Suburban Lawns
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Suburban Lawns were an American New Wave group from 1978 through 1983.
Forming in Long Beach, California in 1978, the band consisted of:
- Su Tissue (Sue McLane) - vocals/keyboards
- Frankie Ennui (Richard Whitney) - guitar
- John Gleur (John McBurney) - guitar
- Vex Billingsgate (William Ranson) - bass
- Chuck Roast (Charles Rodriguez) - drums
1979 debut single "Gidget Goes to Hell" (released on their own Suburban Industrial label) gained the band notoriety when its Jonathan Demme-directed music video was shown on Saturday Night Live.
Their sole album, Suburban Lawns, was released in 1981 on I.R.S. Records, featuring New Wave radio favorite "Janitor." Gleur departed during the recording of the Richard Mazda-produced 5-song EP Baby, released in 1983, and the band folded shortly afterward.
The lyrics of "Janitor" were derived from a real-life conversation between Su Tissue and friend Brian Smith. According to Brian, the two were conversing in a loud room when they first met:
"She asked me what I did for a living. I said 'I'm a janitor' and she thought I said 'Oh my genitals.' Frank overheard this and wrote the song."
After Suburban Lawns folded, Frankie Ennui and Vex Billingsgate formed a new, short-lived band called The Lawns. Su Tissue attended Berklee College of Music, where she studied piano.
In 1982 Su Tissue recorded a solo album, Salon de Musique. She also played the role of Peggy Dillman in Demme's 1986 comedy movie Something Wild opposite Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels and Ray Liotta.
A Suburban Lawns poster is seen in the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, hanging on the wall in the bedroom of the character Damone.
