Cactus Child were an Australian folk, pop group formed in 1993 by mainstays, Gemma Deacon on lead vocals and Ian Housten-Shadwell on guitar.
[1] By October of that year the line-up of Deacon, Housten-Shadwell, Miller, Accaria and Sebastian were periodically supplemented by Maria Pavela on backing vocals and Natasha Ramirez on violin.
[1][5] Nathan of Channel [V] described the title track, "a slow finger-picking ballad with no drums at all – instead a cello and piano providing ample backing to a beautiful song.
[1] Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, felt "[it] featured pristine folksy pop, with lush arrangements, strings, piano, harmonies and acoustic guitar.
[8] In the following August, Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Radio National aired, Ian Shadwell's Slush Pile: a satirical novel of literature, fame and trivia nights.