Suburban Kid

Suburban Kid
Studio album by Bob Evans
Released 8 September 2003 (2003-09-08)
Recorded 2002–2003
Genre Folk pop
Length 54:30
Label Redline, Shock
Producer Bob Evans, Simon Struthers
Bob Evans chronology
Suburban Kid
(2003)		 Suburban Songbook
(2006)
Singles from Suburban Kid
  1. "Friday Come Five"
    Released: 18 August 2003
  2. "Turn"
    Released: late 2003

Suburban Kid is the debut solo album by the Australian singer-songwriter Kevin Mitchell, which was released under his pseudonym, Bob Evans. Mitchell is the lead vocalist of alternative rock group, Jebediah. The album was released on 8 September 2003 on Redline Records and was co-produced by Mitchell and Simon Struthers (Adam Said Galore). YourGigs website described it as "an album of youthful introspection, love and loss". Jason Ankeny (Allmusic) felt the album was "showcasing a more intimate, roots-flavored dimension of his songwriting". All the songs were written by Mitchell, although "The Hermit" was co-written with Luke Steele from The Sleepy Jackson. Luke's sister Katy Steele from Little Birdy provided backing vocals for the album.

The first single from the album, "Friday Come Five", was released 18 August 2003, with the second single, "Turn" released later in the year. Both tracks were put high rotation on Triple J when released and received solid support on Triple M and community radio stations around Australia. Film clips for both tracks aired on Rage, MTV Australia and CH[V]. In late 2003 Mitchell undertook a national acoustic tour, in support of the album's release, finishing up with a Festival of Perth performance alongside Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) and Tim Rogers (You Am I) in February 2004.

Background

Suburban Kid is the debut album by Bob Evans, the pseudonym of Australian singer-songwriter, Kevin Mitchell, from Jebediah.[1] Mitchell created the name as a side-project in 1999, to play incognito solo shows in Perth:[2][3]

I didn’t really want to trade on Jebediah's name, I thought that doing a solo record as Kevin Mitchell from Jebediah was a statement that I really had no intention of making, this was a side project rather than trying to embark on a solo career.[4]

From the age of 20, Mitchell had started to compile a list of acoustic guitar-based songs.[5] They were inspired by his life in the Perth suburb of Bull Creek, Western Australia and by the age of 24 he had developed a concept for a solo album.[5]

Suburban Kid was released on 8 September 2003 and was co-produced by Mitchell and Simon Struthers (Adam Said Galore).[6] The first single, "Friday Come Five", was released ahead of the album on 18 August.[5]

I think I wanted to release a song that was as different to Jebediah as I’ve got and "Friday Come Five" kinda fitted that bill. I just thought it was important for a song to be really, really different, something that would really stand out.

— Kevin Mitchell[4]

The second single, "Turn" followed later in the year. Both tracks were put high rotation on radio station, Triple J, and received support on Triple M and community radio stations around Australia.[7] The album was initially released by Redline Records and was subsequently re-released on 28 August 2006 by EMI Records[8] following the success of his second Bob Evans album Suburban Songbook (2006). The suburban-based theme continued with his third album, Goodnight, Bull Creek! (2009).[9]

Guest musicians on Suburban Kid include members of Jebediah, Ammonia, Adam Said Galore, Little Birdy, and End of Fashion.[10] In late 2003 Mitchell undertook a national acoustic tour, in support of the album's release, finishing up with a Festival of Perth performance alongside Evan Dando (The Lemonheads) and Tim Rogers (You Am I) in February 2004.[7][11][12]

Reception

YourGigs website previewed Bob Evans' 2009 tour and described Suburban Kid as "an album of youthful introspection, love and loss".[7] Jason Ankeny (Allmusic) felt it "[showcased] a more intimate, roots-flavored dimension of his songwriting".[13] Perth Sounds reviewer opined "[it] is a more personal affair allowing him to write honestly about long distance relationships, personal faults, good friends".[14]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Kevin Mitchell,[15] except as shown otherwise. 

Suburban Kid
No. Title Length
1. "For Today"   3:52
2. "My Big Mouth"   3:26
3. "Friday Come Five"   4:31
4. "She's Alone"   2:55
5. "Turn"   4:17
6. "Boy"   6:36
7. "The Hermit" (Kevin Mitchell, Luke Steele[16]) 4:56
8. "Stevie's Song"   4:17
9. "Heaven with You"   4:48
10. "Ode to My Car"   5:14
11. "Photographs"   4:18
12. "Sore Eyes"   3:39

Personnel

Credits according to album notes.[17]

Musicians

  • Alan Balmont – drums
  • Billy Brothers – pedal steel guitar
  • Justin Burford – backing vocals
  • Michael Lake – drums
  • Matt Maguire – drums
  • Brett Mitchell – drums
  • Kevin Mitchell (aka Bob Evans) – piano, Maton acoustic guitar, vocals, other sounds
  • Katy Steele – backing vocals
  • Simon Struthers – bass guitar, other sounds
  • Vanessa Thornton – bass guitar

Production

  • Andrew Christie – artwork
  • Anthony Cormican – mastering at Loop Studios
  • Kevin Mitchell – producer at Simon's Place, mixer
  • Keli Morris – photography
  • Simon Struthers – recording engineer, mixer, producer at his home studio (Simon's Place)

Release history

Region Date Format Label Catalog No.
Australia 8 September 2003 CD Redline RED020
28 August 2006 EMI 361288

References

  1. ↑ Bob Evans. Archived from the original on 12 September 2006. Australian Music Online. Retrieved on 3 January 2012.
  2. ↑ Shedden, Iain (3 April 2009). "The name's Bob Evans, for now". The Australian (News Limited (News Corporation)). Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  3. ↑ Ward, Claire (3 April 2007). "Bob Evans: Nowhere without... Kevin Mitchell?". Yourgigs. ninemsn Pty Ltd (Nine Entertainment Co. & Microsoft). Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  4. 1 2 Campbell, Hannah (17 September 2003). "Bob Evans – interview". dB Magazine (313) (Arna Eyers-White). Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Bob Evans". Music Australia (National Library of Australia). 29 September 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Engineer – Simon Struthers". Forensic Audio Mastering. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  7. 1 2 3 "Artist Info: Bob Evans". Yourgigs. ninemsn Pty Ltd (Nine Entertainment Co. & Microsoft). Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  8. ↑ "Bob Evans – Suburban Kid (reissue)". Chaos music. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  9. ↑ McRae, Ross (25 November 2008). "Goodbye to Suburbia". Melville Times (Community Newspaper Group (News Corporation)).
  10. ↑ "Bob Evans interview". PerthMusic. 2 August 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  11. ↑ "Triple Touring Treat". Frontier Touring. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  12. ↑ "Evan Dando live at Village Veranda Perth". X-press Magazine. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  13. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "Bob Evans – Biography". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  14. ↑ "Bob Evans – Suburban Kid CD Review". PerthSounds (WordPress (WordPress Foundation)). 6 November 2004. Retrieved 4 January 2012.
  15. ↑ "Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 3 January 2012. Note: requires user to input song title e.g. FOR TODAY
  16. ↑ "'The Hermit' at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 3 January 2012.
  17. ↑ Suburban Kid (CD booklet). Bob Evans. Redline / Shock. 2003. RED020.

External links

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