of such brilliance it would make up for all the years of underachieving? That’s not for us to say, but, by George, we think he’s come close to doing that.

“The Shakespeare Monkey” (CD)
“No Love No Hate” (CD)
- Listen to "I've Lost My Way in This World"
“Live 1985 & 1993” (Limited edition CD-R)

These releases may be purchased from the following retailers and distributors:

The Shakespeare Monkey:
Powertool Records (EU)
Amplifier (NZ)
Marbecks records (NZ)
Rough Trade (UK)
Missing Link Records (AU)
Last Visible Dog (US)
CD Baby (US - Online Retailer)

No Love No Hate:
Powertool Records (NZ)
Powertool Records (EU)
Slow Boat Records (NZ - Contact via email for ordering)
Amplifier (NZ)
Smoke CDs (NZ)
CD Baby (US - Online Retailer)

“Live 1985 & 1993” (Limited edition CD-R)
Fishrider MySpace Page

"No Love No Hate is Henderson’s great leap forward. This shockingly confident album retains The Puddle’s idiosyncratic character without Henderson trading in a jot of his mastery of pop form." (Dusted Magazine)

"Packed full of laid back catchiness and super-smart lyrical wordplay, it’s a worthy addition to The Puddle’s minimal back catalogue." * * * * (Real Groove Magazine)

“Henderson sounds like a man out of time but somehow also perfectly in place;… the wry, fuzzy delivery is infectious… his future cult status has probably been preserved.” (The Wire magazine)

"surreal and tender, capturing the black humour of the Silver Jews, the experimental garage rock of The Clean and Pavement’s crooked post-punk in an elusive, subtly psychedelic vision." (Fire Escape Talking)

"In much the same way that Mssrs. Kilgour, Forster and even Nick Cave tweaked the perspectives of those listening to their music, Henderson has done the same thing and if you’d listen to this you’d find out." (Dagger zine)

“A record chock-full of lo-fi indie pop...quirky melodies and self-effacing and tender lyrics...fuzzed out splendour and sweet jangle... the sound is classic Flying Nun” (New Zealand Musician)