About Ned Branchi

Ned Branchi is a Singer Songwriter from Melbourne, Australia with over 40 years experience in the Music Industry.

In 1979 began singing with “Ned & The HDs (Harmonic Destroyers)”, a band of freewheeling Blues, R&B and Rock Musicians. One of the most popular cover bands of its time. The set list of songs so great that the old wooden pubs of that time literally shook from their foundations with dancing punters enjoying the band.

The original Line Up was, Ned 'Nebula' Branchi on Vocals. John 'Doode' Brockton on Drums. Allan 'Bristle' Brockton on Guitar. Mick Costa on Bass Guitar. Mark 'Harpo' Greenway on Guitar and Justin Brady on Blues Harp and Violin.

In 1982 Ned Branchi joined Indie Pop Rock band “Angry Marrow”.
A group of four Singer Songwriter musicians whose music was ahead of its time, in retrospect, seemingly a precursor to what would eventually become “Grunge” in the 90s. Unsurprisingly being comprised of four headstrong egos, the band members would finally part ways in 84-85 to form their own bands, leaving the Seminal album “Frankston” unreleased.

The original line up was, Martin Perkins Guitar and Vocals, Steve 'Stav' Milonas on Guitar and Vocals, Ned Branchi on Bass Guitar and Vocals, Kerry Frost on Drums and Vocals.

In 1984 Ned Branchi joined “Plays With Marionettes”, an Underground, Gothic Punk band, replacing Hugo Race who had left to follow “Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds” and play Guitar on the “From Her To Eternity” album. Eventually “Plays With Marionettes” became “Horla”, their first show opening the new venue “The Users Club” (Light Car Club). Followed by opening for “Hunters and Collectors” shows on the “Betty's Worry or The Slab” Tour. Then opening for Midnight oil shows at the Melbourne Entertainment centre. The 4 track EP recorded at the old Sea Merchant Building in King st Melbourne got the attention of Mushroom Records “White Label” who offered the band a 2 year contract. Unfortunately Nick Seymour the Bass Player held out, wanting only a 12 month contract, as unbeknown to us he was already planning to follow Neil Finn to America where they formed “Crowded House”. Shortly thereafter Cathy Green the Drummer left to join the Seminal Punk Band 'X' (Australia). Robin Casinader. Brian McMahon and Ned Branchi continued on until Brian McMahon also left for overseas.

The original lineup was: Ned Branchi on Vocals, Robin Casinader (Coral Snakes, Bad Seeds, Things of stone and wood) on Keyboards and Guitar. Nick Seymour (Crowded House, Dead Star) on Bass Guitar. Cathy Green (Cough Cough, 'X', Hell To Pay) on Drums and Brian McMahon on Keyboards and Saxophone.

Ned Branchi and Robin Casinader continued eventually recording the album “Move Quickly (And Have Faith)” in 1987 at Nick Cross' Studio in Prahran, Melbourne. The album comprised of songs by Casinader and Branchi, was engineered by Nick Cross. With Ned Branchi on Vocals, Bass and Keyboards. Robin Casinader on Piano, Drums and guitar. Hugo Race on Guitar. Nick Cross on Saxophone and Pete King on Trumpet.

During this period from 1985-87 Ned Branchi also performs with Melbourne Univerity's Tin Pan Alley Theatre Group. The show is a Rock Cabaret where, apart from playing two characters “Doctor Dark” and “Cowboy” is also the Bass Player.

Also around this time Ned Branchi performs with “George Huxley and The Forbidden Voice”. This is also a Rock Cabaret style Band with George Huxley on Vocals, Pete Jones (RIP) on Drums, Ned Branchi on Bass and Vocals, Charles Todd on Saxophone and Robin Casinader on Piano and Keyboards. This was an incredibly dynamic and popular band where George Huxley's skill as a Thespian led to the incredible Theatrics that made him so loved as a performer.

1987 also sees Ned Branchi and Steve Milonas join together again to form a number of bands. Firstly “The Sylphs” in Sydney then “Orion” in Melbourne that would eventually become “Strange Fruit”. An original band based mostly on compositions by Ned Branchi and Steve Milonas.

The original line up was Ned Branchi on Bass and Vocals. Steve Milonas on Drums and Vocals. Harry Sidiropoulos on Guitar and Kym Taylor on Keyboards and Vocals. Many of the songs from this band would later end up on separate albums by Steve Milonas and Ned Branchi.

In 1989 Ned Branchi and Hank Oudendyk would form “Bigger Than Jesus” a hard and fast heavy rock band based on songs by Ned Branchi and co-writes with Oudendyk using his guitar riffs with Ned Branchi's lyrics.

The original line up of the band was Ned Branchi on Vocals. Hank Oudendyk on Guitar. Kevin McMahon on Bass. Ash Wednesday on Keyboards and Craig Whitelock (RIP) on Drums.

After recording the first album at Richmond Recorders Oudendyk and Branchi had a falling out after which Oudendyk offered Branchi a contract to buy out eight of his songs (In Perpetuity) and the title to the first album which was also the title to the song “Killervision”. As the years went by Oudendyk would release 3 times using one of Branchi's song titles. “Soulfeast”and “Rough Justice” were also Branchi's song titles used for album names. None of Ned Branchi's songs on any of the “Bigger Than Jesus” albums has Ned Branchi's name on it. Not until the release of “Wicked Love” did Steve Lucas, the then singer of 'BTJ' finally call out Ned Branchi as the writer of the song yet Branchi's name is still not listed on any of the albums.

In 1995 after moving to Newcastle to study Anthropology and languages (Chinese, Sanskrit & Pali, Ned Branchi joins a local cover band and quickly converts them into an original outfit called “Spoon”(Newcastle). (Ned Branchi on Vocals. Mark Hunstone and Stu Grieg on Guitars & vocals Scott McGrath on Drums and Terry Lonsdale on Bass.. This band soon achieves legendary status and becomes one the most hard working and highest paid band in the whole hunter region. The band enlists the services of Producer Wayne Connolly, who had just won Aria Engineer of the Year Award for his work on the “You Am I” album :Hourly Daily” to produce trhe seven track album at Charing Cross Studio Sydney. The album gets massive airplay on local radio as well as Triple MMM but is snubbed by Triple JJJ, apparently because of the band name's similarity to 'Grinspoon'. One of the programmers was not only their manager but also the singer's father. Songs from the album also feature on two Surfing Movies with international distribution, “Pulse 2” by Justin Gane and “Injuiced” by Brook Silvester. Channel Ten (Newcastle) bought the publishing for the whole album and still play it regularly on particular shows. After the release of the self titled “Spoon” album in 1997 the band toured relentlessly up and down the East Coast of Australia for the next two years. A contract with Warner Music's “Green Label” goes sour in 1999 as the whole company gets folded up and closed by Warner due to market forces (Digital) and driven by the CD market crashing.

The Band moves to Melbourne and in 1999 records the “StKilda Sun” album with James 'Oysters' Kilpatrick at “Espy Recorders”. The song “Juliette” is a huge hit and is getting airplay on stations in Australia and also finally penetrating Europe, America and UK just as the yet again is falling apart. The drummer Scott McGrath has discovered he has a lethal cancer and has to leave. The band now has no management, no record label no backing and no money to print CDs. So the success of “StKilda Sun” soon wanes and Ned Branchi decides to dissolve the band and instead finish his Anthropology degree in the Ethnomusicolgy Dept of Monash Universty.

After a year of studying and playing Indonesian Gamelan under the illustrious tuition of Pak Kartomi and Koswara Sumamidjaja Ned Branchi plays in the Gamelan Orchestra at Blackwood Hall, Monash. There are only two westerners in the orchestra and the play is the Sumatran Creation Story “Sangkuriang”. It is a life changing experience. One that will eventually lead to numerous trips to Asia. A year in Thailand, teaching English and studying Thai Classical Music, especially that related to the Thai Classic Opera “Ramakien” (Story of Rama). A year of teaching English and studying Chinese Music in China and eventually in 2009 being invited as an Artist In Residence to compose the music for an exhibition in Yogyakarta.

The exhibition is set around a landfill and the music composition is called “Garbage Man”. It combines Grunge Rock and a Gamelan instrument called “Saron”.

In 2010 Ned Branchi returns to Yogyakarta Indonesia to produce a full album. Working in the Same studio (Elssy) and with the same engineer (Om Wisnu Jahat). After 4 years and the production of 3 albums (Garbage Man 2011, Zen Butterflies 2012 Homage 2013) Ned Branchi is still in Yogyakarta about to record the 4th album with his wonderful band of musicians (all from the “Indonesian Institute of Art” (ISI) when a motorcycle accident 2014 claims his right leg and leaves him with 25% range of movement in his right arm.

After 10 years Ned Branchi is finally heading back into the studio to produce an EP called “Femur”. The album is a cathartic discussion about hospitals as Liminal Spaces where we all traverse the most fundamental “Rites Of Passage”,involving everything from Birth to Death and everything in between. It is dark, confronting but humerous. Stylistically nostalgic and a little retrospect. The “Femur” EP is due for Digital Release In 2025.