Collection: Surprise Chef

Surprise Chef is an instrumental band from Coburg, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The group was formed in 2017 by guitarist Lachlan Stuckey and keyboardist Jethro Curtin, who met at music school and had been playing together in various configurations. They founded College of Knowledge Records and established a shared studio and art space in Coburg, where they developed their sound in creative isolation. The lineup includes Stuckey on guitar, Curtin on keyboards and organ, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and Hudson Whitlock on percussion, production, and multi-instrumentalist duties. Influenced by composer-producers David Axelrod and Isaac Hayes, as well as Curtis Mayfield, Janko Nilovic, and labels like Daptone and Truth & Soul, they record everything live to tape. Their debut album All News Is Good News was recorded in a few days at their Coburg studio in 2019, pressed 500 copies on College of Knowledge Records, and sold out in two weeks.

Their second album Daylight Savings was released in 2020. Both albums were released internationally via Mr Bongo and attracted global attention. They toured North American and European festivals in 2022, expanding their fanbase. They signed to Big Crown Records and released their third album Education & Recreation in October 2022. Their fourth album Superb was released in 2025.