Died Pretty's Doughboy Hollow receives limited vinyl reissue
Former guitarist Brett Myers recalls the ecstatic reaction to the track 'DC' in New York, while producer Hugh Jones credits his work in introducing space and simplicity to the band's sound.
Thirty-five years after its 1991 release, the Australian rock band Died Pretty's album Doughboy Hollow is receiving a vinyl reissue from label Eminent. The limited run sold out on pre-orders, though the label states further pressings are underway. The reissue highlights the album's retrospective status as a cultural touchstone and the band's creative peak, despite its initial commercial stagnation.
Former guitarist Brett Myers recalls the band's nervous reaction to the finished mix in New York in 1991, noting that staff at Beggars Banquet were out of their seats, dancing and cheering after hearing the track DC. Producer Hugh Jones, nicknamed Slasher Jones, is credited with refining the band's sound by introducing space and simplicity, reining in drummer Chris Welsh without neutering his energy.
Band member Dave Faulkner notes that the song Sweetheart is actually about serial killer Ed Gein, contrasting with its common perception as a wedding song. Meanwhile, the album title refers to a swampy depression on the New England Highway in northern New South Wales, a reference that belies the immediate appeal of the songs which drew on the legacies of the Doors and the Velvet Underground.
Ron Peno, the band's late frontman, alleged that the album's sales stalled because the manufacturer, Festival, refused to print more copies assuming the band had hit its ceiling. Manager John Needham counters this, citing poor distribution and the industry's shift from vinyl to CDs as the primary causes.
The album sold approximately 18,000 copies, more than double the sales of any previous Died Pretty release but insufficient to propel the band to the next level. It peaked at No 19 on the Australian charts, the band's highest placement at the time, before quickly falling away. The band's overseas following was solid, but the album stiffed completely in international markets.
Died Pretty, formed in Sydney and based in Brisbane, had a reputation for volatility both on stage and in the studio. Head Hoodoo Guru Dave Faulkner describes the album as the one on which the band fulfilled its promise, noting that the songs were effortlessly realised. Faulkner, one of Peno's closest friends, remains one of the few who can recall the full potential of the group before his passing in 2023.