The Cat's Miaow

The Cat's Miaow is an indie pop band formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1992.

Members

Kerrie (The Beat Poets, Tra La La) – vocals
Bart (Blairmailer, Girl of the World, Library Records) – guitar
Andrew (Blairmailer, The Ampersands) – bass
Cameron (Girl of the World) – drums

The Cat’s Miaow is an Australian indie pop band formed in 1992 in Melbourne. Originally a home-recording project by Bart Cummings (guitar, bass, vocals) and Andrew Withycombe (bass, guitar), the duo expanded to a quartet with the addition of Kerrie Bolton (vocals) and Cam Smith (drums). Known for their lo-fi, melodic sound, the band recorded extensively throughout the 1990s. Despite limited domestic recognition, The Cat’s Miaow found greater success and appreciation overseas, similar to other Australian indie acts such as The Particles, Even As We Speak, and The Cannanes.

Over the early 1990s they released a series of cassette albums on the local label Toytown—including Little Baby Sour Puss, Pet Sounds, From My Window, and How Did Everything Get So Fucked Up? The Quietus +6 Last.fm +6 artistwiki.com +6 . In 1996, U.S. label Bus Stop issued the compilation A Kiss and a Cuddle, followed by Songs For Girls to Sing in 1997 (collecting EPs, live tracks, unreleased material, including their split single with Stereolab). In 1999 they released The Long Goodbye through Darla Records’ Bliss Out series, after issuing ambient‑influenced material under the name Hydroplane The Quietus +9 Last.fm +9 artistwiki.com +9 .

Their dreamy, lo‑fi twee/jangle pop sound—marked by Kerrie Bolton’s soprano vocals, minimalist guitars, synths and melancholic melodies—garnered critical affection overseas more than locally, typical for many Australian indie acts of that era The Cat's Miaow +11 The Quietus +11 Wikipedia +11 . While they performed live only very sparingly (just one official gig and a few private events), they earned a cult reputation largely through tape trading and small‑label releases within the 1990s indie pop underground The Toff The Quietus

They later explored more ambient electronic territory through the offshoot project Hydroplane and have seen reissues and compilation releases in the 2020s, including Skipping Stones: The Cassette Years '92–'93 (2024) and Songs ’94–’98 (2022) via World Of Echo The Toff +8 The Cat's Miaow +8 discogs.com +8

So in summary: The Cat's Miaow are an influential, low‑key Melbourne indie pop quartet from the 1990s, known for their tape‑based DIY releases and wistful, understated twee‑pop aesthetic.

Discography

Little Baby Sourpuss cassette (Toytown, 1992)
Pet Sounds cassette (Toytown, 1992)
From My Window cassette (Toytown, 1993)
Contrast Split Singles Club split 7-inch (with Last Party, French Marigold and Maylove) (Contrast, 1992)
Stereolab/Cat's Miaow split 7-inch (Wurlitzer Jukebox, 1995)
Cat's Miaow/Stinky Fire Engine split 7-inch (Spit and a Half, 1996)
A Kiss and a Cuddle CD (Bus Stop, 1996)
Songs For Girls To Sing CD (Drive-In, 1997)
The Long Goodbye EP (Darla, 1999)
A Kiss and a Cuddle CD (with bonus tracks) (Library Records, 2003)

Songs '94-'98 by The Cat's Miaow, World of Echo originally issued in 2022 LP inc. 7" & Zine | Edition of 250 - SOLD OUT LP - edition of 500 - SOLD OUT LP - second edition | Edition of 500 - SOLD OUT LP - third edition | Edition of 500 - SOLD OUT LP - fourth edition - blue vinyl TRACKLISTING '94-'98: LP 1. Hollow Inside 2. Light the Beacon 3. Not Like I Was Doing Anything 4. Note On The Table 5. You Know It's True 6. What Time Is It There? 7. I Can't Sleep Thinking You Hate Me 8. Smitten 9. Portland, Oregon 10. Let Me Brush the Hair From Your Face 11. Stay 12. Shoot The Moon 13. Barney & Me 14. Firefly 15. LA International Airport 16. Crying 17. If Things Had Been Different 18. I Take It That We're Through

Members of The Cat's Miaow have also released more ambient recordings under the name Hydroplane.

External links

http://www.virtual.net.au/~awithy/miaow.htm Official web site
http://www.twee.net/bands/catsmiaow.html twee.net page

https://worldofechomusic.com/products/the-cats-miaow-songs-94-98-fourth-edition

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