Summer Cats

Formed in Melbourne, Australia, during 2006, the Summer Cats earned their cuddly, sweet, and warm reputation right from the start. The lineup brought together ex-Earthmen frontman Scott Stevens with Hugh, Irene, Julia, and Scott B. Their earliest splash came via the jangly “Hush Puppy,” a track whose sound drew from the Go-Betweens yet aligned even more closely with Cub. Once posted online, the song attracted considerable critical attention, especially from Pitchfork. Buoyed by that response, 2007 saw the group issue a rapid series of singles and EPs. “Hush Puppy” appeared on a split 7-inch with Portland-based indie pop duo Eux Autres, issued by Knock Yr Socks Off, while the Australian label Popboomerang put out the band’s debut EP, Scratching Post. Cloudberry, the Miami-based imprint, later extracted several tracks from that EP for the single Wild Rice and followed it in 2008 with another single, Lonely Planet. Also in 2008, London’s WeePop Records released the EP Passion Pop. Slumberland Records delivered the debut full-length, Songs for Tuesdays, during the summer of 2009.