Prior to forming The Puddle George D. Henderson had been a key member of Wellington, New Zealand experimental avant-garde punk groups The Amps and The Spies. In 1980 he relocated to Christchurch and formed The And Band who self released one 7-inch single. Very early line-ups of The Puddle included Shayne P. Carter on drums, replaced briefly by current drummer Ian Henderson who is George's brother. The first settled line-up of the band, which recorded the min-album Pop Lib, released on Flying Nun Records in 1986, also included Peter Gutteridge, Lesley Z Paris, Ross Jackson, Norma O'Malley and Lindsay Maitland. Maitland died of an accidental drug overdose in 1987 and Gutteridge left to form Snapper. The remaining line-up recorded a live album Live at the Teddy Bear Club released on Flying Nun Records. It was followed in 1992 by a studio album, Into the Moon, recorded by Alastair Galbraith, which was released on CD together with the "Pop Lib" EP. Henderson was imprisoned in 1991 for drug-related offending. On his release a new Line-up of The Puddle was formed. This line-up recorded a 7-inch single "Thursday"/"Too Hot to be Cool" released on Flying Nun Records in 1993. At this time this line-up of The Puddle recorded an album Songs For Emily Valentine. This album was not released until 2005 although two songs from it were released as a 7-inch single on French label Acetone in 1993. In the second half of the 1990s Henderson contributed songs to the Dunedin collective group Mink. In 2000 The Puddle performed at the Dunedin Sound music event organised and broadcast live on California's KFJCradio station, and are included on the double CD released by the station as KFJC 89.7 FM Presents The Dunedin Sound.
2001 to present
The Puddle continued to play from 2001, although Henderson's health was affected by continued drug use and the effects of hepatitis C. In 2005 Henderson began to address his health issues. This coincided with a studio recording session in Wellington organised by a friend Richard Steele. Since then The Puddle have recorded another four albums, all released on Fishrider Records. The current line-up of The Puddle is Henderson, his brother Ian Henderson, Gavin Shaw and Alan Starrett. They are occasionally augmented by keyboard/ trumpet player Lucy Hunter from fellow Fishrider Records band Opposite Sex.
Discography
Singles and other appearances
"Christmas in the Country" appeared on a 1987 Bnet compilation Weird Culture Weird Custom
