The Stems came roaring out of Perth in the mid Eighties with a sound and style that definitively captured the spirit and enthusiasm of sixties garage music – lurching fuzz-tone guitars, brooding organ and solid gold garage-punk! Though at the core of it all, The Stems wrote some awesome songs, made great records and put on exciting live shows. Debuting in 1985 with their break-through double A-side single “She’s a Monster/ Make You Mine”, The Stems rode the top of the Australian Independent charts from 1985-1987 with each subsequent release. Tracks like “Make You Mine”, “Tears Me in Two” and “Love Will Grow” mark them out as one of the truly great Australian acts of the Eighties.
“Mushroom Soup – The Citadel Years” has been remastered and repackaged and brings together the band’s break-through singles, their debut EP “Love Will Grow” and a selection of demos and outtakes. This collection captures a great band at the peak of its powers.
The vinyl edition features all the classic singles and the “Love Will Grow” EP that have been long out of print since their release. It also features 4 additional tracks (“No Heart”, “She’s Fine”, “On and On” and “Don’t Let Me”) on vinyl for the first time, faithfully remastered and available in glorious green, pretty purple or traditional black.
The track “No Heart” was initially a contender for the “Love Will Grow” Ep and “She’s Fine” was to be their last single with Citadel but was shelved when the band moved across to the Mushroom label.
The Band
Richard Lane – keyboards, guitar and vocals
Dom Mariani – guitar and lead vocals
Julian Matthews – bass
Gary Chambers – drums
released July 14th, 2023
The Fat Angel Sings 