Donna learnt how to play guitar in 1985 at 15
years of age. Her sister Vikki picked up the guitar in about 1988
at the age of 14. Josh lived on a farm in New South Wales and
picked up his first guitar after seeing Michael J fox play Johnny
be Good in Back To The Future in 1987 aged 15.
In 1992 Vikki and Donna bought a campervan and headed off from
Albany W.A to travel around Australia singing. They met up with
Josh in 1992 in Broome far up on the remote North West Coast of
Western Australia. He was on tour and playing bass guitar for
an all bloke Rock n Roll band. The girls asked him to join the
band, and just like that, The Waifs were born.
They toured around Australia whilst living in the Van. In 1996
they moved across the country and recorded an album with the help
of Jen Anderson and Michael Thomas from Weddings Parties Anything.
Their self titled album was released in 1996 independently. In
1998 they released their 2nd album Shelter Me recorded in Adelaide.
In 2000 they released their 3rd album Sink or Swim recorded in
Melbourne.
Their London Still EP followed in 2001 and finally gained the
Waifs some radio airplay on Triple J among many other local stations
throughout the country. In 2003, they released Up All Night which
was certified Gold in Australia less than 4 weeks after its release.
