David Bridie


David Bridie is a contemporary musician and songwriter from Melbourne, Australia. David rose to prominence in 1983 as a uniquely Australian pianist, vocalist and songwriter in the critically acclaimed band Not Drowning, Waving which he cofounded with guitarist John Phillips. They released nine albums various Australian labels to critical acclaim. Their fifth album, Tabaran, was created with the artists of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea including George Telek, Pius Wasi and Ben Hakalitz.
In the early 1989, Bridie formed a second group, My Friend the Chocolate Cake, with Helen Mountfort. My Friend the Chocolate Cake has released six studio albums and a live album
David has also enjoyed a venerable solo career. Bridie has released four solo albums, Act of Free Choice, Hotel Radio, Succumb and Wake. He has also written several soundtracks for Australian movies and television, most notably The Man Who Sued God in 2001, Remote Area Nurse, The Circuit in 2007–2010 and Secret City in 2016.
He is also the founder and Artistic Director of Wantok Musik Foundation; a not-for-profit music label that records, releases and promotes culturally infused music from Indigenous Australia, Melanesia and Oceania.
In 2019, David was awarded the Australia Council for the Arts Don Banks Music Award which honours an artist of high distinction who has made an outstanding and sustained contribution to music in Australia.

Discography

Studio albums

Over the years, David Bridie has balanced his career as a live musician with the composition of soundtrack music, with credits for over 100 feature films including Proof, Bran Nue Dae, The Man Who Sued God and Gone, several of which received International release. His score for In a Savage Land received widespread critical acclaim and received multiple awards including Best Original Score at the AFI Awards, "Best Music Score" by the Film Critics Circle of Australia, and Best Original Soundtrack at the 2000 ARIA Awards. He also received the ARIA Award for "Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album" for Nautical Forlorn in 2004.
David Bridie has also contributed to many television shows, short films and documentaries soundtracks most notably for Remote Area Nurse for which he won an AFI Award as well as The Straits, Dealine Gallipoli and Secret City.
The song "Pitjantjara" written and performed with Frank Yamma for The Alice was awarded an APRA Screen Music Award for "Best Original Song" composed for a 'Feature Film, Telemovie, TV Series or Mini-Series'.

Awards