Strawpeople reunion 'PEOPLE STILL REMEMBER US!'

All these years later, Fiona's got a hit on her hands after reuniting with her musical soul brother

- Wendyl Nissen

When Fiona McDonald first joined up as a singer of the iconic electropop band Strawpeople in her twenties, she possibly didn't anticipate that she would be singing for them again when she was 57.

But that is exactly what has happened to the singer, whose voice holds a special place in the hearts of her many fans, not only for her work with Strawpeople but also the Headless Chickens. The bands had hits such as Taller than God, Trick With a Knife and Cruise Control all classic Kiwi sounds fondly remembered by those who were around in the '90s.

"Some of my kids' teachers are big fans of mine, which is a big source of embarrassment for them," laughs Fiona. "But it's so good that there are so many people out there who still remember us."

Which is why Fiona and her "songwriting brother" Paul Casserly have decided to create a new Strawpeople album.

"It's taken a long time to get here," admits Fiona, who first met Paul while working at University of Auckland's student radio station bFM. "For the past 30 years, my main songwriting partner has been Paul. He and I get each other musically.

"Then we had a joint 50th celebration because our birthdays are a few weeks apart and in the back of my mind, I wanted to say, 'Hey, let's make more music together, but I was too shy."