Polystigma

 

ORIGINS: Quakers Hill and Upper North Shore, NSW

GENRE: Alternative Rock

YEARS ACTIVE: 1998-2003

 

MEMBERS:

• Jaime Stigma (Vocals, Guitar)
• Kimb Stigma (Bass, Vocals)
• Kirsten 'Kit' Stigma (Drums, Vocals) [1998-2002]
• Wayne Keene (Drums) [2002-2003]
• Clinton Toepfer (Drums) [2003]
  

RELEASES: 

 

Download some assorted songs here.

• The Peanut Gallery (1999) 
  

• Embrace the Cheese (1999)
• 1. Posie
• 2. Miss Grunge Angel
• 3. Pretty Soul
• 4. Reason Why
• 5. Die Alone
• 6. Image
• 7. Romantic Destruction
• 8. Brain Leprosy

• Power Puff Daddy (2000)
• 1. Acid Room
• 2. Reason Why
• 3. Betty's Donkey
• 4. Pallid & Frail
• 5. Brain Leprosy
   
•  Four Letter Word EP (2001)
• 1. Low Light
• 2. Professor
• 3. Reason Why
• 4. Pallid & Frail
• 5. Suzie Blew
• 6. Perfect Breed
• 7. Wanky Bridge
• 8. Acid Room
• 9. Betty's Donkey
• 10. Witch

• Stolen Monkey Found Shaved (2001) - Some songs can be downloaded here.
  
• 1. Stand Clear Doors Closing
• 2. Daily Juice
• 3. Green
• 4. Spite
• 5. Ground
  

• Fresh Off the Road (2001) [QLD 2001 Tour CD]
• 1. Stand Clear Doors Closing
• 2. Acid Room
• 3. Daily Juice
• 4. Witch
• 5. Professor
• 6. Green
• 7. Spite
• 8. Ground  

• The Self Serve EP (2002) - Some songs can be downloaded here.
  
• 1. Midst of a Spin
  
• 2. Such a Mouth
  
• 3. Self Serve
• 4. Daily Juice
• 5. Dead Air

• Tastes Like Moonshine (2002?) [Live]
  

• Such a Mouth (2003) [Live]
  

SUMMARY: Polystigma began after the three original members connected with each other via Drum Media classifieds while teenagers. They began rehearsing regularly at Noisegate Studios in Castle Hill and played lots of shows at the Green Square, Iron Duke, and the Excelsior in Sydney, as well as some shows in Queensland as part of the 'Who's Your Daddy' tour to Brisbane with the band Notion. Kirsten left the band in 2002 and they continued playing with new drummers until they decided to call it a day a year later.

 

SHOWS: 

• Jacks Youth Cafe, Hornsby - unknown date, 1998
• Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 17th March, 2001 
• Old Council Chambers, Penrith - 31st March, 2001
  
• Wastelands, Blacktown Masonic Hall, Blacktown - 2nd June, 2001
• Bar Broadway, Sydney - 31st August, 2001
  
• Channel Cafe, Penrith - 17th November, 2001
• Club Burnout, Great Western Bar, Penrith - 5th January, 2002
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 12th January, 2002
• Grounded Festival, Museum of Fire, Penrith - 13th April, 2002
• Club 77, Kings Cross - 16th April, 2002
  
• Kelts Bar, Blaxland - 15th June, 2002
  

ORAL HISTORY:

KIMB: I was really into Smashing Pumpkins and other alt-rock stuff from about 12, so I started playing bass for weekly high school 'sport' with a bunch of older guys who were into Satriani and Metallica. After a while my music teacher talked my parents into buying me a bass and that same week I picked up a copy of the Drum Media and read a classified ad from a few girls my age - 14, into the same kind of music, who were looking for a bass player. I hadn't been particularly looking, but was excited by the ad that almost seemed too good to be true. I reached out to them to audition and it all just fell into place.

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KIMB: We lived for the band, sometimes rehearsing 3 days a week, spending way too much time hanging out at Noisegate Studios in Castle Hill picking up smoking habits. It's possible we were naive, but the scene felt supportive and safe, and I'm grateful to the bands and venues who asked us to join lineups... Formative and memorable years to say the least.

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels discussion, 2024

KIMB: Our first show was at Jack's Youth Cafe in Hornsby, we had 3 or 4 songs at the time, probably 6 months in. Somehow around this time, Kit got one of our super cheesy songs, 'Lonely Frog', played on the Ugly Phil and Jackie O show while she was volunteering there.

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KIMB: We played two Grounded Festivals in Penrith; it was great to be on a big stage. Other highlights were any gigs where we got to hang out with friends, like Spudgun. I'm still really good friends with Simo (from Spudgun)."

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

 

KIMB: Early on we were coming up with a lot of pop punk and grungey stuff, the subject matter was more immature. Listening back to these recordings I really feel like we found our sound in 2001 around the time of our live EP... There's a lot of pop there, probably more than we wanted but there's some nice contrast between the heavier moments and ballad stuff. Jaime would usually come with basic guitar progression and lyrics and I was really interested in song structure, we'd spend time working through that. I always loved her lyrics, which were sincere and about real situations, but hidden so we never even knew if she was singing about dynamics within the band, and a lot of the time she was."

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

WAYNE: I was in a few bands at Noisegate Studios so I was there all the time. Polystigma were very much a Noisegate band and I was a big fan. I think everyone there was. They were seriously good and should have probably gone a lot further. Kirsten took a break and I didn't have to be asked twice to jump in so the band could continue. I played several shows with them and recorded the EP, which was awesome as I just saw myself as a fan the whole time sitting in on one of his favourite bands. I always hoped Kirsten would come back and they would take over the world.

Wayne Keene (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

WAYNE: I had a few bands - Mode 9, Suitable Few, Seattle Sound - going at the time so they got another drummer, Clinton, as a full time member. He's listed on the CD as the drummer as he was going to be a full time member but he didn't play on it. I'm not sure if he even played any shows before Polystigma broke up for good. He was an awesome drummer and it would have been great to see where he could have taken them too.

Wayne Keene (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

 

KIMB: I wish we'd kept going. We had a lot of good opportunities around us, worked with some producers and management, and had a potential label signing... nothing fully took off but I felt like maybe it would have eventually. Everything takes its natural course though, and I feel like what we lived through at that time set us up for things we're doing now. I wish we were still as close personally as we were back them, but there's no major regrets. I like to think there's an alternative universe somewhere where Polystigma made it."

Kimberley Galceran (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

WAYNE: I love being a part of the story but am happy for the band to always be known as those three girls as they did all of the work and achieved a lot with everything stacked against them. The Western Sydney band scene was a bit of a boys' club and they didn't bat an eyelid, just let their songs and talent do the talking. If they ever wanted to do a comeback show I'd be all over it though! 

Wayne Keene (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2024

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