Feedtime

feedtime

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1979 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Founder	Rick Johnson, Allen Larkin
Headquarters	Sydney , Australia
Key people	Rick Johnson, Allen Larkin, Tom Sturm, John Larkin
Products	Albums: feedtime (1985), Shovel (1987), Cooper-S (1988), Suction (1989), Billy (1996), Gas (2017)

Feedtime (stylized as feedtime) is a noise rock group originating from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, established in 1979 by Rick Johnson (guitar and vocals) alongside Allen Larkin (bass and vocals). The band expanded to a trio in 1982 when Tom Sturm joined as drummer. This formation produced four albums: Feedtime (1985), Shovel (1987), Cooper-S (1988), and Suction (1989), before their initial dissolution. They regrouped in 1995 with John Larkin on drums for the release of Billy (1996), and reunited once more in 2011 featuring the original trio.

History

Rick Johnson and Allen Larkin first crossed paths at a secondary school in Parramatta during the early 1970s. They launched Feedtime as a duo in December 1979, soon incorporating drummer Dave Carter, who was later succeeded by Nella Mobbs and ultimately Tom Sturm in 1982.

Their self-titled debut album, Feedtime, was independently issued in late 1985. Reviewers praised its unrefined sound combining abrasive guitar riffs with relentless rhythms and an eerie atmosphere. Their initial single "Fractured" was released in September 1986 through Aberrant Records, leading up to their sophomore album, Shovel (1987), which also saw international distribution via Rough Trade Records. This record earned critical acclaim for its straightforward yet powerful rock approach.

In 1988, Feedtime presented Cooper-S, an album consisting of cover tracks rendered in their distinctive raw thrash manner. Their fourth studio effort, Suction (1989), produced by Butch Vig, served as a compelling finale prior to their breakup prompted by Johnson’s mental health challenges.

Acknowledged as one of Sydney’s most resolute and influential bands during the early 1980s, Feedtime’s work was licensed internationally through Rough Trade and Megadisc. Their musical style heavily incorporates elements from rural American country and blues, classic rock, and punk genres, as demonstrated on Cooper-S, which includes covers of artists such as the Rolling Stones, the Animals, the Ramones, and the Stooges.

Bruce Griffiths of Aberrant Records remarked on Feedtime’s expanding global presence and the strong partnerships forged through their collaborations, emphasizing their licensing agreements across both the United States and Europe.

Reunions

In 1995, Feedtime reassembled with Johnson and Larkin joined by John Larkin, Allen’s younger brother, on drums. April 1996 saw the release of their fifth studio album, Billy, distributed by Black Hole Records in Australia and Amphetamine Reptile in the United States. The band supported American group Unsane on an east coast Australian tour, followed by an April 1997 tour supporting UK act the Damned, alongside Sydney’s own X.

The mid-1980s lineup featuring Johnson, Larkin, and Sturm reunited again in 2011 for performances in Sydney and San Francisco celebrating the tenth anniversary of S.S. Records. This was followed by a US tour in 2012 coinciding with Sub Pop’s reissue of their first four albums compiled as The Aberrant Years. On April 3, 2012, they delivered their inaugural live radio studio session on New Jersey’s community station WFMU.

In October 2015, the trio recorded their sixth studio album titled gas, collaborating with Mikey Young from Total Control. The record was released through In the Red Records in March 2017.

Band name and logo

The group selected the name Feedtime because it did not carry any strong connotations of aggression or punk culture, nor did it have alternate interpretations. The choice to use a lowercase 'f' was purely for visual appeal.

Their emblem features a cartoon frog, designed by Al and inspired by a traditional Japanese woodcut. It is intentionally abstract and considered "anti-punk" in nature. In the "Melody Line" music video, the band reconstructs this emblem utilizing motorcycle components.

Legacy

While Feedtime's influence within their home country was modest, they made a notable impact in the United States, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, and are acknowledged as forerunners of grunge. Seattle-based bands encountered Feedtime through college radio station KCMU (now KEXP-FM), where DJs Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman later established Sub Pop. Mark Arm and Steve Turner of Mudhoney cite Feedtime, along with the Australian group The Scientists, as significant inspirations. Arm highlighted Feedtime's "sonic reduction" as genuinely authentic compared to other punk groups and credited their slide guitar technique as a foundational element influencing Mudhoney's sound. Kurt Cobain, frontman of Nirvana, was also an admirer.

In 2012, Al reflected on the band's lack of awareness regarding international attention due to social challenges but valued their potential role in shaping American musicians.

The track Billy is included in the 2010 publication 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die: And 10,001 You Must Download.

Reissues

During a 2008 interview with Triple J, Sub Pop co-founder Jonathan Poneman listed Feedtime's Shovel among five albums he wished he had released. This prompted Bruce Griffiths from Aberrant Records to offer Sub Pop the rights for reissuing Feedtime's catalog. Subsequently, in 2012, Sub Pop issued The Aberrant Years, a comprehensive 4-CD/LP collection encompassing the band's first four full-length albums.

Discography

Studio albums

• feedtime (1985, Self-released)
• Shovel (1986, Aberrant)
• Cooper-S (1988, Aberrant)
• Suction (1989, Aberrant)
• Billy (1996, Amphetamine Reptile)
• Gas (2017, In The Red)

Singles

• Fractured/Safari/Rumble (1986, Aberrant)
• Don't Tell Me/Small Talk (1987, Aberrant)
• Buffalo Bob/More Than Love (split with King Snake Roost) (1988, Aberrant)
• Weekend Warrior/No Soul (split with Unsane) (1996, Black Hole)
• flatiron/stick up jack (2015, Sub Pop)

Compilations

• Suction/Cooper-S (1989, Megadisc)
• feedtime + suction (1989, Rough Trade)
• The Aberrant Years (2012, Sub Pop)
• Today Is Friday (2012, S-S Records)

Appears on

• Why March When You Can Riot?! LP (Aberrant Records, 1985): "Don't Tell Me"/"Small Talk"
• Trousers In Action EP double 7" (Aberrant Records, 1986): "Plymouth Car is a Limousine"
• Away From The Pulsebeat No. 2 7" (Red Records, 1988): "Take the Buick"
• Bucketfull of Brains "Freebie Compilation" Flexi 7" (1988): "Trouble"
• Hard To Beat double LP (Au-Go-Go, 1988): "Ann"
• Howl! No. 5 7" (1989): "Don't Tell Me"
• Scumbait No. 2 7" (Treehouse Records, 1990): "Plymouth Car is a Limousine"
• Amrep Equipped Sampler CD (Amphetamine Reptile, 1997): "Billy"

External links

• ["feedtime Biography & History"] by Mark Deming at AllMusic
• Feature and interview in Swellsville issue No. 7
• Conversation featured in Adderlaid magazine (cited within Swellsville)
• Sub Pop biography