Not Drowning, Waving provide guitar. Their name is derived from Stevie Smith's poem "Not Waving but Drowning". Rowan McKinnon soon joined on bass guitar and they recorded "Moving Around" with a drum machine. Other atmospheric instrumentals were recorded at the LaTrobe University's music department's studio. "Moving Around" was released as their debut single in April 1984 on the Rampant Records label. While recording tracks for the debut album, "Another Pond", Bridie and Phillips joined McKinnon (also on guitar) in the ambient pop band, Easter, with Russel Bradley on drums and percussion, and Tim Cole on vocals. Cole became sound engineer and recording producer
Not Drowning, Waving their fourth album, "Claim" in May. The album was voted 'Best Australian Album' on the Australian "Rolling Stone" Critics Poll in 1989. Later that year, the group visited Papua New Guinea playing several concerts and meeting George Telek (Moab Stringband, Painim Wok) with whom they later recorded two tracks for their next album, "Tabaran" (March 1991). "Tabaran" was credited to Not Drowning, Waving and the Musicians of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea Featuring Telek. The album was nominated for 'Best Indigenous Release' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1992. Meanwhile, Helen Mountfort had joined on cello in 1990, and the group