Custard are an Australian indie rock band formed in 1989 in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

. The band is colloquially known as "Custaro" () due to frequent misreadings of its name.

History

1989–1993: Formation and early EPs

The band was originally known as Custard Gun and featured

David McCormack David Liam McCormack (born 25 October 1968) is an Australian musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known as frontman of Brisbane-based rock group Custard,McFarlan'Custard'entry. Retrieved 23 February 2010.Spencer et al, (2007McCormack, D ...

on vocals and guitar, Paul Medew on bass (McCormack and Medew both ex-Who's Gerald?), James Straker (later in The Melniks) on guitar and Shane Brunn (who later formed Hugbubble and Vanlustbader) on drums. After a few shows and line up changes (namely Straker being replaced by Matthew Strong) Custard Gun morphed into Custard in early 1990. Custard's first release was the four track vinyl EP ''Rockfish Anna'', which was issued in November 1990. A fire breathing

Elvis impersonator An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as ent ...

was part of the EP's launch festivities. Custard's debut album, ''Buttercup/Bedford'', was recorded in 1991. It was meant to be released on CD in March 1992, but things went awry. Unfortunately, the CDs never turned up on time for the album launch - forcing them to give away copies of the album away on cassettes to keep the audience happy. It was not until the end of 1992 that the band finally got their hands on the elusive CDs. By this time Custard had signed to

Ra Records Ra (; egy, rꜥ; also transliterated ; cuneiform: ''ri-a'' or ''ri-ia''; Phoenician: 𐤓𐤏, CIS I 3778 romanized: rʿ) or Re (; cop, ⲣⲏ, translit=Rē) was the ancient Egyptian deity of the sun. By the Fifth Dynasty, in the 25th ...

and had released their first "major label"release, an EP called ''Gastanked''. ''Gastanked'' was followed in 1993 by another EP, ''Brisbane'', and two singles - "Casanova" and "Singlette". By this time the band was onto its third drummer - Shane Brunn had been replaced by Gavin Herrenberg, who had subsequently been replaced by Danny Plant.

1994–1995: ''Wahooti Fandango'' and ''Wisenheimer''

Custard's debut major label album '' Wahooti Fandango'' was issued in 1994. The video for the album's first single, "Aloha Tambourinist", was set on a beach, featured male models pretending to be Custard, while scantily clad women roll around in the sand. ''Wahooti Fandango'' was critically acclaimed, and at the

ARIA Music Awards of 1995 The Ninth Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 20 October 1995 at the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre. There had been a 18-month gap since the ...

was nominated for ARIA Award for Best Best Alternative Release. The band's "breakthrough hit" did not come until October 1995, when they released "Apartment", the first single lifted from their third studio album, ''

Wisenheimer ''Wisenheimer'' is the third studio album by the Australian band Custard. It was released November 6th 1995 and peaked at number 55 in September 1996. The album contains the song "Apartment" which reached #7 in the third Hottest 100. Recording ...

''. "Apartment" received a high rotation airplay on

triple j Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

, and was voted in at number 7 in the Triple J Hottest 100, 1995. ''Wisenheimer'' was recorded in San Francisco, being produced by Eric Drew Feldman (

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born Don Glen Vliet; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as Th ...

PJ Harvey Polly Jean Harvey (born 9 October 1969) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Primarily known as a vocalist and guitarist, she is also proficient with a wide range of instruments. Harvey began her career in 1988 when she joined loca ...

Pere Ubu Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their ...

et al.). The album also spawned the singles "Sunset Strip", "Lucky Star" and "Leisuremaster". After ''Wisenheimer'', Danny Plant was replaced by Glenn Thompson.

1996–1999: ''We Have the Technology'' and ''Loverama''

On 24 November 1996, Custard performed on the forecourt of the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

as part of

Crowded House Crowded House are a rock band, formed in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, in 1985. Its founding members were New Zealander Neil Finn (vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter) and Australians Paul Hester (drums) and Nick Seymour (bass). Late ...

's '' Farewell to the World'' concert, alongside

You Am I You Am I are an Australian alternative rock band, fronted by its lead singer-songwriter and guitarist, Tim Rogers. They formed in December 1989 and are the first Australian band to have released three successive albums that have each debuted ...

and Powderfinger. Estimates of the audience in attendance range from 100,000 to 250,000 people. 1996 and 1997 were big years for the band, touring Australia with

Weezer Weezer is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1992. Since 2001, the band has consisted of Rivers Cuomo (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Patrick Wilson (drums, backing vocals), Scott Shriner (bass guitar, keyboards, backing ...

Frank Black Charles Michael Kittridge Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs under the stage name Black Francis. F ...

Beck Beck David Hansen (born Bek David Campbell; July 8, 1970) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame in the early 1990s with his experimental and lo-fi style, and became known for creating musical colla ...

and the Presidents of the USA, and venturing back to America (where Wisenheimer had been recorded) to play more shows with the Presidents. While in the USA the band also recorded album number 4, '' We Have the Technology''. "Nice Bird" was the first single to be lifted from ''We Have the Technology'', followed by "Anatomically Correct". However, it was the final single, "

Music is Crap "Music Is Crap" is the third single from '' We Have the Technology'', the fourth album by Custard. It reached #73 on the Australian ARIA singles chart, and No. 24 on the 1998 Hottest 100. Lyrics The song was written and sang by lead drummer Gl ...

", that captured the public's attention and became their first single to peak within the ARIA top 100. The song was written and sung by Thompson, and reinvigorated public interest in Custard. The next single, "

Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us) "Girls Like That (Don't Go For Guys Like Us)" is the first single from ''Loverama'', the fifth album by Custard. It reached #52 on the Australian ARIA singles chart, and spent 24 weeks in the top 100. N.B. The HP column displays the highest peak ...

", became the band's biggest hit. It peaked at #52 on the

ARIA In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

singles chart, and came in at 3 in the

Triple J Hottest 100, 1998 The 1998 Triple J Hottest 100, announced in January, 1999, was the sixth such countdown of the most popular songs of the year, according to listeners of the Australian radio station Triple J. As in previous years, a CD featuring 36 of the songs ...

. At the

ARIA Music Awards of 1999 The 13th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as the ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAS) was held on 12 October 1999 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. Hosted by Paul McDermott and Bob Downe, and present ...

they won

ARIA Award for Best Video The ARIA Award for Best Video, is presented at the annual ARIA Awards, which recognise "the many achievements of Aussie artists across all music genres", since 1987. It is handed out by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), an o ...

for Andrew Lancaster and David McCormack. The album that it was featured on, '' Loverama'', went on to become the band's most commercially successful. Custard went on a six-month "hiatus" at the end of 1999, before eventually disbanding.

2000–2008: Dissolution of the band, and other projects

After the split, lead singer and guitarist, McCormack, formed The Titanics with drummer, Thompson, also on guitar. Joining them were McCormack's then-wife,

Emma Tom Emma A. Jane (born 1969), previously known as Emma Tom, is an Australian professor, author, and journalist. She once wrote a weekly column for ''The Australian'' newspaper and made regular appearances on Australian television and radio. She rece ...

, on bass and Tina Havelock-Stevens on drums. The Titanics did not last long, releasing two albums, ''Size Isn't Everything'' and ''Love is the Devil'', before the group disbanded. McCormack released a series of solo albums with The Polaroids, featuring his brother Dylan (Gentle Ben and his Sensitive Side) on bass, Shane Melder (ex- Sidewinder) on drums and Cameron Bruce (Paul Kelly). Releases include "Candy" (2002), "Save Dave" DVD (2003), "The Truth About Love" (2004) and "Little Murders" (2009). In 2004, Strong joined the Lost Gospel, alongside

Phil Jamieson Philip Jamieson (born 18 April 1977) is an Australian musician from Hornsby, New South Wales. He is a founding member and singer-guitarist for the rock band Grinspoon. Early life and education Philip William H. Jamieson was born on 18 April ...

of Grinspoon. The group released one album. Thompson joined

The Go-Betweens The Go-Betweens were an Australian indie rock band formed in Brisbane, Queensland, in 1977. The band was co-founded and led by singer-songwriters and guitarists Robert Forster and Grant McLennan, who were its only constant members throughout ...

in 2001, having previously played with

Robert Forster Robert Wallace Forster Jr. (July 13, 1941 – October 11, 2019) was an American actor, known for his roles as John Cassellis in '' Medium Cool'' (1969), Captain Dan Holland in ''The Black Hole'' (1979), Abdul Rafai in '' The Delta Force'' (1986 ...

and

Grant McLennan Grant William McLennan (12 February 19586 May 2006) was an Australian alternative rock singer-songwriter-guitarist. He co-founded the Go-Betweens with Robert Forster in Brisbane in 1977. In addition to his work with the Go-Betweens (1977–89, ...

in 1995. In addition to appearing on many of Forster's solo albums, Thompson played on The Go-Betweens' final two albums, '' Bright Yellow Bright Orange'' and '' Oceans Apart''; and toured with the band until McLennan's death in 2006. Thompson then released his first solo album, ''Brighton Bothways'', under the name "Beachfield" in 2007. In 2010, Thompson formed a duo with Adele Pickvance from The Go-Betweens, called Adele & Glenn, and launched a debut album in April 2012. In 2008, Medew was a member of The Purple Hearts.

2009–2011: Reformation

Custard reformed for an event on 10 December 2009 to celebrate

's 150th birthday, appearing alongside Powderfinger and a number of other local acts. Since reforming, the band have played one or two gigs per year. In 2010 they appeared at the Meredith Music Festival. They also performed as a headliner act for ''Float On: A Brisbane Flood Relief Benefit'' in February 2011, a show to raise money for the victims of the

floods in Queensland A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

. In 2011 Custard were featured as part of the

Brisbane Festival Brisbane Festival is one of Australia's leading international arts festivals, and is held each September in Brisbane, Australia. Its presence dominates the city for three weeks in September and its line-up of classical and contemporary music, ...

2015–2019: ''Come Back, All Is Forgiven'' and ''The Common Touch''

Custard released their first album of new material since 1999's ''Loverama'', on 6 November 2015, entitled '' Come Back, All Is Forgiven'', through ABC Music. In 2017, Custard released '' The Common Touch'', featuring the singles "In the Grand Scheme of Things" and "2000 Woman". In August 2018, to promote a short tour the group undertook that September, the group released ''The Band: Live in the Basement'', a recording of a concert performed on 9 November 2017 at the Basement club in Sydney.

2020: ''Respect All Lifeforms''

On 19 March 2020, Custard released the new single "Funky Again", and announced their eighth studio album '' Respect All Lifeforms''. The album was released on 22 May.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Compilation albums

Extended plays

Singles

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions ...

. Custard have won one award from three nominations. , - ,

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

, ''Wahooti Fandango'' , Best Alternative Release , , - ,

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

, ''Wisenheimer'' , Best Independent Release , , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

Andrew Lancaster Andrew Lancaster is an Australian film director. At the Asia-Pacific Film Festival, he won the "Best Short Film" award in 1993 for ''Palace Cafe'' and the "Best Film Award" in 2002 for ''In Search of Mike''. His 2014 documentary '' The Lost Aviat ...

for "

" by Custard , Best Video ,

References

External links

Official website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Custard ARIA Award winners Australian indie rock groups Musical groups from Brisbane Musical groups established in 1989 Musical groups disestablished in 2000 Musical groups reestablished in 2009