Ask an Australian of a certain age about Kids in the Kitchen and you’ll probably get a chorus of “Change in Mood”. Outside Australia they’re a secret worth knowing.
Melbourne’s synth-pop stars
Kids in the Kitchen formed in Melbourne in the early ’80s, fronted by Scott Carne. They’d been together just eight months when Mushroom’s White Label signed them. Their first two singles, “Change in Mood” (October 1983) and “Bitter Desire” (April 1984), both went top 10 in Australia.
Shine and Terrain
The lineup shifted in 1984, with Alistair Coia on keyboards and Claude Carranza on guitar. The debut album, Shine (June 1985), peaked at number 6, went platinum with more than 70,000 copies sold, and gave them three more singles: “Something That You Said” (number 16), “Shine” and “Current Stand” (number 14). “My Life” and “Out of Control” followed. With Jason Stonehouse on drums, they made Terrain (1987), with “Say It” (number 20) and “Revolution Love”. The band split in 1988.
Is Kids in the Kitchen new wave?
Yes. Kids in the Kitchen are an Australian new wave and synth-pop band from the mid-’80s, with bright synthesizers, funky bass and big pop choruses. They were among the most successful Australian synth-pop acts at home.
The essential Kids in the Kitchen
- “Change in Mood” (1983)
- “Bitter Desire” (1984)
- “Something That You Said” (1985)
- “Current Stand” (1985)
Kids in the Kitchen today
The band split in 1988.
Hear Kids in the Kitchen on New Wave Radio
They’re a regular on the Australian New Wave 80s Hour.
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