The Blackeyed Susans

Formed in Perth, Australia, in early 1989, the countrified alternative rock of the Blackeyed Susans gained a U.S. domestic release by the mid-'90s, when American Records signed the band to a contract. The first lineup of the band — vocalist/guitarist Rob Snarski, vocalist/guitarist David McComb (formerly of the Triffids), drummer Alsy McDonald (also ex-the Triffids), bassist Phil Kakulas, and organist Ross Bolleter — released the EP Some Births Are Worse Than Murders in 1990 on Waterfront Records. The record topped the Australian indie charts, and earned positive reviews from British music weeklies as well. By 1991, however, a new lineup (Snarski and Kakulas plus guitarist Graham Lee, drummer Jim White, and organist Warren Lee Ellis) recorded the EP ...Depends on What You Mean By Love. After the 1992 Welcome Strangers album compiled the first EP plus several B-sides, the Blackeyed Susans recorded All Souls Alive for a 1994 release on Frontier Records. By 1995's Mouth to Mouth, additional members Kiernan Box (piano) and Dan Luscombe (guitar) appeared. The band's domestic deal with the American label saw the release of Mouth to Mouth in March 1996.