Gardener

The project known as Gardener originated in the late 1980s as a collaboration between Aaron Stauffer of Seaweed, who handled vocals and guitars, and Van Conner of the Screaming Trees, responsible for guitars, keyboards, and drums. Its roots trace to Stauffer’s sixteenth birthday, when he missed a Screaming Trees performance and began phoning the group repeatedly to urge a joint show; these overtures eventually fostered a lasting friendship. Around the same period Stauffer assembled Seaweed alongside drummer Alan Cage, bassist John Atkins, and guitarist Clint Werner.

Once the Seattle music community attracted global attention, Seaweed and the Screaming Trees shared bills on numerous tours. On a 1996 visit to the U.K., the two acts worked together for the first time, composing a pair of tracks later included on Gardener’s debut album, New Dawning Time, issued in 1999. Van Conner then expanded the roster by bringing in his brother Pat on sitar and drums, as well as Adrian Makins on bass and slide guitar.

Not long afterward Stauffer relocated to northern California in search of a quieter, more rugged existence, where he continued writing material and broadened the lineup further by adding a tabla player and a flutist. The resulting record displayed a richer, more orchestrated approach than the raw rock of either Seaweed or the Screaming Trees, relying on layered sitar, Mellotron, and flute textures. Issued by Sub Pop, New Dawning Time remained Gardener’s only full-length release. Van Conner passed away on January 17, 2023, at age 55 after contracting pneumonia.