– Kelly – 16/1/97
All four members of the band Hampster – Conrad Frankland, Carmel Courtney, James Wilkinson and Matthew Lawrence – are Christchurch born and educated, and the band has stayed surprisingly close to its roots, becoming an 
icon of the Christchurch music scene. Hampster has developed a strong reputation for skilled
musicianship and quirky live performances, and it has a loyal following, but as keyboard player Conrad explains, the lifespan of this small furry animal may be at an end. Its future currently hinges on finding a replacement for drummer Matthew Lawrence who has left to pursue other interests, and the remaining members choosing to stay committed to the band.
Hampster’s evolution began in the late 1980s when guitarist James Wilkinson
and Conrad started playing music together. They were joined later by Matthew to form a backing group, but it wasn’t until they met Carmel Courtney that Hampster was born. Conrad comments that Carmel’s arranging skills and ability as a soloist “took the band to a different level”. Carmel was also responsible for developing lyrics for some songs, although Hampster’s material is mainly instrumental. The band’s creative process is co-operative; songs sometimes evolve from a jam, (“Magoomba Berries”, for example), from chord patterns that Conrad comes up with, or from a bass-line that James has worked out.
The key to Hampster’s success as a band may be
their ability to respect one another personally and musically. Conrad insists that during the band’s three month tour of Europe in 1995, (through the United Kingdom and Northern Europe), there was only a minimum of bitchiness, and that by the end, they got along better than ever.
The new drummer, if the “right drummer” can be found, will inevitably change Hampster’s style of music. Conrad comments; “I can see us only playing 20 per cent of what we play now and the rest will change. They won’t be the same as Matthew, but you’ve got to fit the music to the player. A lot of our eclecticism has come from the members of the band and the different styles of music they are into”. Hampster’s sound smoothly accomodates a diverse range of influences; Conrad lists Folk, Celtic, Dance, Jazz Fusion, and European Jazz as some of their preferences, but he emphasises that each member of the band has broad musical tastes – James has a record collection of over 1000.
Although Hampster’s future is uncertain now, there are plenty of options available if they choose to stay together. Hampster’s second CD “Syzygy”, released two years ago, has sold well, particularly in New Zealand, and a 
new run has just been pressed.
Zany, visual live performances, rather than recordings, are the band’s trademark and Hampster recently played
during the Wearable Arts performance in Nelson, and for a New Year’s Eve party at Awaroa Lodge in the Abel Tasman National Park. At least three members of the band will soon be working on a project
with the Shenanigan Brothers which involves producing the music for a puppet show. Hampster fans can
only hope that the band will continue to create their own distinctive style of music for some time yet – any drummers out there looking for work?
More about Conrad Frankland…
