Smudge

band photo

Biography

Smudge have been around since 1991 when Tom Morgan (guitar, vocals), Alison Galloway (drums) and Paul "Duncs" Duncan (bass) got together to contribute a song to the Half A Cow 7 inch called "Slice" (along with Swirl, Jupiter and Studley Lush).  There's only so much room for two songs on one side of a 7 inch so Tom was asked by the label to write a song "around a minute in length".  He came up with "Tea, Toast & Turmoil" - a short, melodic pop song with colourful lyrics which set the blueprint for the future output of Smudge.

TOM band photo

Tom and Alison used to hang out at the Lansdowne Hotel and talk about the "pop-punk" band they were going to form - inspired by their heroes at the time Dinosaur Jr and Descendents.  The newly-formed Half A Cow label offered to put out a seven inch. "Don't Want To Be Grant McLennan" soon followed.  So did a review from NME which gave the slab 'single of the week'.  Whilst on tour in Australia in the middle of 1991, Evan Dando from The Lemonheads met up with Tom (recording two songs for Tom's other band Sneeze) and a song-writing friendship was struck up and they co-wrote songs for "It's A Shame About Ray," including the title track.

Two more releases followed for this lineup of Smudge - the "Love, Lust & Lemonjuice" and "Superhero" eepees- before Duncs left and was replaced by Adam Yee (formerly of noise-merchants Headache).  This lineup still rocks to this day and have been responsible for 1994's "Manilow" album, the "Hot Smoke & Sassafras" mini-LP, 1996's "You, Me, Carpark...Now" and many other releases.

A second guitarist, Pete Kelly, filled out the sound for much of late 1997 and 1998 and can be heard on their most recent album "Real McCoy, Wrong Sinatra" which was released at the end of 1998.  Pete has since left the band and they are back to being a three-piece.  A single from the album was released in September 1999 called "Eighteen In A Week" with the usual addition of exclusive bonus tracks.

Smudge played their last show for quite some time (drummer Al is trekking off across the world) at Goldmans in Sydney on Friday October 8th 1999.  A full house, support from an acoustic Evan Dando made it a happy and sad time for all.  See you later on, Smudgees!

Discography

  • "Tea, Toast & Turmoil" on Slice compilation 7" Half A Cow (moo03)  1991 also on Slice Two compilation CD Half A Cow (HAC28)  1992
  • Don't Want To Be Grant McLennan/Stranglehold/Foccacia 7" Half A Cow (moo04)  1992 also CDEP version on Shock Records (SHOCKCD004) w/out "Foccacia," w/"Dabble" + "Spawn"  1992
  • "Leroy de Foix" on Half A Cow promo compilation 7" Half A Cow (moo06)  1992
  • Love, Lust & Lemonjuice 10"/CDEP Half A Cow (HAC08)  1992
  • "Straight Face Down" on Compilation compilation CD Half A Cow (HAC28)  1993
  • Tea, Toast & Turmoil (compilation) LP/CD Shake Records (Canada) (SALD207)  1993
  • Superhero CDEP Half A Cow (HAC16)  1993 also Domino Records (UK)
  • Outdoor Type 12"/CDEP Domino Records  1993
  • Impractical Joke EP CDEP Half A Cow (HAC25)  1994 also Domino Records (UK) and Shake (Canada)
  • Manilow LP/CD Half A Cow (HAC26)  1994 also Domino Records (UK) and Shake (Canada)
  • Desmond/Shell Hell/Suckerpunch 7" The Bus Stop Label (BUS040)  1994
  • Hot Smoke & Sassafras mini-CD Half A Cow (HAC27)  1994 also Domino Records (UK), Shake (Canada), and 100 Guitar Mania (Japan)
  • "IOU2" on Swapping Spit compilation 7" Half A Cow (moo09)  1994
  • "I Just Get Caught Out" on Right Here-A Go Betweens tribute Hippy Knight Records  1995
  • Big City Poontang CDEP Half A Cow (HAC36)  1995 ltd ed. 8 track ep
  • "Lady, Let's Not Stop the Groove" + "Skateboard Trickery" on Heard it Through the Bovine promo compilation CD Half A Cow (promoo12)  1996
  • Mike Love Not War CDEP Half A Cow (HAC54)  1996
  • Slight Return EP CDEP Half A Cow (HAC56)  1996
  • You  Me Carpark...Now CD Half A Cow (HAC58)  1996
  • Mo Poontang (compilation) CD Half A Cow (HAC62)  1997
  • "Hot Potato (demo version)" w/C Minus split 7" Blind Records  1998
  • Real McCoy, Wrong Sinatra CD Half A Cow (HAC73)  1998
  • "Real McCoy, Wrong Sinatra" on Heard it Through the Bovine Vol.2 compilation CD Half A Cow (HAC80)  1999
  • Eighteen in a Week CDEP Half A Cow (HAC82)  1999

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last updated 07/25/2003