Episode 212 - Patrick Fitzgerald of Kitchens of Distinction/Solo

You might consider South London's Kitchens of Distinction forebears of the shoegazer genre that defined alternative rock in the UK in the early 90s. Fronted by bassist Patrick Fitzgerald, the Kitchens perfected the art of layering swirling guitars into infinity creating some of the most gorgeous noise ever recorded. But, after four albums in 6 years without a major breakthrough, the band called it quits in the mid-90s. Since then Patrick has had numerous side projects including Fruit, Lost Girls, Oskar's Drum, and his solo work under the name Stephen Hero. Oh, and he also became a doctor. Patrick and I discuss the legacy of KOD, the challenges of being an out and proud gay man in those days, the nature of his work in medicine, the new album he's completing, and a disastrous tour they did with Suzanne Vega back in the day.  He's just about the sweetest man you'll ever know. And here's a link to the last Oskar's Drum album, 2018's Degenerate Art, which is fantastic. Enjoy!    https://oskarsdrum.bandcamp.com/album/degenerate-art?fbclid=IwAR1-MQ1dkWfKAo-NfvS2d_Hzjbs5iBKI50RaqKWh7xjzBEnULrndy5KocOE