Moler are a power pop band which formed in 1993 as a three-piece with founding mainstays Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals and Julien Poulsen on lead guitar. They featured a changing line-up of drummers and sometimes worked as a four-piece with a keyboardist. Their sole studio album, Golden Duck, appeared in October 1997 via Infectious/Mushroom Records/Sony Records with Lindsay Gravina producing. They disbanded in 2001. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, " built-up a buzz around the Melbourne independent scene with its mix of noisy guitar fuzz, hard-driving beats, strident pop melodies and Cattanach's alternately sweet'n'purring and aggressive vocals."
History
Moler were started as Snuff in Melbourne in 1993 as an indie guitar pop trio by Helen Cattanach on bass guitar and lead vocals, David Peacock on drums and Julien Poulson on lead guitar. Cattanach and Poulson had been members of the Stiff Kittens, which gigged in Melbourne before relocating to Hong Kong where the pair formed Kick House. They reformed the Stiff Kittens in London in 1992 with Rob Lastdrager on drums and vocals and Richard Webb on lead vocals and guitar. That group issued an extended play, As You Walk, via London-based label, Psychic Records. The members returned to Australia. Snuff released a five-track EP, Driven, via Fat Buddha Records with Lindsay Gravina producing. Soon after they changed their name to Moler and signed with Mushroom Records' imprint Infectious Records. Moler featured a changing line-up of drummers. Their debut EP, On Special, was issued in June 1996, of its five tracks Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, found "The lead-off track, 'Shopping Trolley', displayed plenty of appeal." A second five-track EP, Coaster, followed in September. The group toured with fellow local bands, Snout and Magic Dirt, and supported gigs by international artists, Weezer, Everclear, Ash and Garageland. Early in 1997 Peacock was replaced on drums by Steve Boyle. Moler released their third EP, Infatuation, with four tracks in May 1997. Its title track was placed on high rotation by national youth radio station, Triple J. They released their debut album, Golden Duck in October 1997 via Infectious/Mushroom/Sony Records with Gravina producing. It provided a single, "Invite Me to Your Party". After the album appeared Boyle was replaced by Neil Lynch on drums and they added Matt Heydon on keyboards. In April 1999 they issued another single, "Brian Was a Surfer", for which McFarlane noticed " continued the revolving drummer syndrome, with Darren Seltmann playing 'kitchen drumkit' on that single." They found a new drummer in early 2000, with Mike Glenn joining, in time for a tour of the United States in March. The group's last release, "Red & White Stripes", was a single in 2001, which was also issued as a four-track EP of the same name. They were nominated for an ARIA for best rock album, been on national rotation on Triple J and opened the Mushroom Concert of the Century. According to McFarlane, " built-up a buzz around the Melbourne independent scene with its mix of noisy guitar fuzz, hard-driving beats, strident pop melodies and Cattanach's alternately sweet'n'purring and aggressive vocals."
