History
Brisbane band Custard combined fresh and energetic power pop with a quirky sense of humour and just a hint of kitsch. Frontman David McCormack displayed a ready grasp of the pop form, with a fine ear for catchy melodies and neat arrangements. Reference points ranged from US bands like Talking Heads, Devo, The Pixies and Pavement to UK popsters XTC.

Custard actually formed in 1989 under the name of Custard Gun. The line-up comprised David McCormack, Paul Medew, Shane Braun and James Straker (guitar). When Straker left at the start of 1990, Custard came into being, although the band did not get off the ground until Mat Strong (guitar) joined at the end of the year. With Custard in its formative stages, McCormack moonlighted with Brisbane artists Robert Moore (bass) and Glenn Thompson (drums) in the improvisational country band Cow. McCormack, Moore and Thompson backed ex-Go-Between Robert Forster on his second solo album, Calling from a Country Phone (June 1993), as well as backing him on tour (when they were known as Robert Forster's Silver Backwash). Cow issued the wildly eclectic album Beard in May 1996.

Meanwhile, Danny Herrenberg had replaced original Custard drummer Braun in December 1991. Danny Plant then replaced Herrenberg during April 1993. Custard issued its debut EP, `Rockfish Anna', in late 1991. The band also contributed a re-recorded version of `Rockfish Anna' to rooArt's Youngblood 3 compilation. The EP Bedford (`Buttercup') and the band's first release on the Ra label, the CD EP Gastanked, came out in May and October 1992 respectively. The CD EP Brisbane (May 1993) and two more CD singles followed, `Casanova' (November) and `Singlette' (March 1994). `Singlette' was the first single lifted from the band's debut, full-length album Wahooti Fandango (July 1994). The album yielded three more CD singles, `Aloha Trombonist', `Pack Yr Suitcases' and `Alone'.

In 1995, Custard travelled to the USA to record its second album, Wisenheimer, at San Francisco's Hyde Street Studio with US producer Eric Drew Feldman (Captain Beefheart, Pere Ubu, P.J. Harvey, Frank Black). The first CD single lifted from the album, `Apartment' (October 1995), was one of the most popular independent hits of the year. It logged a #7 placing on the 1995 Triple J Hottest 100 list (the highest placing for an Australian band that year). Wisenheimer yielded three further CD singles, `Lucky Star' (February 1996), `Sunset Strip' (June) and `Leisuremaster' (September). At the end of 1996, Cow's drummer, Glenn Thompson, replaced Plant. Custard then travelled to the USA again to record its third album (second with producer Feldman). Recorded at Easley Studios in Memphis, Tennessee (birthplace of quality albums from the likes of Sonic Youth, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Jeff Buckley and Pavement), the album We Have the Technology appeared in August 1997. The first CD single, `Nice Bird', preceded it in June. The second, `Anatomically Correct', followed in September.

‘Anatomically Correct’ logged the # 48 placement on the 1997 Triple J Hottest 100 list. Custard commenced 1998 as Australian tour support to US visitor Beck. The band’s new CD single, ‘Music is Crap’ (February), was the third to be lifted from the We Have the Technology album. The next CD single, ‘Girls Like That (Don’t Go for Guys Like Us)’ (September), was the first lifted from the band’s upcoming, fourth album. It included, as a B-side track, the cover of the Hal David/Burt Bacharach tune, ‘I’ll Never Fall in Love Again’, that Custard originally recorded for inclusion on the To Hal and Bacharach Australian tribute album. Custard’s version had been dropped in favour of The Whitlams’.

‘Girls Like That (Don’t Go for Guys Like Us)’ logged the #3 placement on the 1998 Triple J Hottest 100 list, while ‘Music is Crap’ came in at #24. In order to fill out the sound for live shows during 1999, Custard added auxiliary guitarist Paul Thomas (ex-Weddings Parties Anything). Thomas joined the line-up of David McCormack, Paul Medew, Glenn Thompson and Matthew Strong. The new album’s second single, ‘Hit Song’ (April 1999), was issued in four different, limited edition picture covers, which when combined made up a jigsaw.

The long-awaited new album, Loverama, finally arrived in May. It was a confident album of infectious, garagey dance pop tunes. After two US-recorded albums, the band decided to record locally with producer Lachlan ‘Magoo’ Gould (TISM, Regurgitator, Midnight Oil) and with positive results. The album peaked at #19 on the national chart in June. The third single, ‘(I Feel Like…) Ringo’ (July), boasted a funky disco groove, with tongue firmly planted in cheek. Custard ended 1999 with a fourth single plucked from the album, ‘The New Matthew’ (October). ‘(I Feel Like…) Ringo’ logged the #42 placement on the 1999 Triple J Hottest 100 list, while ‘Hit Song’ came in at #83.

Recently, Custard contributed tracks to three Various Artists albums. They were: a cover of ‘A View to a Kill’ to the all-Australian tribute album, Undone: The Songs of Duran Duran (October 1999), a version of the Flowers classic, ‘We Can get Together’, to the original soundtrack of the Australian feature film, Bigger Than Tina (November), and a rendition of Sherbet’s ‘Howzat’ to the soundtrack of Sample People (May 2000).