Not Drowning , Waving ( styled as not drowning , waving ) were a musical group formed in Melbourne , Australia in 1983 by David Bridie and John Phillips . Their music combined elements of rock , ambient music and world music ; their lyrics dealt with characteristically Australian topics : word-pictures of landscapes and people , the seasons , and some political issues – such as Indonesia 's invasion of East Timor . The group released nine albums and soundtracks until disbanding in 1994 , they briefly reformed in 2001 , 2003 and 2005 – 2006 . From 2005 to 2007 , they issued two compilation albums and a live album . Not Drowning , Waving won the ' Best Independent Release ' at the ARIA Music Awards of 1992 for '' Proof '' , their soundtrack for the 1991 film of the same name . In 1991 , Bridie and fellow members of Not Drowning , Waving , formed a side-project , My Friend The Chocolate Cake to play more acoustic-based material
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
ARIA Music Awards of 1992
Not Drowning, Waving