Biography
Country-folk flavoured rock band from Christchurch featuring the delicate and insightful songs of Fleur De Lis (vocals and guitar). Originally a four-piece consisting of De Lis, Rob McLean (guitar), Vaughan Watson (bass) and Peter Mitchell (drums), eventually Mitchell moved to Dunedin with Watson switching to drums and Dean Aldridge coming in on bass. The trio of de Lis, Mitchell and Ladridge had previously played together in The Suspenders.
They produced a number of short-run, extremely lo-fi singles that were played locally, and De Lis has now formed a number of other projects.
The band reconvened in 2004 with new drummer Marcus Winstanley (former of Barnard’s Star and the Undercurrents, along with playing guitar part-time with Minisnap).
In September 2004, the band finally surprised everyone by releasing their debut album, the appropriately titled Better Late on Winstanleys’ own new start-up label All Plastic Records – a collection of the Dialtones past songs (some dating right back to 1997) featuring the long-running line-up of De Lis, McLean, Aldridge and Watson and recorded by KRKRKRK‘s David Khan in early 2003.
A new line-up was formed in 2006 when Smith the Alien‘s Cam Walker came in on drums.
Members
- Fleur Walden (aka Fleur de Lis, New Reality Jam Session, Snort, The Suspenders, Coal, The O’Rollers, guitar / vocals, 1997 -)
- Rob McClean (Disgraceland, Bella Figura, How to Kill, Like Angels, guitar, 1997-)
- Vaughan Watson (Pumpkinhead, Squirm, Slim, bass / drums, 1997-)
- Peter Mitchell (Golf Course Alligators, The Suspenders, Hiding From Stan, Squirm, The Renderers, Creeley, drums, 1997 – 199?)
- Dean Aldridge (The Suspenders, Creeley, bass, 199?-)
- Brett Lupton (Little Dead Things, Swim Everything, Squirm, drums)
- Marcus Winstanley (Barnard’s Star, Minisnap, Cowboy Machine, The Undercurrents, drums, 2004-6)
- Cam Walker (Smith the Alien, Coal, drums, 2006-)
Discography
- Better Late (2004, All Plastic Records)