Formed in Melbourne during 1990, Things of Stone and Wood rose to prominence among Australian acts in the mid-1990s. Their distinctive folky pop approach produced six entries on the national Top 50 singles chart by 1995.
The quartet consisted of Greg Arnold on vocals and guitar, Michael Allen on bass, Tony Floyd on drums, and Justin Brady on violin, harmonica, and guitar. Their debut album, The Yearning, appeared in 1993 and drew strong approval from listeners and reviewers, thanks largely to Arnold’s songwriting skill. The single “Happy Birthday Helen,” drawn from that album, became the band’s first Australian hit.
Lyrics on The Yearning reflected a clear social conscience, notably condemning the apparent growth of racism in Australia. The same concern shaped the follow-up, Junk Theatre, issued in 1994 and again widely praised. Its opening single, “Wildflowers,” addressed racism and ranked among the most-played tracks on Australian radio that year. Two further singles, “Wild Man Shouting” and “Churchill’s Black Dog,” were also taken from Junk Theatre. Though stylistically close to the first album, this release found the band pursuing a harder, more rock-oriented sound.
The third album, The Man with the Perfect Hair, was captured in mid-1995 as a live acoustic recording made in one take with a single microphone. Originally intended only for private circulation, the set attracted enough interest for a commercial release. Even so, the record proved uneven and did not match the commercial performance of its predecessors.
Brady soon departed, leaving Things of Stone and Wood to record Whirligig as a trio. That album drew less notice than earlier work and yielded no major singles. In late 1996 the band issued the live EP Live at the Espy.
