Not Drowning, Waving

Not Drowning, Waving (styled as not drowning, waving) are a musical group formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1983 by David Bridie and John Phillips. Their music combines elements of rock, ambient music and world music; their lyrics deal with characteristically Australian topics: word-pictures of landscapes and people, the seasons, and some political issues – such as Indonesia's invasion of East Timor. The group have released six studio albums and two soundtracks before disbanding in 1994. They have briefly reformed in 2001, 2003, 2005–2006 and 2025-present. From 2005 to 2007, they issued three compilation albums. Not Drowning, Waving won the ARIA Award for Best Independent Release at the ARIA Music Awards of 1992 for Proof, their soundtrack for the 1991 film of the same name. In 1991, Bridie and fellow members of Not Drowning, Waving, formed a side-project, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, to play more acoustic-based material. In 2025, Not Drowning, Waving again reformed, with George Telek, to produce a series of live shows and a new studio album, Malira.

History

1983–1985: Beginnings and Another Pond

Not Drowning, Waving were formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1983 by David Bridie and John Phillips. In September 2025, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Papua New Guinea independence, they performed the Tabaran show at the Melbourne Recital Centre. (1984–1992, 1996)

Phillip Flinker – (1984–1987)
Darren Geraghty – (1984–1987)
Penny Hewson – acoustic guitar
Rowan McKinnon – bass guitar, guitar (1984–1993, 1996, 2025)
Helen Mountfort – cello, vocals (1989–1993, 1996, 2025)
John Phillips – guitar, samples, sounds (1983–1993, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005–2006, 2025)
Tanya Plack – flute (1985–1986)
Jaqui Rutten – vocals (1984–1987)
Tanya Smith – keyboards (1984–1987)
James Southall – percussion (1987–1993, 1996)
Phillip Wale – cello (1985–1986)
Ben Hakalitz - drums, garamut, kundus (2025)
George Telek - vocals (2025)
Pius Wasi - bamboo flute (2025)

Discography

Studio albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of albums, with selected details and chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Album details

! scope="col" colspan="1" | Peak chart positions

! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" | AUS

! scope="row"| Another Pond

Released: January 1985
Label: Rampant Releases (RR010)
Format: LP

| —

! scope="row"| The Little Desert

Released: January 1986
Label: Rampant Releases (RR020)
Format: LP, cassette

| —

! scope="row"| Cold and the Crackle

Released: June 1987
Label: Rampant Releases (RR040)
Format: LP, cassette

| —

! scope="row"| Claim

Released: May 1989
Label: Mighty Boy (MBLP7012/MBCD7012)
Format: LP, CD

| 80

! scope="row"| Tabaran (credited to Not Drowning, Waving and the Musicians of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, featuring George Telek)

Released: 1990
Label: WEA (903172999.2)
Format: LP, CD

| 80

! scope="row"| Circus

Released: 1993
Label: White / Mushroom (D31029)
Format: CD

| 64

! scope="row"| Malira

Released: September 2025
Label: Origin / Wantok (D31029)

Format: LP, CD, digital

| 77

Soundtracks

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of soundtracks with selected details

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Details

! scope="row"| Proof

Released: 1991
Label: Rogues Gallery (RG001)
Format: CD

! scope="row"| Hammers

Released: 1994
Label: Rampant Releases (RG002)
Format: CD

Compilation and remix albums

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of compilation and remix albums with selected details

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Details

! scope="row"| Follow the Geography: A Compilation

Released: 1993
Label: White / Mushroom (D30998)
Format: LP

! scope="row"| Through the One Last Door

Released: 2005
Label: Bloodlines
Format: CD, digital download

! scope="row"| Maps for Sonic Adventurers

Released: 2006
Label: Liberation Blue (BLUE118.2)
Format: CD, digital download
Note: Remixes

! scope="row"| Live at the Butchers' Picnic

Released: September 2007
Label: self-released
Format: digital download
Note: Compilation of live recordings between 1987 and 2005. Limited to 50 copies

Extended plays

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" border="1"

|+ List of extended plays with selected details

! scope="col" style="width:11em;"| Title

! scope="col" style="width:20em;"| Details

! scope="row"| The Sing Sing

Released: June 1986
Label: Rampant Releases (MLRR005)
Format: LP

! scope="row"| I Did (with Robby Douglas Turner)

Released: 1987
Label: Rampant Releases (RR050)
Format: LP

Singles

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

! scope="col"| Year

! scope="col"| Title

! scope="col" width="220"| Album

| rowspan="2"| 1984

| align="left"| "Hunting for Nuggets"

| Another Pond

| align="left"| "Moving Around"

| rowspan="2"| non-album singles

| 1985

| align="left"|"Do Be a Don't Be (Mr Pooh)"

| rowspan="2"| 1989

| align="left"|"Willow Tree" / "Claim"

| rowspan="2"| Claim

| align="left"|"Fishing Trawler"

| rowspan="3" | 1991

| align="left"|"Pila Pila"

| rowspan="3" | Tabaran

|align="left"|"Blackwater"

| align="left"|"The Kiap Song"

| rowspan="2"| 1993

| align="left"|"Spark"

| rowspan="2"| Circus

| align="left"|"Penmon"

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. Not Drowning, Waving has won one award from six nominations.

| 1990

| Claim

| Best Adult Contemporary Album

|rowspan="3"| 1992

| Proof

| Best Independent Release

| Proof

| Best Original Soundtrack / Cast / Show Recording

| Tabaran

| Best Indigenous Release

| 1994

| Circus

| Best Indigenous Release

| 2007

| Maps for Sonic Adventures

| Best World Music Album

References

;General

Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.

;Specific

External links

Follow The Geography