Brighton, England, jangle pop band the Popguns were formed in 1988 by vocalist Wendy Pickles, guitarists Simon Pickles (the group's primary songwriter) and Greg Dixon, and bassist Pat Walkington before adding former Wedding Present drummer Shaun Charman. Debuting with "Where Do You Go?," a flexi-disc included with the fanzine How Many Beans Make Five?, the group issued its first official single, "Landslide," in 1989, with the full-length Eugenie appearing on the Midnight Music label in 1990. Charman left the Popguns in the wake of their 1991 follow-up, Snog, but the group forged on, although a three-year hiatus preceded the release of the single "Star," their first effort for new label 3rd Stone. Their third LP, Love Junky, appeared in 1995, although the release of A Plus de Cent a year later led to a lengthy hiatus.

However, the Popguns regrouped with a new drummer and began playing live shows again in 2012. After the release in early 2014 of a newly recorded single, "Lovejunky," the band returned later that year with its fifth album, Pop Fiction. It was issued by Matinée Recordings and featured the original members of the band plus Tony Bryant on drums and Kate Mander on backing vocals. The band didn't waste much time before releasing another record, this time an EP titled Still Waiting for the Winter, which came out in July of 2015. The band took a short break after that, during which Simon and Wendy formed a duo, the Perfect English Weather, and released an album of gentle indie pop, Isobar Blues, on Matinée in late 2016. The Popguns proper hit the studio again with the same lineup as before and the result was another disc of jangling indie pop, Sugar Kisses, for Matinée. It hit the shelves in mid-2017. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi