1990s

Emerging in Glasgow during the 1990s, the rock & roll trio known as 1990s drew its initial lineup from the dissolved remnants of Yummy Fur, a group that had once counted Franz Ferdinand’s Paul Thomson among its members for a short stretch. Following Yummy Fur’s 1999 breakup, guitarist and vocalist Jackie McKeown joined forces again with bassist Jamie McMorrow several years afterward, recruiting drummer Michael McGaughrin—previously of V-Twin—to complete the new ensemble. Rough Trade extended a recording contract after the band had performed just six concerts. In addition to opening for Franz Ferdinand, 1990s shared bills with the Long Blondes and CSS throughout the closing months of 2006. Their first full-length release, Cookies, benefited from production by Bernard Butler, the guitarist formerly of Suede, and reached American listeners on July 31, 2007. Shortly thereafter McMorrow departed, prompting Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake to step in temporarily so that scheduled dates could be honored. Blake’s involvement was understood from the outset to be provisional, and Dino Bardot, another V-Twin alumnus who had previously collaborated with McGaughrin, soon took the bass position on a permanent basis. The refreshed three-piece returned to the studio with Butler, resulting in the album Kicks, which appeared in March 2009.