The Foots! Time to head to Melbourne, Australia, to the late 90s, early 2000s.

The band started after the short-lived band Jake was no more. This band featured Jane McCraken and Eva Sommerfeld, as well as Andrea Vendy and Kirsty Stegwazi, hence the name Jake, an acronym from the band member’s first names.

The Foots would have Jane and Eva in their ranks, and a third member, Stanley Paulzen (ex-Tlot Tlot) on drums. Eva was on bass and vocals while Jane on guitar and vocals. Both of the girls would be the songwriters.

In 1998 they released their first album on tape titled “Pegs”. It was self-released and included 8 songs, “Dancing”, “Pardon Me”, “Andrew” and “Geraniums” on the A side and “Both the Same”, “Snowdropper”, “Sixty-Seven” and “Popular” on the B side. The songs were recorded on January of 98 by Dave Nelson at Nelsonics studios in Melbourne.

There is a second tape album called “Ponchos”. I haven’t found any information about it yet.

In 1998 the band contributes the song “Geraniums” and “Andrew” to “Clippings – A Candle Record Collection” (CAN2501), a CD compilation put out by Candle Records

The band would sign to the Lost & Lonesome label and release two albums afterwards. You can find both of the albums on the label’s Bandcamp.

The third album was self-titled. It came out in the year 1999 with catalog number L&L 001. It was the first release on the label.

It was recorded in October 1999 at Nelsonics in Melbourne. Dave Nelson was the engineer and he mixed the tracks. This time the drummer was changed, now we find Colleen Keeffe. Also their former band mate Kirtsy Stegwazi plays cello on the song “Another World”.

The songs on this record were “It’s About Time”, “Fickle”, “Saturday”, “December”, “Another World”, “Happened Again”, “All Smiles”, “The New You”, “Only Just”, “Liar”, “Angelo” and “Darling”.

The next year, 2000, the band would appear on a rare 7″. “New Years Eve @ The Punters” was released to celebrate the New Years Eve gig in Melbourne at this venue, The Punters. Three bands appear on it, Sleepy Township on the A side and The Foots and The Lucksmiths on the B side.

The Foots contribute the song “Totally” that was mixed by Andrew Withycombe from The Ampersands, Hydroplane, The Cat’s Miaow, The Hanshalf Trio, and more and recorded by Mark Monnone from The Lucksmiths in Colleen’s kitchen.

The fourth album, also released on CD as the previous one, was called “Again…“. This had the catalog number L&L004 and came out on April 2001. On this record we find 11 tracks, “Totally”, “Fairy Story”, “Genius”, “Unshakable”, “Hardly Breathing”, “Return the Favour”, “Where We Met”, “Good Thought”, “Geraniums”, “Seventeen” and “Murky Water”. Again it was recorded at Nelsonics with David Nelson.

This record features Janelle Johnston on guitar on “Unshakable” and “Return the Favour”, Kirsty Stegwazi on cello on “Unshakable” and “Geraniums” and Barb Waters on banjo on “Good Thought”.

This same year, 2001, we see the song “Pardon Me” on “Will There Be Time for Tea?” a CD compilation on the US label Morgan Leah Records (Morgan 348). Also, they are on “A Very Steady Christmas!”, a 7″ comp by Steady Cam Records (SCAM 9812) from Australia. They appear on the B side with the song “December” which was recorded by Graeme Cameron and mixed by Anthony Paine. The other bands on this 7″, limited to 300-copies, were Bidston Moss, Soap Star Joe and Twelve42.

We know the band toured south-east Australia as well as New Zealand.

The three members would later collaborate in the band Fibrotown. Eva would also appear in other bands like Slurper, Hurdy Gurdy and Fricken. Jane would be on The Kicksilvers.

What else do people remember from The Foots. I am curious about gigs. Which towns did they play? How did their particular sound work live?

Any details will be appreciated!

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Listen
The Foots – Fickle