Biography
New Zealand's Hollie Fullbrook shapes the perceptive indie folk of Tiny Ruins by weaving together strands of gentle singer/songwriter folk, exploratory indie pop, and softer psychedelic and dream pop textures. The project's first full-length, Some Were Meant for Sea from 2011, began as a solitary effort, whereas the 2014 successor Brightly Painted One, though still restrained, introduced a stable backing trio whose presence continued through later releases that reached their peak in rich, ensemble-driven textures on Olympic Girls in 2019 and Ceremony in 2023.
Fullbrook first used the Tiny Ruins name in 2009 for her solo work, which issued its initial recording in 2010 via the collaborative EP Little Notes alongside Spanish folk artist A Singer of Songs. The debut album Some Were Meant for Sea appeared in May 2011 on Spunk Records and Woo Me, presenting spare, evocative pieces rooted in traditional British folk and American blues; critics responded favorably, and the record prompted support tours across the U.S., Europe, and Australia with acts including Calexico, Beach House, and Fleet Foxes.
Once bassist Cass Basil, drummer Alexander Freer, and electric guitarist/producer Tom Healy joined as a permanent unit, the group tracked its next album in Auckland. A six-song set of earlier demos and outtakes titled Haunts surfaced in April 2013. Expanding the minimalist approach with restrained horns, strings, and organ, the second album Brightly Painted One arrived in 2014 as the band's first release on Bella Union. Another joint EP, Hurtling Through with Hamish Kilgour on Spunk/Bella Union/Flying Nun, followed later that year. Beyond a 2016 7" titled "Dream Wave" issued jointly by the same three labels and Fullbrook's contributions to Neil Finn's 2017 album Out of Silence, the band concentrated on live work until returning to Paquin Studios in Auckland for its third studio album. The resulting Olympic Girls, produced by Healy and issued in February 2019 on Courtney Barnett's Milk! Records with U.S. distribution through Ba Da Bing!, offered comparable elegance alongside bolder, more expansive arrangements.
Fullbrook appeared on the Phoenix Foundation's "Tranquility" single in mid-2020. After Fullbrook supplied a group of loss-themed solo acoustic demos that were expanded into layered full-band form, Ceremony emerged in April 2023 on Ba Da Bing!/Marathon.
Fullbrook first used the Tiny Ruins name in 2009 for her solo work, which issued its initial recording in 2010 via the collaborative EP Little Notes alongside Spanish folk artist A Singer of Songs. The debut album Some Were Meant for Sea appeared in May 2011 on Spunk Records and Woo Me, presenting spare, evocative pieces rooted in traditional British folk and American blues; critics responded favorably, and the record prompted support tours across the U.S., Europe, and Australia with acts including Calexico, Beach House, and Fleet Foxes.
Once bassist Cass Basil, drummer Alexander Freer, and electric guitarist/producer Tom Healy joined as a permanent unit, the group tracked its next album in Auckland. A six-song set of earlier demos and outtakes titled Haunts surfaced in April 2013. Expanding the minimalist approach with restrained horns, strings, and organ, the second album Brightly Painted One arrived in 2014 as the band's first release on Bella Union. Another joint EP, Hurtling Through with Hamish Kilgour on Spunk/Bella Union/Flying Nun, followed later that year. Beyond a 2016 7" titled "Dream Wave" issued jointly by the same three labels and Fullbrook's contributions to Neil Finn's 2017 album Out of Silence, the band concentrated on live work until returning to Paquin Studios in Auckland for its third studio album. The resulting Olympic Girls, produced by Healy and issued in February 2019 on Courtney Barnett's Milk! Records with U.S. distribution through Ba Da Bing!, offered comparable elegance alongside bolder, more expansive arrangements.
Fullbrook appeared on the Phoenix Foundation's "Tranquility" single in mid-2020. After Fullbrook supplied a group of loss-themed solo acoustic demos that were expanded into layered full-band form, Ceremony emerged in April 2023 on Ba Da Bing!/Marathon.
Albums
Ceremony
2023
Out of Phase
2023
Dogs Dreaming
2023
Dorothy Bay
2023
Olympic Girls (Solo)
2019
Olympic Girls
2019
Singles
