The Pigram Brothers
The Pigram Brothers are nominated for Best Album (Under the Mango Tree) and Best Band in the 2006 Deadly Awards!
The Pigram Brothers are a seven-piece country folk/rock band from the pearling town of Broome, Western Australia.
The Pigram Brothers’ original music captures Broome’s and the Kimberley’s Saltwater Spirit and Country.
Songs from the Saltwater Country and Jiir have become hometown anthems, but have also attracted critical acclaim near and afar… “Original music of the highest standard that enlightens and consumes audiences of all nationalities. Exceptional.”
After many years of playing in a variety of bands and differing musical projects the brothers pooled together their skills and talent and officially formed in 1996.
Presently there are seven brothers in the band:
Alan Pigram - Lead guitar, mandolin, ukulele, tiple.
Stephen Pigram - Singer, acoustic guitar, harmonica, requinto, vahlia, ukulele, dulcimer.
David Pigram - Singer, acoustic guitar.
Colin Pigram - Singer, acoustic guitar.
Philip Pigram - Singer, drums.
Peter Pigram - Bass guitar.
Gavin Pigram - Percussion.
The Pigram Brothers' debut album Saltwater Country was recorded 1996-97 with highly respected singer/songwriter Shane Howard as producer. The collaboration resulted in an infectious mix of earthy harmonies and acoustic stringed instruments bringing to life songs about the group’s saltwater lifestyle and homeland. Saltwater Country was voted Best Debut Album at the National Indigenous Music Awards in Sydney 1998.
Independent of major record companies, the group promoted sales over the next two year period through attendance and performance at Hong Kong’s Midem Asia (Australian Showcase), Fremantle Festival, Survival Concert Sydney, Stompem Ground Festival, Fairbridge Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival and the Bardentreffen Festival in Nuremberg, Germany.
But generally despite numerous national and international initiations, the Pigram’s do limit themselves to one, or sometimes two, mini tours each year. They prefer to stay at home, be with family, go fishing and stay connected to their country.
With their hometown of Broome being somewhat of a tourist hot-spot (several hundred thousand people from all over the world venture into the town each year) the Pigram Brothers play some of their biggest gigs and get considerable exposure by staying at home in Broome.
National television exposure did come for the debut album with a 50-minute documentary entitled Saltwater Country screened on the ABC Sunday program Message Stick in March 2000. The strength of that screening led the ABC to feature the Pigram Brothers on the Heart of Country television series in 2001.
Some momentum and popularity was gained and The Pigram Brothers' music has since appeared on several national ad international television documentaries and series.
ABC television continued to pursue band members for follow up feature appearances on programmes such as Radio Pictures (2001), Message Stick (2002) and George Negus’ New Dimensions (2002).
SBS television also featured the group on its ICAM and Fork in the Road programmes.
The love affair national television appears to have with the Pigrams is perhaps because there is no better blend of music to add to film footage when dealing with the northwest region of Australia. The Pigram Brothers' music has an enormous affinity with the visually spectacular Broome and Kimberley landscapes. (Some interviews also pry into their indigenous and multi-cultural ancestry and ask for social comment about issues. Others just wonder how seven brothers manage to get along in a band after such a long time…)
However it is this feel they have for their country that is naturally imbedded into their music that has had music critics searching for apt adjectives and superlatives. Many critics have tried to genre the product into new age music terms and some describe it as tropical-rim music, saltwater music, roots music, world music etc.
The band doesn’t wish to become too critical, analytical or literal about their work and would prefer the everyday listener to rate whether they enjoy it or not.
And as a rule Broome people, Kimberley people and tourists do enjoy and purchase the Pigram Brothers music.
The Saltwater Country album is rated one of the most popular souvenirs sold in Broome. (Ahead of the t-shirt brigade and plastic crocodile key ring!)
This was again the case when the Pigram Brothers recorded and released their second album, Jiir, in late 2001.
Jiir (pronounced like the first half of mirror) was produced by Kerryn Tolhurst. Kerryn has been a long time hero of the Pigrams and Kerryn’s group of the 1970s, the Dingoes, were one of the Pigram’s early musical influences. One could say that they have been chasing him for over twenty years and the wheel has finally turned the full circle.
Both Kerryn and the addition of yet another brother Colin to the line up brought an extra dimension to the music of the Pigram Brothers. Kerryn’s production, his slide guitar playing and the incorporation of an even wider range of instrumentation including requinto, vahlia, dulcimer, tiple and harmonium have ensured a richer, more diverse and polished sound without losing the natural exuberance and spontaneity that has always been the trademark of the Pigram Brothers.
More critical acclaim for the Jiir album…
2003 sees many invitations arriving for the band to perform in a large variety of locations and some pressure is mounting for the band to break away from home base and tour nationally and internationally on a more regular and extended basis. This is easier said than done as Alan and Stephen are involved on other musical projects and the other five brothers have other jobs and businesses outside the music industry…
…Plus the world has not been the friendliest place to be tripping around lately…
…and the fish, particularly the blue nose and threadfin salmon (walga walga), have been biting well in 2003…
WE CAN ONLY HOPE FOR A NEW ALBUM…-Perhaps in late 2004 or early 2005.
*Some prior history includes:
From 1983 to 1995 Alan, Stephen and Phillip were part of the Scrap Metal band, another Broome group, that recorded four albums, toured nationally with Midnight Oil on its 1987 Diesel and Dust Tour and were presented with the Best indigenous Act award by the West Australian Music Association in 1992.
The boys were also heavily involved in Broome’s other famous national musical theatre exports- as part of the original backing band of “Bran Nue Dae” a nationally acclaimed show that premiered at the Festival of Perth 1990 and ended in a six month national tour in 1993; and as co-songwriters/producers of “Corrugation Road” which toured nationally 1998.
Please view other places on this website for further history and news of emerging Pigram Music projects.
