Sydney slacker pop trio Smudge have been creating and sharing their music since the early 1990s. The band comprises of vocalist and guitarist Tom Morgan, bassist Adam Yee, and Alison Galloway on drums.

Tom and Alison, ex-members of the psychedelic rock band Godstar, along with original bassist Paul Duncan, formed Smudge around 1990. They released EPs titled "Don't Want to Be Grant McLennan," "Love, Lust and Lemon Juice," and "Superhero" on Half a Cow Records. In 1993, the band released a compilation album called "Tea, Toast & Turmoil" for the international market, featuring tracks from their three Australian EPs and various compilations.

What you may not know is that Tom Morgan's collaborative songwriting efforts with Evan Dando on the Lemonheads' brilliant breakthrough album, "It's a Shame About Ray," played a significant role in helping the band gain international recognition. Additionally, the Lemonheads’ decision to cover Smudge's music in various albums, including the well-received track "Tenderfoot," further contributed to the band's momentum and traction in the music scene.

Moving on to the year 1994, Duncan made the decision to leave the band, prompting the remaining members to enlist the talented bassist Adam Yee from the group Headache. With Yee on board, they set off to record their highly anticipated debut album, “Manilow.” This album featured great tunes like “Impractical Joke,” “Divan,” and “Down About It,” all of which showcased the band's quirky sound. The album was produced by Nic Dalton, known for his work with the Lemonheads, and it was ultimately released under his label, Half A Cow Records. Later on that year they released the EP “Hot Smoke and Sassafras”.

In 1996, the single "Mike Love, Not War" was officially released from their second album, "You, Me, Carpark… Now." Smudge have stated that they made a more concerted effort to expand their sound during this creative period. They even took the significant step of flying to Chicago, where they collaborated with producer Casey Rice, known for his work with Dirty Three and Liz Phair. Additionally, they enlisted the talents of John McEntire from Tortoise, along with several other musicians, to contribute to the sound and style of the album which included songs “Stash” and “Ingrown (Slight Return)”.

From 1997 to 1998, Pete Kelly, who previously played with Disneyfist, Sea Life Park, and Decoder Ring, joined as second guitarist and helped record their third album, "Real McCoy, Wrong Sinatra", in a home studio in Gerroa, New South Wales. The album, with tracks like "Hot Potato" and "Recent Reich", received great reviews and reached high positions on the Australian charts. In 1997, the band also released a compilation of rarities called "Mo Poontang."

The band went on an extended hiatus during the 2000s, but the guys eventually regrouped and released another compilation titled "This Smudge is True" in 2010. Following this release, they also performed some very rare and exclusive shows in both Melbourne and Sydney, much to the excitement of their dedicated fans.

In the latter half of the 2010s, Smudge compiled a comprehensive collection of tracks and B-sides from the years 1994 to 1998, which they titled "Scary Cassettes." This compilation features an electric version of the song “The Outdoor Type” and serves as a companion piece to the previously released "Tea, Toast and Turmoil" compilation.

It's now late 2024, and Smudge are supporting the American 90’s indie guitar band Superchunk on a few shows during their upcoming tour down under. Superchunk has recently released new tracks with their long-standing and very cool label Merge Records, which adds to the anticipation surrounding these performances. Here at Flavourpitch, we would absolutely love to attend these shows, particularly for the chance to witness Alison, Adam, and Tom delivering their unique brand of rock pop live on stage again. We have fond memories of watching them play from the sticky floor at the iconic Punters Club in Melbourne, at Wollongong University and the Zoo in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. When asked about the possibility of a new Smudge album on the horizon, the response was that there is no new material just yet. However, we remain hopeful and optimistic about the future — one day, perhaps! So let's raise a glass in celebration of the possibility, and in the meantime, be sure to get to know Smudge and indulge in their delicious Hot Lava toastie.

Hot Lava

An homage to the best toastie ever created by the greatly missed Daisy's Milkbar. The name? Cos it's a molten mess - be wary when going in for that first bite. Last 3 ingredients are added to cut through the richness of the original.

Ingredients

Has to be white bread

Plenty of butter

Creamed corn

Left over Mac 'n' cheese

Tomato

Chilli flakes

Pepper

Method

Build it! Usually whack the tomato layer between the creamed corn and mac 'n' cheese layer. Plenty of pepper and chilli flakes for zing. If you have a sandwich iron, then you're set. Otherwise into a frying pan or sandwich press until it's molten.

What drink is best served with your sandwich?

Black coffee

Where do you like to eat and drink?

Cafe: Petty Cash Cafe in Marrickville, Sydney. Top coffee, great breakfast, good humans.

Pub/bar: Grace Emily Hotel, Adelaide. Best old school pub around. No pokies, no TVs, live music. We've played a couple of our most enjoyable/hilarious shows there.

Restaurant: Vina Vegan, Newtown, Sydney. This one is way too hard. Changes all of the time! Gonna go currently with Vina Vegan in Newtown. Great Asian vegan and super nice folk.

Smudge Flavourpitch playlist

Tunes to listen to while you make and eat your Hot Lava!

Smudge playlist on Radio 1FP