The Verlaines is a New Zealand rock band formed in 1981 in Dunedin and named after French poet Paul Verlaine. The origins of the band can be traced back to 1979 when the group's founder Graeme Downes took direct inspiration from fellow Dunedin group, The Clean, to form a band with Craig Easton, Anita Pillai, Phillip Higham and Greg Kerr. It was in 1981 that the group made their first public appearance with their initial five-piece line-up. The band's recorded debut was on the seminal "Dunedin Double" EP