Kitchens of Distinction
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1986 in Tooting, South London, England |
| Founder | Patrick Fitzgerald, Julian Swales, Daniel Goodwin |
| Headquarters | Tooting, South London , England |
Area served | United Kingdom, United States |
Key people | Patrick Fitzgerald (lead vocals, bass), Julian Swales (guitar), Daniel Goodwin (drums) |
| Products | Studio albums, singles, EPs |
Kitchens of Distinction (commonly known as KoD) is an English rock trio that originated in Tooting, South London in 1986. The lineup consists of Patrick Fitzgerald on lead vocals and bass, Julian Swales on guitar, and Daniel Goodwin on drums.
Identified with the shoegaze genre, the group produced four studio albums before their split in 1996. In September 2012, Fitzgerald declared the band’s reunion, culminating in the release of their fifth album in 2013—marking their first new record in nearly two decades.
Although critically praised, Kitchens of Distinction did not reach the commercial heights enjoyed by many contemporaries within the shoegaze movement. This was partly attributed to Fitzgerald’s candidness regarding his sexuality, which shaped their lyrical themes and led to media stereotyping. Fitzgerald resisted categorizing the band solely as a "gay band," highlighting their wider creative scope.
Formation to dissolution (1986–1996)
Drummer Dan Goodwin met guitarist Julian Swales at college in 1980, while Swales encountered vocalist and bassist Patrick Fitzgerald at a party in 1985. The three began rehearsing that same year and chose their band name inspired by a home furnishings company Swales noticed on a bus. Their debut single, "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle"—featuring Swales on lead vocals and bass—was recorded in a single day using an eight-track setup in a Kennington basement and released independently through Gold Rush Records in December 1987. It earned NME’s 'Single of the Week' accolade, leading to a contract with British indie label One Little Indian Records (OLI). Around this period, Fitzgerald—who was practicing medicine—paused his career to dedicate himself fully to the band. Their initial OLI singles, "Prize" (1988) and "The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule" (1989), were later included in NME’s "100 Best Indie Singles Ever."
Their first album, Love Is Hell, arrived in April 1989 and showcased Fitzgerald’s intimate vocal style paired with Swales’ heavily effected guitar work. This sound drew parallels to bands like the Chameleons and Cocteau Twins. Kitchens of Distinction’s blend of melody and abstraction anticipated the shoegaze wave of the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Though promising, wider mainstream attention was limited, partially due to provocative tracks such as "Margaret's Injection," which fantasized about assassinating then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Openly gay since 1984, Fitzgerald infused his identity into songs like "Prize" and "Within the Daze of Passion" without restraint. A&M Records permitted this lyrical openness without censorship. Despite this, even indie-focused press coverage was scarce; the band secured a John Peel session only after personally requesting it following their Glastonbury appearance.
At times, Kitchens of Distinction performed under the pseudonym Toilets of Destruction, including a drag show at Kentish Town’s Bull & Gate in 1990 featuring covers from ABBA, David Bowie, and Bauhaus.
In 1990, they signed with A&M Records for US distribution and collaborated with producer Hugh Jones on their second album, Strange Free World, released in February 1991. This album spawned moderately successful singles such as "Drive that Fast" and "Quick as Rainbows," which gained traction on American college radio stations. Their third album, The Death of Cool (August 1992), also produced by Jones and named as an homage to Miles Davis, faced challenges when A&M rejected its initial single "Breathing Fear" due to its commentary on gay bashing; instead, "Smiling" was issued first. The band toured extensively during this period, supporting Suzanne Vega—a pairing later described by Swales as ill-suited and ineffective.
By 1993, Kitchens of Distinction co-produced their fourth album alongside engineer Pete Bartlett. After One Little Indian twice declined it for lacking commercial appeal, producer Pascal Gabriel was brought in to create new tracks and remix existing ones. The final product, Cowboys and Aliens, was released in October 1994 in the UK and early 1995 in the US but failed to achieve commercial success despite positive experiences during production. By late 1995, both A&M and OLI had ended their contracts with the band.
Adopting the shortened name Kitchens O.D., they signed with London-based indie label Fierce Panda Records and released the single "Feel My Genie" in May 1996, which received 'Single of the Week' honors from Melody Maker. The group officially disbanded that summer after performing a farewell concert at Kings Cross, London.
Reunion following disbandment (1996–present)
After the group dissolved, Fitzgerald pursued music under the name Fruit (not to be confused with the Australian band), collaborating with guest vocalists such as Miki Berenyi from Lush and Isabel Monteiro of Drugstore. Additionally, he partnered with 4AD artist Heidi Berry to form Lost Girls, which produced the single "Needle's Eye" and a full-length album released in 2014.
Beginning in 2000, Fitzgerald adopted the moniker Stephen Hero for his solo recordings, including the 2009 release Apparition in the Woods. Although there were speculations about a project involving Terry Bickers, Swales redirected his efforts toward composing music for film, theatre, and dance productions.
In September 2012, Fitzgerald revealed that he and Swales had completed recording ten new tracks. This marked the return of the original trio—Fitzgerald, Swales, and Goodwin—who unveiled their fifth studio album, Folly, on 30 September 2013. This release was their first studio album in nearly two decades.
Lost Girls' self-titled album was issued in October 2014 by 3 Loop Music across vinyl, digital formats, and an expanded 2CD edition containing demos and additional material.
Members
- Patrick Fitzgerald (born 7 April 1964, Basel, Switzerland) – bass guitar, vocals
- Julian Swales (born 23 March 1962, Cwmbrân, Wales) – guitar, occasional vocals
- Daniel Goodwin (born 22 July 1962, London, England) – drums, percussion
Albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||||||||||||||
| 1989 | Love Is Hell
|
— | |||||||||||||
| 1991 | Strange Free World
|
45 | |||||||||||||
| 1992 | The Death of Cool
|
72 | |||||||||||||
| 1994 | Cowboys and Aliens
|
— | |||||||||||||
| 2013 | Folly
|
— | |||||||||||||
| "—" indicates a release that did not enter the charts. | |||||||||||||||
Compilations
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | |||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Capsule: The Best of KOD 1988–94
|
— | |||||||||||||
| 2017 | Watch Our Planet Circle
|
— | |||||||||||||
| "—" indicates a release that did not enter the charts. | |||||||||||||||
Singles and EPs
| Title | Date of Release | Label and Catalog Number | Available Formats | UK Singles Chart | US Alt | Associated Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle"/"Escape" | December 1987 | Gold Rush (GRR3) | 7" | — | — | Standalone single |
| "Prize" | October 1988 | One Little Indian (12TP) | 12" | — | — | Love Is Hell |
| "The 3rd Time We Opened the Capsule" | May 1989 | One Little Indian (19TP) | 12" | — | — | |
| "Elephantine" EP | October 1989 | One Little Indian (29TP) | CD, 12" | — | — | Non-album release |
| "Quick as Rainbows" | March 1990 | One Little Indian (43TP) | CD, 12" | — | 18 | Strange Free World |
| "Gorgeous Love"1 | December 1990 | A&M | Promo CD, promo 12" | — | — | |
| "Drive that Fast" EP | January 1991 | One Little Indian (49TP) | CD, 7", 12" | 93 | 12 | |
| "Breathing Fear" | May 1992 | One Little Indian (59TP) | CD, 7", 12" | — | — | The Death of Cool |
| "When in Heaven" | August 1992 | One Little Indian (69TP) | CD, 12" | — | — | |
| "Smiling"1 | September 1992 | A&M | Promo 12" | — | 15 | |
| "4 Men"1 | October 1992 | A&M | Promo CD | — | 28 | |
| "Now It's Time to Say Goodbye" | September 1994 | One Little Indian (111TP) | CD, 12" | 86 | — | Cowboys and Aliens |
| "Cowboys and Aliens"1 | January 1995 | A&M | Promo CD | — | — | |
| "Feel My Genie"/"To Love a Star"2 | May 1996 | Fierce Panda Records (NING 19) | CD, 7" | — | — | Standalone single released as Kitchens O.D. |
| "Japan to Jupiter"1 | September 2013 | 3 Loop Music | Promo CD | — | — | Folly |
| "Extravagance" | April 2014 | 3 Loop Music | 10" | — | — |
Notes:
- 1 Released solely for promotional purposes.
- 2 Issued under the moniker Kitchens O.D..
Non-album tracks
- "Pastor Niemöller's Lament (Never Again)" – appeared on [ The Disagreement of the People], a various artists compilation from 1995 supporting opposition to the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 (Cooking Vinyl).
Cover songs
- "White Horses" (1994; B-side of UK single "Now It's Time to Say Goodbye" and US single "Cowboys and Aliens") – rendition of the theme from the 1960s television series The White Horses originally performed by Jackie Lee, which reached the UK top ten in April 1968. This track is distinguished by featuring Swales on lead vocals and initially appeared on a complimentary cassette included with a UK music magazine before its B-side release.
External links
- Short description with empty Wikidata description
- English alternative rock groups
- British dream pop musical groups
- British shoegaze musical groups
- English neo-psychedelia groups
- English post-punk music groups
- English musical trios
- Musical groups from the London Borough of Wandsworth
- One Little Independent Records artists
- English LGBTQ musicians
- LGBTQ-themed musical groups
- Musical groups established in 1986
- Musical groups disestablished in 1996
- Musical groups reestablished in 2012
- 1986 establishments in England
- A&M Records artists
- Fierce Panda Records artists