Kitchens of Distinction was formed in Tooting, London, in 1986 by vocalist‑bassist Patrick Fitzgerald, guitarist Julian Swales, and drummer Daniel Goodwin. The trio began rehearsing after Swales met Fitzgerald at a party in 1985, taking their name from a kitchen‑decorating company that had advertised on a bus. Their breakthrough came with the single "The Last Gasp Death Shuffle", released in December 1987, which earned “Single of the Week” in NME and led to a contract with One Little Indian Records. Kitchens of Distinction released Love Is Hell in April 1989, followed by Strange Free World (February 1991), The Death of Cool (August 1992), and Cowboys and Aliens (October 1994). The band toured extensively, opening for acts such as Suzanne Vega and playing the Glastonbury Festival. In 1996 the group disbanded after a final single, "Feel My Genie", under the shortened name Kitchens O.D. Patrick Fitzgerald continued solo projects, including the 2009 release Apparition in the Woods, while Julian Swales pursued composition work for film and theatre. The trio reunited in September 2012, and on 30 September 2013 released Folly, their first studio album in nineteen years. The band’s catalogue has remained influential within the UK alternative rock scene, with Love Is Hell and Cowboys and Aliens noted for their contribution to the early shoegaze movement.
