View source for Cardiacs

{{short description|English rock band}}
{{About|the English rock band|other uses|Cardiac arrest (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Cardiacs
| image             = Cardiacs live at Reading Rock Festival 1986.jpg
| landscape         = yes
| alt               = A composite image of the band onstage
| caption           = Cardiacs live at [[Reading and Leeds Festivals|Reading Rock Festival]] 1986
| alias             = * The Filth (1977–1978)
* Cardiac Arrest (1978–1980)
| origin            = [[Kingston upon Thames]], England
| genre             = {{flatlist|
<!---   Do NOT add genres that are not supported by an inline citation  --->
*[[Art rock]]
*[[progressive punk]]
*[[psych rock]]
*[[avant-punk]]
*[[art pop]]
}}
| works             = {{hlist|[[Cardiacs discography|Discography]]|[[List of songs recorded by Cardiacs|songs]]}}
| years_active      = {{hlist|1977–2008|2021–present<ref name="hist">{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/history/ |access-date=18 August 2025 |publisher=Cardiacs}}</ref>}}
| label             = {{hlist|Tortch|[[Alphabet Business Concern|Alphabet]]|Torso|[[Strange Fruit Records|Strange Fruit]]|[[Organ (magazine)|Org]]|[[Aaron Tanner|Melodic Virtue]]}}
| spinoffs          = {{hlist|[[Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake|Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake]]|[[The Sea Nymphs (band)|Sea Nymphs]]|[[Panixphere]]|[[Spratleys Japs|Spratleys&nbsp;Japs]]}}
| website           = {{URL|cardiacs.net}}
| current_members   = * [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim Smith]]
* [[Bob Leith]]
* [[Kavus Torabi]]
* Sharron Fortnam
* [[Craig Fortnam]]
* Chloe Herington
* Jane Kaye
* [[Mike Vennart]]
* [[Rhodri Marsden]]
| past_members      = *[[Tim Smith (Cardiacs)|Tim Smith]]
*Michael Pugh
*[[Peter Tagg (musician)|Peter Tagg]]
*Colvin Mayers
*Ralph Cade
*[[Mark Cawthra]]
*Sarah Smith
*[[Tim Quy]]
*Dominic Luckman
*[[William D. Drake]]
*Graham Simmonds
*Marguerite Johnston
*[[Bic Hayes|Christian Hayes]]
*[[Jon Poole]]
*[[Circulus (band)|Cathy Harabaras]]
*[[Sidi Bou Said (band)|Claire Lemmon]]
*Dawn Staple
*[[Melanie Woods (musician)|Melanie Woods]]
}}
'''Cardiacs'''{{efn|sometimes also referred to as '''the Cardiacs'''<ref name="roughguide"/><ref name="UK Tour"/><ref name="quietusheartattack">{{Cite web |last=Bendel |first=Graham |author-link=Graham Bendel |date=4 May 2010 |title=Why A Heart Attack Must Not Arrest The Cardiacs |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/04192-why-a-heart-attack-must-not-arrest-the-cardiacs |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204161743/http://thequietus.com/articles/04192-why-a-heart-attack-must-not-arrest-the-cardiacs |archive-date=4 February 2013 |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref><ref name="Spencer">{{Cite web |last=Mr. Spencer |date=20 April 2011 |title=The Cardiacs - an epic overview by Mr. Spencer with help from Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Captain Sensible |url=https://louderthanwar.com/the-cardiacs-an-epic-overview-by-mr-spencer-with-help-from-damon-albarn-graeme-coxon-and-captain-sensible/ |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=[[Louder Than War]]}}</ref><ref name="pse-garage"/><ref name="Cashmore">{{Cite web|last=Cashmore|first=Pete|date=2 June 2015|title=Cult heroes: Tim Smith led the Cardiacs in the face of hatred – and much love|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jun/02/cult-heroes-tim-smith-led-the-cardiacs-in-the-face-of-hatred-and-much-love|url-status=live|access-date=30 September 2021|website=[[The Guardian]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150603135943/http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2015/jun/02/cult-heroes-tim-smith-led-the-cardiacs-in-the-face-of-hatred-and-much-love |archive-date=3 June 2015 }}</ref><ref name="Seaside boxset">{{Cite web |last=Barton |first=Mark |date=10 December 2015 |title=Re-issue Of The Year - The Cardiacs - The Seaside |url=https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2015/12/10/re-issue-of-the-year-the-cardiacs-the-seaside/ |access-date=14 July 2022 |website=[[God Is in the TV]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reilly |first=Nick |date=22 July 2020 |title=The Cardiacs' Tim Smith has died at the age of 59 |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-cardiacs-tim-smith-has-died-at-the-age-of-59-2712830 |access-date=14 July 2022 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref><ref name="Billboard">{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith Dead: The Cardiacs Singer Dies |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/tim-smith-dead-cardiacs-singer-dies-9422351/ |access-date=19 August 2022 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}}</ref><ref name="allmusic1">{{Cite web |last=Demalon |first=Tom |title=Cardiacs Biography, Songs, & Albums |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cardiacs-mn0000531346/biography |access-date=21 August 2022 |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821171823/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cardiacs-mn0000531346/biography |archive-date=21 August 2022 |url-status=unfit}}</ref>}} are<!-- Proper nouns that are plural in form take a plural verb in each of American, Canadian and British English. Please do not change "were" to "was". --> an English [[Rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Kingston upon Thames]] by [[Tim Smith (Cardiacs)|Tim Smith]] (guitar and lead vocals) and his brother [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim]] (bass, backing vocals) in 1977 under the name Cardiac Arrest.{{efn|The band was initially formed as the Filth before changing their name to Cardiac Arrest.<ref name="RIP">{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=22 July 2020 |title=Cardiacs' Tim Smith, RIP |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/cardiacs-tim-smith-rip/ |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref><ref name="OndaRock"/><ref name="timsmithdeadguardian">{{Cite web |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith, frontman of cult band Cardiacs, dies aged 59 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jul/22/tim-smith-frontman-cult-band-the-cardiacs-dies-aged-59 |access-date=20 August 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> Performing under the name until 1980,<ref name="musictimes">{{Cite web |last=Mark |first=Alvin |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith, the Cardiacs frontman, dies at 59 |url=https://www.musictimes.com/articles/82080/20200722/tim-smith-cardiacs-frontman-dies-59.htm |access-date=21 August 2022 |website=Music Times}}</ref> the group went though a number of name changes before settling on simply Cardiacs in 1981.<ref name="quietustimsmithdead"/><ref name="RIP"/>|name=note1}} One of Britain's leading [[Cult following#Music|cult rock bands]], Cardiacs' sound folded in genres including [[art rock]], [[progressive rock]], [[art punk]], [[post-punk]], [[jazz]], [[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]] and [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] (as well as elements of [[Circus music|circus]], [[baroque pop]], [[medieval music]], [[nursery rhyme]]s and [[Sea shanty|sea shanties]]), all of which was topped by Smith's anarchic vocals and hard-to-decipher lyrics.<ref name="Billboard" /><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=23 July 2020 |title=The Essentiality of Cardiacs' 'A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window' |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-essentiality-of-cardiacs-a-little-man-and-a-house-and-the-whole-world-window/ |access-date=25 June 2022 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref> The band's theatrical performance style often incorporated off-putting costumes and make-up, complete with on-stage confrontations. Their sound and image made them unpopular with the press, but they amassed a devoted following.

Tim Smith was the primary songwriter, noted for his complex and innovative compositional style. He and his brother were the only constant members in the band's regularly changing [[List of Cardiacs band members#Lineups|lineup]].<ref name="quietustimsmithdead"/> The band created their own [[Independent record label|indie label]], the Alphabet Business Concern, in 1984 and found mainstream exposure with the single "[[Is This the Life]]" from their debut album ''[[A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window]]'' (1988). Their second album, ''[[On Land and in the Sea]]'' (1989), was followed by ''[[Heaven Born and Ever Bright]]'' (1992), which displayed a harder edged, [[Heavy metal music|metal]]-leaning sound retained in the subsequent albums ''[[Sing to God]]'' (1996) and ''[[Guns (Cardiacs album)|Guns]]'' (1999).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rowlands |first=Marc |date=10 January 2018 |title=Members Of Faith No More, Voivod And Napalm Death Join Fundraiser For Cardiacs Vocalist |url=https://www.kerrang.com/members-of-faith-no-more-voivod-napalm-death-and-the-widhearts-join-fundraiser-for-cardiacs-vocalist |access-date=17 August 2022 |website=[[Kerrang!]]}}</ref> The final Cardiacs album, ''[[LSD (Cardiacs album)|LSD]]'', was left unfinished after Tim Smith was hospitalised with [[dystonia]] resulting from a [[cardiac arrest]] and [[stroke]] in 2008, which caused the band to go on hiatus until the release of the album in 2025.

Smith's illness brought increased and belated critical recognition to Cardiacs, with several music outlets calling ''Sing to God'' a masterpiece.{{efn|See [[Sing to God#Retrospective assessment]]}} His death in 2020 saw a raft of tributes on social media. Many rock groups including [[Blur (band)|Blur]] were influenced by Cardiacs' eclectic music, which appeared on streaming services in 2021. Billed as Cardiacs Family & Friends, or sometimes just Cardiacs, Cardiacs members "past, present, and future" performed the music of Tim Smith at several sold-out gigs in 2024. After the release of ''LSD'', Cardiacs announced three live dates in support of the album for March 2026.

== History ==

=== 1977–1984: Early years ===
[[File:Cardiacs Tim and Jim Amsterdam 1987.jpg|thumb|Brothers Tim and Jim Smith co-founded the band and were the sole constant members.]]
Cardiacs originated in [[Kingston upon Thames]], Surrey, in the late 1970s.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |date=14 December 2010 |title=Magic Numbers and XTC raise funds for Salisbury musician |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/wiltshire/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_9286000/9286085.stm |access-date=19 August 2022 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="quietusheartattack"/> Frontman [[Tim Smith (Cardiacs)|Tim Smith]] began his musical career in 1975 after forming a nameless band at school in which he played guitar.<ref name="Sky News">{{Cite web |last=Gillespie |first=Tom |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith dies aged 59: Tributes paid to Cardiacs frontman |url=https://news.sky.com/story/tim-smith-dies-aged-59-tributes-paid-to-cardiacs-frontman-12034063 |access-date=21 August 2022 |publisher=[[Sky News]]}}</ref> Smith played his first gig at Surbiton Assembly Rooms aged 16 alongside [[Adrian Borland]] of [[The Outsiders (British band)|the Outsiders]] and drummer Bruce Bisland as Gazunder.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kitching |first=Sean |date=24 July 2020 |title=Remembering Tim Smith Of Cardiacs |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/28654-tim-smith-obituary-cardiacs |access-date=19 August 2022 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> The Cardiacs biography describes their two gigs in 1976 as sounding "a bit like the rocky instrumental bits" on [[David Bowie]]'s ''[[The Man Who Sold the World (album)|The Man Who Sold the World]]'' (1970).<ref name=":0" /> The band that would become Cardiacs was formed in late 1977 by Smith and his brother [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim]] on bass guitar and backing vocals, alongside Michael Pugh on lead vocals and [[Peter Tagg (musician)|Peter Tagg]] on drums.<ref name="allmusic1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nugent |first=Annabel |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith death: Cardiacs frontman dies aged 59 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/tim-smith-death-cardiacs-singer-age-cause-heart-attack-a9632031.html |access-date=17 June 2022 |website=[[The Independent]]}}</ref><ref name="quietustimsmithdead">{{Cite web |last=Eede |first=Christian |date=22 July 2020 |title=Cardiacs' Tim Smith Has Died, Aged 59 |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/28641-cardiacs-tim-smith-rip |access-date=19 August 2022 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref> The project was initially called the Filth,<ref name="RIP"/> but soon changed their name to Cardiac Arrest,<ref name="timsmithdeadguardian"/> possibly by their second gig in 1978 according to Tagg.<ref name=":4"/> According to the official history, Tim Smith formed the band merely to punish his brother "for all the unkind things he would do to him as an infant",<ref name="Spencer"/> as Jim allegedly couldn't play an instrument.<ref name="allmusic1" />

Cardiac Arrest produced a demo in 1977,<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Nubel |first1=Ted |last2=Rosenthal |first2=Jon |date=9 April 2021 |title=Records of the Week with Jon and Ted #7 |url=https://www.invisibleoranges.com/records-of-the-week-with-jon-and-ted-7/ |access-date=20 August 2022 |website=[[Invisible Oranges]]}}</ref> and released their debut single "[[A Bus for a Bus on the Bus]]" in 1979 under Tortch Records.<ref name="musictimes"/> Peter Tagg and Ralph Cade decamped from Cardiacs and formed [[the Trudy]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Abrahams |first=Ian |date=17 August 2017 |title=Signature Choons |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/articles/signature-choons |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[Record Collector]] |issue=470}}</ref> Smith, the primary lyricist, initially took on guitar and backing vocal duties before Pugh's departure saw him promoted to frontman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith, singer with influential rock band Cardiacs, dies aged 59 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-53497353 |access-date=19 August 2022 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref name="Billboard" /> Cardiac Arrest followed the single with a full-length cassette release titled ''[[The Obvious Identity]]'' in 1980,<ref name="allmusic1"/><ref name="Billboard"/> which was released at around 1000 copies exclusively sold at concerts.<ref name="OndaRock"/> Shortly after, the group went through a number of name changes, settling on simply Cardiacs in 1981.<ref name="quietustimsmithdead"/><ref name="RIP"/> They held their first concert under the new name in April.<ref name="musictimes"/>

In 1981, Cardiacs self-released the cassette album, ''[[Toy World]]'', featuring both new material and recordings dating back to the Cardiac Arrest period.<ref name="roughguide">{{cite book |last=Phillips |first=Lance |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C |title=The Rough Guide to Rock |publisher=[[Rough Guides]] |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-85828-457-6 |editor-last=Buckley |editor-first=Peter |edition=3rd |location=London |chapter=The Cardiacs}}</ref> (Consequently, some tracks featured Michael Pugh as lead singer rather than Tim Smith). During 1981, Colvin Mayers left the band to join [[The Sound (band)|the Sound]], a group led by Borland. Sarah Cutts briefly covered live keyboards as well as saxophone, before Mark Cawthra swapped drums for keyboards and Dominic Luckman was recruited from the road crew as the new drummer. At around the same time percussionist [[Tim Quy]] became a full-time member (also doubling on bass synthesizer). In July 1983, Tim Smith married Sarah Cutts – taking his surname, she was henceforward known as Sarah Smith.

In mid-1983 Mark Cawthra left the band, to be replaced on keyboards by [[William D. Drake]]. Tim Smith had previously met Drake in 1982 at the debut performance of Drake's band Honour Our Trumpet (who promptly invited him to join as bass guitarist.)<ref name="drakebio">{{cite web|date=2015-08-06|title=Biography &#124; William D. Drake|url=https://williamddrake.wordpress.com/biography/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170226212847/https://williamddrake.wordpress.com/biography/|archive-date=26 February 2017|access-date=2017-02-26|website=Williamddrake.wordpress.com}}</ref> Following Cawthra's departure, Smith returned Drake's favour by inviting him to join Cardiacs. Drake played his first concert with the band on 31 August 1983. Later in the year, Cardiacs added Marguerite Johnston (alto saxophone) and Graham Simmonds (guitar), and for about a year the band worked as an octet. Both Johnston and Simmonds left during the following summer (in July and August respectively), although Simmonds stayed on as Cardiacs' sound engineer. At some point in 1983, Tim Smith produced two issues of a comic alternatively called "Peter and His Dog" and "Peter and His Dog Spot".<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter and his Dog|url=http://bak.spc.org/abc/peterandspot/one/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090728163846/http://bak.spc.org/abc/peterandspot/one/|archive-date=28 July 2009|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Bak.spc.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=2003-10-20|title=Peter and his Dog|url=http://bak.spc.org/abc/peterandspot/two/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304235855/http://bak.spc.org/abc/peterandspot/two/|archive-date=4 March 2016|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Bak.spc.org}}</ref>

=== 1984–1989: The "classic lineup" established ===

==== ''The Seaside'' and ''Seaside Treats'' ====
{{multiple image
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| image1            = Cardiacs live at Oxford Festival 1986 1 (cropped).jpg
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| footer            = Cardiacs performing at Oxford Festival in 1986
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By autumn 1984, the band lineup had settled as the sextet generally referred to as "the classic lineup" – Tim Smith (lead vocals and guitar), Jim Smith (bass and vocals), William D. Drake (keyboards and vocals), Sarah Smith (saxophones and vocals), Tim Quy (percussion and keyboards) and Dominic Luckman (drums).<ref name="roughguide" /> The first Cardiacs release featuring the "classic" lineup was their third album, ''[[The Seaside (Cardiacs album)|The Seaside]]''<ref name="roughguide" /> (although Cawthra featured throughout on drums, keyboards and voice; and Simmonds and Johnston also appeared on several tracks). The album was released on Cardiacs own record label, Alphabet (which later became Alphabet Business Concern). The bizarre and sinister "Alphabet Business Concern" mythology now began to become a significant part of Cardiacs' artistic presentation, and the band members would promote and add to it at every opportunity.<ref name="roughguide" /><ref name="quietusheartattack" /> The band evolved an elaborate and theatrical stage show, involving off-putting<ref name="Billboard" /> "bandsmen's uniforms, makeup, Sarah's music stand, (and) Tim's mile-wide grin".<ref name="death.plus.com">{{cite web|date=July 1999|title=CARDIACS: History|url=http://www.death.plus.com/cardiacs/cdxhistory.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090817121745/http://www.angelfire.com/wy/cardiacs/cardiacs/cdxgiglist.htm|archive-date=17 August 2009|access-date=2007-12-19 |website=Pete's Cardiacs Site}}</ref>

{{Quote box
| quote = A lot of people find our act disturbing because it brings out something in you that a lot of people won't admit to. It's the weirdness in everyone whether you like it or not. Some people think it's dead funny, others hate it. It's strange when people hate us—they really do hate us, it brings out something odd in people.
| align = left
| source = &nbsp;—Tim Smith<ref name="Time-Out-Of-Mind-1987"/>
| class = padding:10px;
| width = 35%
}}

Between 5 November – 21 December 1984, Cardiacs performed their first major British support tour, supporting [[Marillion]] at the personal invitation of Marillion's vocalist, [[Fish (singer)|Fish]]. Whilst the tour afforded the band a new level of publicity, generally they were not well received by Marillion's fanbase.<ref name="drakebio" /> On most dates of the tour, the band was pelted with a variety of makeshift missiles. During the 13 December show at the Hammersmith Apollo, Fish himself was indignant enough about the Marillion fans and their hostile behaviour to come onstage during Cardiacs' set and berate the audience about it. The band eventually ducked out of the last three days of the Marillion tour.<ref name="yorkshirepost2007">[http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/music/Meet-the-most-influential-band.3461813.jp "Meet the most influential band you've never heard of"] (Cardiacs article by Tom Goodhand in The Yorkshire Post, 9 November 2007</ref><ref name="drakebio" />

A Cardiacs spin-off project – [[Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake]] – emerged in 1984. As the name suggests, this featured Tim and Sarah Smith plus William D. Drake and consisted of a quieter, more acoustically-orientated take on Cardiacs' music. The project released a self-titled cassette album which was only available via the Cardiacs fan club. Later on, the project would be renamed [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|the Sea Nymphs]].<ref name="roughguide" />
[[File:Cardiacs writing.png|thumb|Cardiacs writing logo]]
On 1 April 1985, an attempt was made to film Cardiacs at a live concert at the Surbiton Assembly Rooms. The band had been approached by film-maker Mark Francombe (later a member of [[Cranes (band)|Cranes]]) and his colleague Nick Elborough, both of whom were at that time students at Portsmouth College of Art and Design. Francombe and Elborough offered to film the band for free as part of their coursework project. However, when the band viewed the resultant footage, they decided against releasing it. Instead, they retained Francombe and Elborough for a new video project which would become ''[[Seaside Treats (Video)|Seaside Treats]]'', named after the 12" single that was released at the same time. As well as containing three music videos, ''[[Seaside Treats (Video)|Seaside Treats]]''  contained a ten-minute film named ''The Consultant's Flower Garden''. The latter featured Cardiacs (and various people connected with them) in bizarre, comedic situations which continued to propagate the absurdist Alphabet Business Concern mythology which surrounded the band.

==== ''Big Ship'', ''A Little Man and a House'' & ''On Land and in the Sea'' ====
[[File:Cardiacs live at Reading Rock Festival 1986 5 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Cardiacs in 1986 performing at Reading Festival]]
Cardiacs played the [[Reading Festival]] on 24 August 1986, releasing the very rough audio footage as the ''[[Rude Bootleg]]'' album.<ref name="roughguide" /> On 27 January 1987,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Belcher |first=David |date=17 January 1987 |title=Instant arrest by the Cardiacs |page=8 |work=[[The Glasgow Herald]] |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XqNAAAAAIBAJ&dq=%22Cardiacs%22&pg=PA8&article_id=5539,3225514 |access-date=19 January 2023 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref> Cardiacs released the mini-album ''[[Big Ship (Cardiacs album)|Big Ship]]'', the first studio release by the sextet, to mixed reviews.<ref>{{cite book |last=Benac |first=Eric |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3i47zgEACAAJ |title=The Cardiacs: Every Album, Every Song |date=27 August 2021 |publisher=Sonicbond Publishing |isbn=978-1-78952-131-3 |series=On Track |page=42}}</ref> The title track would prove to be one of their most enduring anthems.

[[File:Cardiacs incest headline.png|thumb|alt= A tabloid headline reading "In their bizarre world of music ... anything goes – even INCEST / 'WE'RE BROTHER AND SISTER' / Why this picture will rock the world of pop..."|Headline in the ''Sunday Sport'' (falsely) accusing Tim and Sarah Smith of incest|left]]
In March 1987, the British tabloid newspaper ''[[Sunday Sport]]'' ran a story claiming to be an exposé and revealing the supposedly [[incest]]uous relationship between Tim Smith and Sarah Smith, in which the couple were portrayed as brother and sister. The headline ran, "In their bizarre world of music... anything goes – even incest."<ref name="sundaysport">[http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_sundaysport.html "We're Brother and Sister"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101122151709/http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_sundaysport.html|date=22 November 2010}} – article in ''[[Sunday Sport]]'' 1 March 1987 (archived @ Cardiacs Museum website)</ref> (The article ultimately debunked the story by including a corrective quote from Tim Smith's mother). Band manager Mark Walmesley is thought to have started the whole rumour to gain some publicity for the band, predating the superficially similar strategy later employed by [[the White Stripes]] twelve years later.<ref name="quietusheartattack" />

On 17 April, the band's music video for "Tarred and Feathered" (from the ''Big Ship'' mini-album) was broadcast on [[Channel 4]]'s groundbreaking music show ''[[The Tube (1982 TV series)|The Tube]]'', giving Cardiacs their first exposure on national television. Later in the year, Cardiacs released a 12-inch single called "[[There's Too Many Irons in the Fire]]". In October, a live-in-the-studio session was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio Leeds, followed in December by a similar session on [[BBC Radio 1]] for Janice Long's ''Night Track'' show.

In 1988, Cardiacs released their debut studio album proper, ''[[A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window]]''.<ref name="roughguide" /> The single from the album, "[[Is This the Life]]", saw brief chart success due to exposure on mainstream radio, and garnered the attention of a wider audience when it entered the Independent Top 10 in the UK.<ref name="quietusheartattack" /> The band followed up this burst of success with another single, a cover of [[the Kinks]]' "[[Susannah's Still Alive]]" with a video directed by Steve Payne. [[Strange Fruit Records]] also released a 12-inch vinyl EP of the band's [[BBC Radio 1]] session from the previous year, under the title ''Night Tracks (The Janice Long Session)''. By this time, Cardiacs concerts were drawing hundreds of audience members and they were well on their way to becoming a hit underground band. On 15 May, the band played a concert at the Paradiso in Amsterdam, which was recorded for later release as ''[[Cardiacs Live]]''.

Later in the year, Cardiacs recorded tracks for what would become their fifth studio album, ''[[On Land and in the Sea]]'' which was released in 1989.<ref name="roughguide" /> The album successfully consolidated the intricate style and unusual songwriting vision of ''[[A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window|A Little Man and a House...]]'', but the stable lineup which the band had enjoyed for four years was now beginning to weaken.

=== 1989–1999: Classic lineup fractures and power quartet established ===

==== ''All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest'' and multiple departures ====

Over the following two years, the Cardiacs lineup began to disintegrate. Sarah Smith left the band suddenly in April 1989 and was not replaced, removing saxophone from the standard Cardiacs sound. Although Sarah would not rejoin the band, she would retain a long-term connection with Cardiacs by playing on future albums and would very occasionally appear as a special guest for live concerts. Tim Smith brought in a second guitarist – [[Christian Hayes|Christian 'Bic' Hayes]], formerly of the Cardiacs-inspired [[Ring (band)|Ring]] and [[the Dave Howard Singers]] – and the new two-guitar lineup toured extensively around the UK and Europe for the rest of the year (with Sarah Smith making the first of her special guest appearances at a Brixton Fridge concert on 17 September). During this period, the band also released ''[[Archive Cardiacs]]'', a collection of material from the 1976–83 period (some of it previously unreleased).

{{Quote box
| quote = It was horrible, really like one of those yellow panic nightmares where everything's going wrong and you can't stop it, but I kept thinking it was a nightmare, then about halfway through the evening I tried to wake up and I realised this was actually happening, right? (S)o I panicked, but nothing was going right and nobody could hear anything and Sarah's sax kept cutting out, and I think that's on the video, me shouting to myself that I can't stop it... but everyone else said it was a really good gig!
| source = —Tim Smith recalling the Salisbury ''Maresnest'' concert<ref name="death.plus.com"/>
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Cardiacs toured and gigged intermittently during 1990, culminating in a shared concert with [[Napalm Death]] at Salisbury Arts Centre on 30 June. The Cardiacs half of the concert was filmed and released as the video ''[[Maresnest]]'' (produced by Steve Mallet and directed by Steve Payne, and eventually also released as the 1995 live album ''[[All that Glitters is a Mares Nest]]'').<ref name="roughguide" /> The band performed as a seven-piece, with Sarah Smith making a one-day return as a band member. Although the concert has achieved legendary status amongst Cardiacs fans, it was problematic for the band. Among other things, Tim Smith's guitar fell apart and keys fell off Sarah Smith's saxophone.

After the Salisbury concert, Tim Quy left the band to pursue other projects. Like Sarah Smith, he was not replaced: the removal of live tuned and untuned percussion from the lineup further altered the established Cardiacs sound. Quy's departure was commemorated by a message at the end of the ''[[Maresnest]]'' video stating "this film is dedicated to Tim Quy who left our world 30/6/90". (At the time, this was widely misinterpreted as an announcement of Quy's death). Quy remained on good terms with the band and would later appear as a special guest during Cardiacs' 2001 [[London Astoria|Astoria]] gig.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=CARDIACS: THE ULTIMATE CARDIACS GIG LIST |url=http://www.death.plus.com/cardiacs/cdxgiglist.htm |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=www.death.plus.com}}</ref>

The band was quiet for the first four months of 1991, during which time two more members departed. [[William D. Drake]] played his final concert with the band on 2 May at The Venue in New Cross (going on to join the band Nervous and, in 2001, embarking on a long-delayed solo career). Having joined up-and-coming indie-psychedelic band [[Levitation (band)|Levitation]], [[Christian Hayes]] played his own final gig as a Cardiac in Oxford on 16 May: although Cardiacs and Levitation were friendly with each other and had even toured together, Hayes had finally found it impossible to balance the demands of both bands. Both Hayes and Drake would continue to be associated with Cardiacs, and would occasionally guest with the band at selected live concerts many years later.

Between 1991 and 1993, Tim Smith, Christian Hayes, and Jon Poole (with drumming by [[David Francolini]]) performed live shows in a revitalized lineup of Hayes' 80's band, Panixphere. The Cardiacs spin-off band<ref name="FAQ">{{Cite web |date=8 March 1999 |title=The Cardiacs - FAQ |url=http://www.cardiacs.com/cardiacs-faq.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020803113819/http://www.cardiacs.com/cardiacs-faq.html |archive-date=3 August 2002 |access-date=21 August 2024 |publisher=Cardiacs}}</ref> performed Hayes' original material, the Tim Smith-penned "More Money Than God", various covers including Cardiacs, [[XTC]], [[Ring (band)|Ring]], and [[Foetus (band)|Foetus]] songs, and raw versions of Jon Poole-penned tracks that would later be recorded for ''[[Sing to God]]''.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P6G9_ly-PI |title=Panixphere - More Money Than God (Inslington Powerhaus, 1993) |date=2022-04-30 |last=Pyrus Malus et Fragaria Vesca |access-date=2024-06-24 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Panixphere Setlist at Powerhaus Islington, London |url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/panixphere/1993/powerhaus-islington-london-england-638252ef.html |access-date=2024-06-24 |website=setlist.fm |language=en}}</ref>

==== ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' and the Rough Trade debacle ====
[[File:Lifesigns live at Brickmakers 2, Norwich - 49663460056 (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Jon Poole in 2020|left]]
Although the band had historically been well-used to lineup changes, Cardiacs were profoundly affected by the multiple departures taking place between 1989 and 1991. A particular blow had been the departure of Drake, whose virtuoso keyboard skills and compositional input had made him one of the backbones of the band. Drake was considered irreplaceable and Cardiacs opted not to look for a new keyboard player, remaining as a quartet of two guitars, bass and drums (with [[Christian Hayes]] being replaced as second guitarist by [[Jon Poole]]<ref name="roughguide" /> who had previously played with the Cardiacs-inspired [[Milton Keynes]] band Ad Nauseam). While Cardiacs were still able to record more fully orchestrated music in the studio, a lack of suitable personnel (or the budget to keep them in place) meant that the live band had to change drastically. Abandoning several signature musical features (saxophone, assorted percussion and virtuoso keyboards), Cardiacs' live music shifted away from the wider instrumentation of the past and moved towards a more guitar-heavy, power-rock sound in line with the remaining quartet lineup. However, the music remained complex, if narrower in focus, and Smith recorded additional keyboard and percussion parts onto backing tapes for the band to play over.

Before 1991 was over, the revitalised band had released a new single, called "[[Day Is Gone]]", and played several concerts from October to December. This year also saw the release of ''[[Songs for Ships and Irons]]'', which compiled material from the ''Big Ship'' mini-album plus various singles and EPs. Also making an appearance in 1991 was the debut release by the Cardiacs spin-off, [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|the Sea Nymphs]]. Their debut single, "Appealing to Venus", was a free bonus item with the first 500 copies of "Day Is Gone" and was subsequently sold through the fan club. The debut Sea Nymphs album, ''[[The Sea Nymphs (album)|The Sea Nymphs]]'', was released in 1992. Cardiacs remained active during 1992, touring frequently within the UK, including a double-headed tour with Levitation. On 4 June 1992 at the [[London Astoria]], Cardiacs were supported by [[Radiohead]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kitching |first=Sean |date=3 July 2013 |title=A Little Man & A House & The Whole World Window By Cardiacs Revisited |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/12737-cardiacs-a-little-man-and-a-house-and-the-whole-world-window-25-anniversary |access-date=30 July 2022 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref>

Prior to the departure of Hayes, Cardiacs had recorded an album called ''[[Heaven Born and Ever Bright]]'' (which featured several of Hayes' guitar and vocal parts, plus a track he had co-written called "Goodbye Grace"). This was released as the new Cardiacs album in the summer of 1992, the first fruit of a new distribution deal with [[Rough Trade Records]].<ref name="pse-garage">{{Cite web|last=Voorvelt|first=Martijn|date=April 2004|title=Cardiacs at the Garage: it's history|url=http://www.furious.com/perfect/cardiacs.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101215222635/http://www.furious.com/perfect/cardiacs.html|archive-date=15 December 2010|website=[[Perfect Sound Forever (magazine)|Perfect Sound Forever]]}}</ref><ref name="roughguide" /> However, [[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]] ceased trading shortly after the release of the album. This ensured that ''[[Heaven Born and Ever Bright]]'' could neither be stocked nor ordered by record shops, with the result that Cardiacs were left thousands of pounds in debt and unable to recoup their recording expenses. (The album was eventually reissued on a revived Alphabet Business Concern in 1995 – it featured a picture of Jon Poole on the cover, although he had not actually played on the album when it was recorded.)

Despite this crippling blow, the band soldiered on, but by July 1993 yet another long-term member – drummer Dominic Luckman – had decided to quit. He played his last concert as a Cardiacs member on 20 July at Camden Palace, London (and would later join the [[Shrubbies]]). Luckman retained his connection with the band and would later make an appearance on stage during Cardiacs' 2001 Astoria show.<ref name=":4" /> In December 1993, Cardiacs revealed their new drummer, Jon Poole's former Ad Nauseam bandmate, [[Bob Leith]]. However, the following year proved to be Cardiacs' quietest year for a long time, with only four concerts played in total.<ref name="death.plus.com" />

==== ''Sing to God'' & ''Guns'' ====
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After three years without any new releases, 1995 saw the release of the "[[Bellyeye]]" single on Org Records (the record-releasing wing of long-term Cardiacs' supporters [[Organ (magazine)|Organ Magazine]]). This was a taster for Cardiacs' most epic recorded effort to date. ''[[Sing to God]]'' was a double album, due to the sheer amount of material that Smith had written over a number of years. The album was notable for a change in Cardiacs' working methods – whereas most previous material had been written and arranged by Smith, the ''Sing to God'' sessions saw extensive contributions from [[Jon Poole]] who played a strong role in orchestrating Smith's basic material with detailed riffs and keyboard parts (and contributed several songs entirely written by himself). Drummer Bob Leith also made significant contributions to the album's lyrics.

{{Quote box
| quote = Tim would have drums and rough keyboard chords on tape and would ask me to come up with guitar and bass riffs. I was literally allowed to do pretty much anything I wanted. Tim would then do the production bit and get the best out of me… I remember Tim had programmed the weird bit in the middle of "Odd Even" and left me to find a guitar line amongst the chords so I was sat on my own dropping myself in. When he came back it was done and he was very happy... particularly with my choice of last note! We would both make suggestions then Tim would edit the ideas into something that worked. Tim would chip in with ideas for my songs too like the string arrangement on "Manhoo" which was lovely.
| source = —Jon Poole on his contributions to Cardiacs' ''Sing to God'' album<ref name="JP-Cardiacs-interview">{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_interview_jon4.html|title=July 2009 interview with Jon Poole on Cardiacs homepage, page 2|publisher=Cardiacs homepage|date=July 2009|access-date=2009-09-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720000553/http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_interview_jon4.html|archive-date=20 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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''[[Sing to God]]'' was released in two formats – as a limited edition double CD, and as two separate CDs. At the same time, the band reissued almost their entire back catalogue on CD. This constituted all of the albums from ''[[The Seaside (Cardiacs album)|The Seaside]]'' onwards, CD issues of live album ''[[All that Glitters is a Mares Nest]]'' and the ''[[Archive Cardiacs]]'' compilation, and a new compilation, the ''[[Sampler (Cardiacs album)|Cardiacs Sampler]]''.

In April 1995, Cardiacs performed a BBC Manchester radio session on [[Mark Radcliffe (radio broadcaster)|Mark Radcliffe]]'s show. During May, they toured with Pura Vida and [[Sidi Bou Said (band)|Sidi Bou Said]] and recorded a live acoustic session for [[BBC Radio London#1988–2000: Greater London Radio (GLR)|GLR Radio]]. On 17 June, they appeared as special guests of (and concert openers for) [[Blur (band)|Blur]] at their triumphant London Mile End Stadium concert.<ref name="roughguide" /> From 31 October to 18 November, Cardiacs performed a long support stint on [[Chumbawamba]]'s UK tour.<ref name="death.plus.com" />

In June and November 1996, Cardiacs embarked on two UK tours of their own, most significantly filling the [[Astoria 2]] on 2 November. The June tour was promoted by a second BBC Manchester radio session with Mark Radcliffe, aired on 11 June.<ref name="death.plus.com" />

The next two years saw no new music from Cardiacs and reduced live activity. However, there were three more London concerts in 1998 – at one of these ([[The Garage (London)|the Garage]] concert on 4 December) the band was joined for an encore by [[William D. Drake]]. During the same year Cardiacs also played several performances in Germany and the Netherlands, and made appearances in Brighton and at a festival in St Austell in Cornwall.<ref name="death.plus.com" /> 1998 also saw renewed activity by [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|the Sea Nymphs]], with the "[[Appealing To Venus (Reissue)|Appealing To Venus]]" single reissued with extra tracks by Org Records, and a rare concert at [[The Falcon, Camden|the Camden Falcon]] in north London.

At the start of 1999, Cardiacs played three nights in a row at the Camden Falcon, London between 29 and 31 January: on the final date, Sarah Smith and William D. Drake joined in for the encore. On 20 and 21 March the band played two concerts at the Garage with support from [[Dark Star (band)|Dark Star]] (a new band featuring ex-Cardiac [[Christian Hayes]]) and Camp Blackfoot. Cardiacs toured the UK in June 1999 to support the release of their new album, ''[[Guns (Cardiacs album)|Guns]]'',<ref name="roughguide" /> described by some of the music press as being their most accessible album to date. The band performed another radio session on 13 June for "Inside Tracks" (on BBC Choice digital radio). Three more concerts followed in October.<ref name="death.plus.com" />

=== 2000–2008: lineup changes and reestablishment ===

==== Rare sightings, family gatherings and aborted recordings ====
During 1999–2000, Cardiacs began work on a new studio album that remains incomplete and unreleased. Only one song slated for inclusion ("Faster Than Snakes With a Ball and a Chain") has ever been released to the public (it appears on the band's 2002 compilation ''Greatest Hits''). Another song, the Jon Poole-penned "Silvery", appeared regularly in the band's live repertoire, and was later re-recorded by Jon Poole himself for the God Damn Whores' second album (albeit under the title "Sparkly Silver Sky"). While Tim Smith's given explanation for the album's nonappearance was that it had been rendered "broken" in some manner,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2007-07-01|title=Cardiacs Official Website" Your Vexed Questions October 2005|url=http://www.cardiacs.com/vexed-questions/your-vexed-questions-october-2005/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701001036/http://www.cardiacs.com/vexed-questions/your-vexed-questions-october-2005/|archive-date=2007-07-01|access-date=2018-04-07}}</ref> bandmate Kavus Torabi has since stated that, while the band did record around this time, the concept of a "lost album" was apocryphal.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cardiacs-where to start? - Page 38|url=http://www.progressiveears.org/forum/showthread.php/1858-Cardiacs-where-to-start?p=337934&viewfull=1#post337934|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Progressiveears.org}}</ref> Cardiacs concerts were rare over the next few years, although the band played the Glastonbury Festival on 23 June 2000 and played two subsequent Whitchurch Festivals on 5 August 2000 and 3 August 2001.

Counterbalancing the lack of tours, the band set up an annual tradition of one-off large-scale London concerts (the first of which took place on 11 November 2000 and the last in 2007). These usually took place in November at the London Astoria, and soon became a kind of Cardiacs family gathering in which the band was joined by various guests including former members and newer Cardiacs-inspired supported bands. During these concerts, Sarah Smith, [[William D. Drake]], [[Christian Hayes]] and Dominic Luckman all appeared onstage with the band on various occasions, as did the Consultant and Miss Swift. Support bands were always musicians with a professed Cardiacs connection or influence, and included [[Oceansize]], [[the Monsoon Bassoon]], [[the Scaramanga Six]], [[Stars in Battledress (band)|Stars in Battledress]] and Jon Poole's hard-rock band God Damn Whores.

==== ''The Special Garage Concerts'' ====
Between 17–19 October 2003, Cardiacs recorded three special concerts at the Highbury Garage venue in London. As [[Jon Poole]]<ref name="pse-garage" /> was by now also the bass player for [[the Wildhearts]]<ref name="classicrockginger">[http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/ginger%E2%80%99s-secret-history-of-rock%E2%80%99n%E2%80%99roll-pt-7/ "Ginger's Secret History of Rock’n’Roll (pt. 7)" in Classic Rock magazine] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130119110537/http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/ginger%E2%80%99s-secret-history-of-rock%E2%80%99n%E2%80%99roll-pt-7/|date=19 January 2013}} (Ginger from [[The Wildhearts]] describing Cardiacs and retrospectively reviewing ''[[On Land and in the Sea]]'')</ref> (and busy rehearsing for the upcoming Wildhearts tour) he was replaced for the concert by [[Kavus Torabi]] (formerly guitarist and singer for [[the Monsoon Bassoon]], Torabi was also a long-standing Cardiacs associate who'd served as their guitar technician since the mid-1990s.)

For these concerts, the band delved back into their distant past, abandoning virtually all of their available back catalogue in favour of exclusively playing songs that had been performed prior to 1983. These were taken mostly from the cassette albums (''The Obvious Identity'' and ''Toy World'', but also included songs such as ''An Ant'', ''Hopeless'', ''Gloomy News'' and ''Hello Mr Minnow'' (which had never been officially recorded before and had only ever been played at concerts in the late '70s/early '80s). A two-volume CD set of recordings from the three shows – ''[[The Special Garage Concerts]]'' – was eventually released in 2005. Professional video camera equipment was apparently seen being used to record the band during the concerts, leading to a rumour that members of Org Records<ref>{{cite web|title=Organ Art - Hard Music - Hard Life - Independent Records|url=http://www.organart.com/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000819063449/http://www.organart.com/|archive-date=19 August 2000|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Organart.com}}</ref> had filmed the entire three nights for later video release. This was debunked by Torabi in a 2009 interview, in which he stated that no such recordings existed.<ref>[http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=6088 ''Kavus Torabi – Guitar & Singing''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917170747/http://www.subba-cultcha.com/article_feature.php?id=6088|date=17 September 2017}} (interview with Kavus Torabi in Subbacultcha webzine, August 2009) – accessed 18 August 2009</ref> However, a static cam recording of one night was released by The Consultant.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W86d_sM323A |title=Cardiacs Special Garage Concert 19th October 2003 with CD Sounds |date=2013-05-05 |last=KieranFunzig |access-date=2024-07-01 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Consultant Presents |url=https://bak.spc.org/abc/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=bak.spc.org}}</ref>

==== Final expanded line-ups - "Ditzy Scene" and ''LSD'' ====
[[File:קארדיאקס.jpg|thumb|Cardiacs performing at the [[London Astoria]] in November 2005]]
In the autumn of 2004, Torabi officially replaced Poole as Cardiacs' second guitarist, and made his formal debut as a full group member at the annual London Astoria concert on 12 November (Poole would go on to concentrate on God Damn Whores, various [[The Wildhearts|Wildhearts]]-related projects,<ref name="classicrockginger" /> Crayola Lectern and others). This lineup performed classic songs on [[Radio2XS]] in December 2004 as part of the station's "Barn Sessions". A number of other new members were drafted into the Cardiacs lineup around the same time  –  three backing singers (Claire Lemmon and [[Melanie Woods (musician)|Melanie Woods]] of [[Sidi Bou Said (band)|Sidi Bou Said]], plus former Shrubbies and current [[North Sea Radio Orchestra]] singer Sharron Fortnam) and two percussionists – Cathy Harabaras and Dawn Staple – playing mostly bass drums.
[[File:Cardiacs bull and gate-23dec 09 (76550581) (4-3 crop).jpg|left|thumb|Cardiacs at the [[Bull and Gate]] in December 2005]]
After several years of limited live activity in front of established fans, Cardiacs made another attempt to recapture their momentum and play to fresh audiences by supporting long-terms fans [[the Wildhearts]] for the latter's tour between 8–15 December 2004. This tour saw another substitution – drummer [[Stephen Gilchrist]] ([[Graham Coxon]], [[the Scaramanga Six]], [[Stuffy/The Fuses]]) stood in for Bob Leith, who had previous tour commitments with art-punk band [[Blurt]]. Smith would later perform as a live acoustic trio with Ginger Wildheart and former Cardiac Jon Poole. Around this time a "Diary" was begun and updated for the majority of 2005 on the official Cardiacs website, chronicling the band's exploits in typical absurd fashion.<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=The home of CARDIACS on the World Wide Web |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/ |access-date=31 October 2019 |website=Cardiacs.net}}</ref> Three more annual Astoria gigs were performed over the following three years (the 2005 edition having been professionally shot but left in an unedited state awaiting Tim Smith's involvement).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cardiacs--where to start? - Page 38|url=http://www.progressiveears.org/forum/showthread.php/1858-Cardiacs-where-to-start/page38?p=337934#post337934|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Progressiveears.org}}</ref>

Cardiacs performed live radio sessions hosted by [[Marc Riley]] in October 2005 and June 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - 6 Music Messageboard - Marc Riley - Cardiacs! |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/mb6music/NF1950406?thread=4307990 |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 5 November 2007, Cardiacs released their first new material for eight years. The "[[Ditzy Scene]]" single was released on Org Records as a limited edition of 1,000 copies, and featured the new line-up, albeit minus Sharron Fortnam.<ref>{{Cite web |date=24 October 2007 |title=The Cardiacs return with new single and tour |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/various-artists-5069-1347812 |access-date=26 March 2023 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref><ref name="UK Tour">{{Cite web |date=24 October 2007 |title=80's Psych Rock Legends To Play Full UK Tour |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/news/80-s-psych-rock-legends-to-play-full-uk-tour-57548/ |access-date=5 April 2023 |website=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]}}</ref><ref name="Org">{{Cite web |date=3 November 2007 |title=ORG RECORDS OFFICIAL PAGES |url=http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/orgimenu.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071111160013/http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/orgimenu.htm |archive-date=11 November 2007 |access-date=8 August 2022 |website=[[Organ (magazine)|Organ]]}}</ref><ref name="Torabi Louder">{{cite web |author=Lawson |first=Dom |date=11 August 2014 |title=Kavus Torabi's Guide To Cardiacs |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/kavus-torabi-s-guide-to-cardiacs |access-date=31 August 2021 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref name="OndaRock">{{Cite web |last=Sgrignoli |first=Marco |date=20 July 2022 |title=Cardiacs - biografia, recensioni, streaming, discografia, foto |url=https://www.ondarock.it/rockedintorni/cardiacs.htm |access-date=30 July 2022 |website=OndaRock |language=it}}</ref>{{efn|name=note1}} Heavily [[pre-order]]ed, the single featured two other new tracks "Gen" and "Made All Up", which teased Cardiacs' next planned project, a full album called ''[[LSD (Cardiacs album)|LSD]]'' (intended as a [[double album|double set]], their second following ''Sing to God'').<ref name="Org" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Nick |date=20 May 2014 |title=Once In A Lifetime: On Land And In The Sea By Cardiacs Revisited |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/15286-cardiacs-on-land-and-in-the-sea-review |access-date=8 August 2022 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref>{{efn|''Organ'' were initially unsure if the tracks would be on the album as they were promised a variety of old and new material and expected another single soon after.<ref name="Org" />}} On the release, Cardiacs biographer Adrian Bell comments "It's only when you become aware how insular the Alphabet Business Concern is that you realise the high regard they must have for ''The Organ''".<ref>{{cite book|last=Bell|first=Adrian|title=Aylesbury Bolton Wolverhampton Hove: A Little Man and 101 Cardiacs Gigs|location=Sullivan County, New York|publisher=Iron Bell Publishing|year=2011|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JuzoclLVSpQC|isbn=978-0-95-687950-9|page=78}}</ref> The song charted at number 72 on the [[Productores de Música de España|Spanish iTunes Chart]] on 11 October 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=Ditzy Scene - Cardiacs - Chart History |url=https://www.top-charts.com/s/ditzy-scene-cardiacs |date=11 October 2020|access-date=9 August 2022 |work=[[MyTuner Radio|Top Charts]] |publisher=AppGeneration |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Claire Lemmon and Dawn Staple had also left the active lineup by the time of the 2007 winter tour, on which Melanie Woods and Cathy Harabaras both doubled on percussion and singing. On the tour, Torabi recalled that "the crowds were getting bigger and younger and something was definitely happening", adding that Tim's brother and bass player [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim Smith]] said "something was in the air, that this might be our time."<ref name="Ditzy Scene2">{{Cite AV media notes |title=''"Ditzy Scene"'' ''(promo)'' |others=Cardiacs |year=2007 |publisher=[[Organ (magazine)|Org Records]] |location=[[United Kingdom|UK]] |type=A4 press release}}</ref><ref name="i">{{Cite web |last=Marsden |first=Rhodri |date=8 January 2018 |title=Tim Smith, the Cardiacs singer hoping to overcome brain injury |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/tim-smith-cardiacs-singer-brain-injury-115748 |access-date=9 August 2022 |website=[[i (British newspaper)|i]]}}</ref> Cardiacs toured until the winter of 2007.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lawson |first=Dom |date=2 March 2021 |title=Cardiacs' best albums - a buyers guide |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/cardiacs-a-guide-to-their-best-albums |access-date=9 August 2022 |website=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]]}}</ref>

In 2008, Tim Smith played snippets of two untitled ''LSD'' songs during an interview on [[Resonance FM]].<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBDRAqocYlc |title=Cardiacs Tim Smith radio interview (2008) |date=2012-07-14 |last=todmorburgh |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

On 23 June 2008, the band performed three songs, including the unreleased live favorite "Silvery", live on [https://cardiacs.org/mark-rileys-brain-sugery-recording/ Marc Riley's Brain Surgery].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gittins |first=Ian |date=3 February 2011 |title=Cardiacs tribute album to raise money for paralysed singer Tim Smith |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/03/cardiacs-tim-smith-stroke-tribute-album?INTCMP=SRCH |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309091252/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/feb/03/cardiacs-tim-smith-stroke-tribute-album?INTCMP=SRCH |archive-date=9 March 2016 |access-date=31 July 2022 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> During an interview segment, Tim Smith revealed the band's plans for the rest of the year: a DVD release of [[All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest|All That Glitters is a Mares Nest]], the release of ''LSD'' and two accompanying singles, another Marc Riley session and a fall tour supporting the new album.

=== 2008–2020: illness of Tim Smith and hiatus ===

==== Tim Smith's heart attack ====

[[File:Tim Smith of Cardiacs.jpg|thumb|upright|Smith performing with Cardiacs in 2007|left]]
At the end of June 2008, Tim Smith collapsed from a [[cardiac arrest]] after leaving a [[My Bloody Valentine (band)|My Bloody Valentine]] concert. This led to [[Cerebral hypoxia|hypoxic brain damage]], leaving Smith severely debilitated by the rare condition [[dystonia]].<ref name="healthstatement">{{cite web|date=2018|title=Tim Smith Health Statement 2018|url=https://www.cardiacs.net/tim-smith-health-2018/|url-status=live|access-date=19 October 2018|website=Cardiacs|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180110031409/https://www.cardiacs.net/tim-smith-health-2018/ |archive-date=10 January 2018 }}</ref> All Cardiacs-related releases and activity (including the work-in-progress for the unfinished ''LSD'') were immediately shelved until further notice. A year of silence followed during which Smith recuperated in private. In June 2009, a new announcement appeared on the official Cardiacs website, letting readers know that, after a year of rehabilitation, Tim Smith's mind had returned to full functionality and that "no part of your favourite pop star's intellect or personality has been found to be absent whatsoever."<ref>{{Cite web|date=25 June 2009|title=THERE NOW FOLLOWS AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF GREAT IMPORTANCE FROM THE ALPHABET BUSINESS CONCERN|url=http://www.cardiacs.com/2009/06/25/there-now-follows-an-announcement-of-great-importance-from-the-alphabet-business-concern/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090629082103/http://www.cardiacs.com:80/2009/06/25/there-now-follows-an-announcement-of-great-importance-from-the-alphabet-business-concern/|archive-date=29 June 2009|access-date=3 October 2021|website=Cardiacs}}</ref> It thanked fans for their kind thoughts and made clear Smith's interest in returning to playing music with Cardiacs at such time as his physical rehabilitation allowed. However, it became clear that such rehabilitation would be a long process; and in August 2010, Kavus Torabi stated in an interview podcast that Cardiacs would never play live again.<ref>{{cite web|title=Episode 52: Kavus Torabi Interview &#124; The Epileptic Gibbon podcast music show|url=http://epilepticgibbon.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/episode-52-kavus-torabi-interview/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131101002451/http://epilepticgibbon.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/episode-52-kavus-torabi-interview/|archive-date=1 November 2013|access-date=2014-06-29|website=Epilepticgibbon.wordpress.com|date=13 August 2010}}</ref>

==== Hiatus, fundraisers and related activities ====
Despite the enforced halt in Cardiacs' work as an active band, the group's influence and presence has been sustained by various concerts and campaigns. While most of these have been primarily aimed at raising money for Tim Smith's medical rehabilitation, they have also served both to raise awareness of the band's work and the growing body of musicians influenced by it.

In December 2010, two tribute CDs, ''[[Leader of the Starry Skies: A Tribute To Tim Smith, Songbook 1]]'' and its limited edition companion ''[[Leader of the Starry Skies - A Loyal Companion]]'', were compiled by former Cardiac [[Christian Hayes]] and former [[Spratleys Japs]] singer Jo Spratley. These were released on Kavus Torabi's record label [[Believers Roast]], with all proceeds going directly to the continuing care of Tim Smith. The albums featured cover versions of Smith-penned material (originally for Cardiacs, [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|the Sea Nymphs]], [[Spratleys Japs]] and Smith's solo album [[Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld|OceanLandWorld]]) by musicians including [[the Magic Numbers]], [[Steven Wilson]], [[Oceansize]], [[The Milk And Honey Band|Robert White]]/[[Andy Partridge]], [[Sidi Bou Said (band)|Sidi Bou Said]] and [[North Sea Radio Orchestra]] as well as former Cardiacs including Hayes himself (as Mikrokosmos), Torabi (as Knifeworld), [[William D. Drake]], [[Mark Cawthra]] and Peter Tagg (with [[the Trudy]]).

In 2013, after a long period of radio silence, the official Cardiacs website relaunched with many pieces of merchandise for sale, including a DVD release of [[All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest|All That Glitters is a Mares Nest]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-15 |title=News – CARDIACS |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/news/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015031216/https://www.cardiacs.net/news/ |archive-date=15 October 2013 }}</ref> Among other updates, an amendment to the 'History' section of the site humorously addressed Tim Smith's accident, subsequent incapacitation and the band's hiatus.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tim Smith|url=https://www.facebook.com/tim.smith.587268/posts/110435599159568 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/100005793840353/110435599159568 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Facebook.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In the coming years, various Cardiacs releases would and continue to be added to the online shop, most notably a 2015 [[The Seaside: Original Edition|''The Seaside'' boxset]] containing the original album remastered and with the original four "missing" tracks restored, as well as various supplementary material related to the era.<ref name="Seaside boxset"/>

In 2013 and 2015 events dubbed "The Alphabet Business Convention" were held in celebration of and with all proceeds going towards Tim Smith's rehabilitation. They featured Cardiacs-related groups in performance such as Knifeworld, William D. Drake, and Redbus Noface, and were attended by Smith himself. Several smaller benefit concerts were held from time to time in this period and moving forward.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Alphabet Business Convention|url=https://www.facebook.com/alphabetbusinessconvention/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200703000532/https://www.facebook.com/alphabetbusinessconvention|archive-date=3 July 2020|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Facebook.com}}</ref>

In a 2016 feature via ''[[The Quietus]]'', Kavus Torabi shed light on several past, present, and future Cardiacs projects. <blockquote> It was an extraordinarily interesting and brilliant time for me because we'd already talked a great deal about what the plan was for the next few years for Cardiacs. We were going to make a film. Tim and I were planning out loads of treatments and scripts. Tim wanted to share the burden of Cardiacs a bit with someone and I was more than happy to do that. The way things stand, [LSD] is nearly done but needs vocals and eyebrows and some of them need a few other touches. What there is does sound great but there's far more stuff completed that hasn't come out yet, that needs to come out. Tim is a perfectionist, and rightly so. Because his melodies make so much sense of everything, it would be ridiculous to put out these recordings, as exciting as they are, without the melodies. We have talked about people who Tim would approve of adding vocals, under his direction. I think Tim just wants to be well enough to really be producing it. I think his big drive at the moment is to finish off things that were started. There are a lot of loose ends that need tying up.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Quietus &#124; Features &#124; Strange World Of... &#124; The Golden Age Is Now: The Strange World of Kavus Torabi|url=https://thequietus.com/articles/20188-kavus-torabi-cardiacs-knifeworld-interview|access-date=31 October 2019|website=The Quietus|date=10 May 2016 }}</ref> </blockquote>

Later the same year, teaser images began appearing on Cardiacs' website and Facebook group, culminating in the announcement of the long-awaited next Sea Nymphs album, ''On the Dry Land'', whose songs had been recorded around the same time as the first album but were left unreleased for over 20 years. The album was released in November 2016 in CD and vinyl formats. The completion of on the Dry Land was made possible thanks to a turn for the better in Tim Smith's health; he was able to return to the studio to supervise production and additional recording necessary to the album's completion between 2015-2016. In an interview with [[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]], Smith said that even more Sea Nymphs material will be released at some point. He also stated that he was "deeply touched" by the efforts of those who had contributed toward the Cardiacs tribute album, Leader of the Starry Skies (the sales of which went directly toward rehabilitating Smith) and that he had since "made a pledge to [him]self to get better".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Imgur|url=https://imgur.com/ylECOxt|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Imgur.com}}</ref>

In November 2016, Jo Spratley gathered several musicians of Cardiacs-influenced origins and "reformed" her and Tim Smith's band, Spratleys Japs (albeit without Smith due to his health, although he did attend as an audience member), for a one night show in which the band performed the entirety of the Japs' sole album, ''[[Pony (Spratleys Japs album)|Pony]]'' (1999), as well as the remaining tracks from the "Hazel" EP (and ended the set with Cardiacs' own "Flap Off You Beak"). A second show was announced shortly afterward for January 2017, as a double billing with Kavus Torabi's band [[Guapo (band)|Guapo]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Spratleys Japs performed LIVE|url=https://www.facebook.com/events/the-green-door-store/spratleys-japs-performed-live/1184581024898372/|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Facebook.com}}</ref>

In December 2016 Tim, Sarah, and William D. Drake were interviewed for Prog magazine, detailing more of Tim's current condition, the sessions behind ''On the Dry Land''<nowiki/>'s creation and completion and confirming "at least an album's worth" of Sea Nymphs material that is yet to be finished.

{{Blockquote|text=Cardiacs will always be here. As for me, I'm still fighting them critters who are trying their best to stop me. But they are losing.|author=Tim Smith<ref>{{Cite web|last=Drake|first=William D.|date=4 December 2016|title=Prog magazine says…|url=https://williamddrake.wordpress.com/2016/12/04/prog-magazine-says-5/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215142959/https://williamddrake.wordpress.com/2016/12/04/prog-magazine-says-5/|archive-date=15 December 2017|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Williamdrake.wordpress.com}}</ref>}}

A third Alphabet Business Convention was held on 26 August 2017, featuring Cardiacs-related and inspired bands, with Tim Smith in attendance, in the spirit of the preceding conventions.

In September 2017, the Alphabet Business Concern released the long-awaited ''Some Fairytales from the Rotten Shed DVD''<ref>{{Cite web|title=SOME FAIRYTALES FROM THE ROTTEN SHED: DVD|url=https://abc-mary.myshopify.com/products/some-fairytales-from-the-rotten-shed-dvd|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031221643/https://abc-mary.myshopify.com/products/some-fairytales-from-the-rotten-shed-dvd|archive-date=31 October 2019|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Abc-mary.myshopify.com}}</ref> which featured Cardiacs rehearsing early songs (mixed with surrealist comedy similar to the ''Maresnest'' DVD) in preparation for "The Special Garage Concerts"-era live shows. (Prior to this, only four clips had been available to the public via the "abcglobus" YouTube channel,<ref>{{Cite web|title=abcglobus|url=https://www.youtube.com/user/abcglobus/videos|access-date=31 October 2019|publisher=[[YouTube]]}}</ref> with a nearly-complete version of the DVD having been screened at the 2013 Alphabet Business Convention. During this time, the unreleased film was commonly referred to as "The Bumming Shed video" or "The Garage Rehearsals video".)

In January 2018, almost ten years since Tim Smith's cardiac arrest, an interview and full explanation of his condition were published in multiple major news publications as well as the official Cardiacs website. A donation campaign was simultaneously launched, its goal being to facilitate improved care for Smith with the hope that the proper neurological treatment it would fund would help him regain control of his body, as he had responded positively to similar, but minimal and inconsistent treatment in the past. The initial donation goal of 40,000 GBP was breached in less than 24 hours, and a new goal of 100,000 GBP was instated, which would fund treatment for one year.<ref name="auto" />

In March 2018, almost all of the Cardiacs back catalogue (including all of the post-1990 singles and EPs, plus the [[Tim Smith's Extra Special OceanLandWorld|OceanLandWorld]], [[Spratleys Japs]], [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|Sea Nymphs]] and [[Mr and Mrs Smith and Mr Drake|Mr & Mrs Smith & Mr Drake]] spinoff projects) was reissued on [[Bandcamp]] as digital downloads.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Cardiacs|url=https://alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721055928/https://alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/|archive-date=21 July 2019|access-date=31 October 2019|website=Alphabet-business-concern.bandcamo.com}}</ref>

On 25 October 2018, Tim Smith was awarded an honorary music doctorate by the [[Royal Conservatoire of Scotland]]. Jim Smith accepted the award on his brother's behalf.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-10-29 |title=Caridacs Tim Smith Doctor of Music Ceremony Video With Jim |url=https://cardiacs.org/doctor-tim/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

Further fundraising events were held in 2018 and 2019, featuring live music from Cardiacs members and related bands, film screenings and interviews, with Tim Smith sporadically in attendance.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-05-10 |title=Salisbury Extravaganza! A Spring Symposium - |url=https://cardiacs.org/salisbury-extravaganza/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-03 |title=The Cardiacs Whole World Window Festival - Preston 2018 |url=https://cardiacs.org/www-festival-2018/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-30 |title=Cardiacs Benefit Gig 2018 - Spratleys, Knifeworld & Zoff |url=https://cardiacs.org/benefit-gig-2018/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-01-31 |title=Cardiacs Salisbury Benefit Gig 2019 - Tim Smith Tribute |url=https://cardiacs.org/benefit-gig-2019/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

With the advent of social media, it has been noted that Cardiacs had perhaps become a more popular band during their inactivity than ever before. Facebook group membership numbers swelled sharply during this period, and video essays on the band now garner hundreds of thousands of views.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFKg09GBFQE |title=Cardiacs: Why I Love Them |date=2018-01-29 |last=Tantacrul |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

=== 2020–2023: Death of Tim Smith, Tim Quy, and other activities ===
Following twelve years of living with dystonia, Smith died on 21 July 2020, with his death announced on Cardiacs website and other news publications the following day by his brother and original band member Jim Smith. A tribute post was made on the official site several days later by Cardiacs' "ordinary shop girl" and website maintainer, Mary.<ref name="thequietus.com">{{cite web |last1=Eede |first1=Christian |date=22 July 2020 |title=Cardiacs' Tim Smith Has Died, Aged 59 |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/28641-cardiacs-tim-smith-rip |access-date=22 July 2020 |website=The Quietus}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The home of CARDIACS on the World Wide Web |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/ |access-date=2024-07-01 |website=CARDIACS |language=en-US}}</ref> Following his death, Tim Smith received a raft of tributes on social media.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hickie |first=James |date=4 May 2021 |title=10 indie albums that influenced heavy metal |url=https://www.kerrang.com/10-indie-albums-influenced-heavy-metal |access-date=26 August 2022 |website=[[Kerrang!]]}}</ref><ref name="Sky News" />

An unreleased Tim Smith Cardiacs song (who had performed it solo in occasional live performances) "Vermin Mangle" was shared publicly on 30 July 2020 during [[Steve Davis]]' Tim Smith tribute show on [[Phoenix FM]]. The song was officially released on 1 September 2020 to mark Smith's funeral which was held the same day. It was released by the band's record label, the Alphabet Business Concern, as a free [[Music download|download]] through their [[Bandcamp]] page at midnight, intended as a thank you to the group's fans. It was their first single and release of new material since "[[Ditzy Scene]]" in 2007, and was intended as the closing track for the then-unreleased [[LSD (Cardiacs album)|''LSD'']]. A video recording of 2005's "Secret Bull & Gate Concerts" was broadcast on Cardiacs' YouTube channel December 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-17 |title=Cardiacs Secret Bull & Gate Concerts Watch Party |url=https://cardiacs.org/secret-bull-gate-concerts-watch-party/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Percussionist Tim Quy died on 2 February 2023, aged 61,<ref name="allmusic1" /> having been through long and difficult illnesses.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Unsworth |first=Cathi |author-link=Cathi Unsworth |date=30 May 2024 |title=Four Gigs for Cardiacs' Tim Smith Announced |url=https://thequietus.com/news/cardiacs-friends-family-announce-further-sing-to-tim-events/ |access-date=25 June 2024 |website=[[The Quietus]]}}</ref> Jim announced his passing on the Cardiacs website.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robb |first=John |author-link=John Robb (musician) |date=3 February 2023 |title=Tim Quy (The Cardiacs) RIP |url=https://louderthanwar.com/tim-quy-the-cardiacs-rip/ |access-date=20 June 2024 |website=[[Louder Than War]]}}</ref> In 2023, a 35th anniversary remastered and expanded boxset release of ''[[A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window]]'', overseen by Tim Smith in 2020 as his final task,<ref name="McIver">{{Cite magazine |last=McIver |first=Joel |author-link=Joel McIver |date=1 February 2024 |title=Heart of the Matter |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/record-collector/20240201/286229515113813 |magazine=[[Record Collector]] |issue=554 |via=[[PressReader]] |access-date=18 July 2024}}</ref> was released in dedication to Smith and Quy, and quickly sold out.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dalton |first=Stephen |date=2023-09-08 |title=Cardiacs – A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/cardiacs-a-little-man-and-a-house-and-the-whole-world-window-143711/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=UNCUT |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== 2024: Sing to Tim tribute shows ===

==== Sing to Tim: First Shows (3–5 May 2024) ====
[[File:Cardiacs Family & Friends at The Garage, London.jpg|thumb|Cardiacs Family & Friends at the Sing to Tim show, 4 May 2024]]
Over 3 years after Tim's passing, and having teased at something involving the band in the days preceding,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spratleys |first=Tim Smith's |date=19 September 2023 |title=Facebook Post by Tim Smith's Spratleys |url=https://www.facebook.com/spratleysjaps/videos/1225282008168052?locale=en_GB |access-date=6 May 2024 |website=Facebook}}</ref> [[Spratleys Japs|Tim Smith's Spratleys]] announced a show, featuring Cardiacs members "past, present, and future" to pay tribute to Tim Smith and his music,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spratleys |first=Tim Smith's |date=22 September 2023 |title="TIM SMITH MEMORIAL SHOW" |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=880114010237297&set=a.597861005129267&locale=en_GB |access-date=6 May 2024 |website=Facebook}}</ref> which was to take place at the Garage on 4 May 2024 (subsequently adding dates 3 May at the Garage and 5 May at [[Brudenell Social Club]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 September 2023 |title=Cardiacs Tour 2024/2025 - Find Dates and Tickets |url=https://www.stereoboard.com/cardiacs-tickets |access-date=6 May 2024 |website=Stereoboard}}</ref> Cardiacs Family and Friends consisted of Jim Smith (bass and backup vocals), Jon Poole (vocals and guitar), Christian Hayes (vocals and guitar), and Bob Leith (drums), with long-time associates Craig Fortnam (percussion), Chloe Herington (saxophone), and Adrien Rodes (keyboard). Sharron Fortnam (vocals), Jo Spratley (vocals), [[Ultrasound (band)|Tiny Wood]] from [[Sleepy People]] (vocals), and Mark Cawthra (vocals) appeared on stage as guests, as well as Kavus Torabi (guitar, and who was slated to be a main member before schedule conflicts) on 3 May.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Worrall |first=Sean |date=4 May 2024 |title=Organ Thing: Singing Cardiacs songs for him, the Sing For Tim celebration at the Garage, London, of course it was wonderful, of course it was… |url=https://organthing.com/2024/05/04/organ-thing-singing-cardiacs-songs-for-him-the-sing-for-tim-celebration-at-the-garage-london-of-course-it-was-wonderful-of-course-it-was/ |access-date=6 May 2024 |website=[[Organ (magazine)|Organ]]}}</ref>

==== Sing to Tim: Autumn Tour (10–13 October 2024) ====
Following the May shows in London and Leeds, on 7 May 2024 it was announced that Sing to Tim would be coming back for another 4 shows in early October. These shows were marketed as an "Autumn tour" and the announcement was posted, like the last, on the [[Spratleys Japs|Tim Smith's Spratleys]] Facebook page.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spratleys |first=Tim Smith's |date=7 May 2024 |title=Autumn Tour Announcement |url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1027492412166122&set=a.597861005129267 |access-date=7 May 2024 |website=Facebook}}</ref> The four dates were to take place between 10–13 October and will take place in the cities of Manchester ([[Band on the Wall]]), Glasgow (SWG3 Warehouse), Newcastle (The Grove) and Brighton (Concorde 2).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moth |first=Little |date=16 May 2024 |title=Cardiacs : Cardiacs Family : Live Review |url=https://louderthanwar.com/cardiacs-family-tim-smiths-spratleys-crayola-lectern-leeds-brudenell-live-review/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1cqpBIyaUMUSX6YG1LN7-Qap7Wd5Q9Eghq_hlzPivk5pGeF6dmg_VTCcI_aem_AauccOw_G3TKRT0hvV0dPPLH53eWkto_gtG52Xu6bAQDrJSxOE2W0aw1T76BxDczUTCIdsCMk9EPFxcgyzCkFxfB |access-date=16 May 2024 |website=[[Louder Than War]]}}</ref>

==== Lead-up to ''LSD'' ====

On 17 June 2024, Cardiacs Family and Friends, along with Tim Smith's Spratleys, played a double-header radio session as part of the [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001mf2c Riley & Coe] block. During their Riley & Coe interviews, Jo Spratley and Jim Smith explained that attempts had been made to resume live activity in 2020 and 2021, but were aborted for various reasons. With the passage of time, all involved believed it was now the right time to continue. During Cardiacs Family and Friends' interview, Jim Smith confirmed that the long-unreleased album ''[[LSD (Cardiacs album)|LSD]]'' was in the mixing stage, and that he had hoped to release it around April 2025. He also elaborated that the album had been worked on before and during Tim's illness and after his passing, with contributions from many Cardiacs family members and friends.<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC Radio 6 Music - Riley & Coe, It's Cardiacs and Spratleys live in session. Double whammy! |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002030t |access-date=2024-06-18 |website=BBC |language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== 2025–: ''LSD'' completed and return of Cardiacs ===
On 26 July 2025, following a series of teaser images, The Alphabet Business Concern streamed a film of a previously unseen Cardiacs concert taking place at the [[Town and Country Club]], London, 25 March 1988.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KidL8T-Wzy8] At the end of the broadcast, a teaser for the first new Cardiacs single in 18 years, "[[Woodeneye]]" appeared, to be released 1 August 2025 as the first of three singles for ''LSD'', which itself would be released on 19 September 2025 on physical and digital formats.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LSD, by Cardiacs |url=https://alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/album/lsd |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250905104503/https://alphabet-business-concern.bandcamp.com/album/lsd |archive-date=2025-09-05 |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=Cardiacs |language=en}}</ref> An early broadcast of the song was played on [[BBC Radio 6 Music]]'s programme ''[[Marc Riley|Riley]] & [[Gideon Coe|Coe]]'' on 31 July 2025, before debuting on streaming services. Following this, it was confirmed that [[Mike Vennart]] had joined Cardiacs<ref>{{Cite web |title=Instagram |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/DN2lkuOWoB-/ |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=www.instagram.com}}</ref> and performed as lead on "Woodeneye" and most of ''[[LSD (Cardiacs album)|LSD]]'', singing where Tim could not, with contributions from [[Rose-Ellen Kemp]]. Vennart had been chosen, in part, for the level of "vocal agitation" he could provide to Tim's melodies.

As of August 2025, Cardiacs consist of [[Chloe Herington]], [[Mike Vennart]], Jane Kaye, [[Sharron Fortnam]], [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim Smith]], [[Craig Fortnam]], [[Kavus Torabi]], and [[Bob Leith]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kemp |first=Oliver |date=2025-08-26 |title=Mike Vennart interview on joining Cardiacs |url=https://deepcutswrites.substack.com/p/singing-for-your-all-time-favourite |access-date=2025-09-07 |website=deep cuts}}</ref> "Downup", the second single, was released on 28 August 2025.[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4o03z8wGIQ]

On 14 September 2025, The Alphabet Business Concern debuted ''LSD'' ahead of its wide release, with four live synchronized listening parties in various UK venues, each with a different Cardiacs-adjacent musical act as the "opener".<ref>{{Cite web |title=News and Events - Cardiacs |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/news/ |access-date=2025-09-15 |website=www.cardiacs.net/ |language=en-GB}}</ref> A special taped introduction from Jim Smith was played at each, where he thanked fans for their support and firmly declared Cardiacs were to continue as a musical act beyond ''LSD''. Jim was present at the Brighton event, alongside bandmates Torabi and Leith. The third ''LSD'' single, "Volob", was released on September 17, 2025.

After the release of ''LSD'', Cardiacs announced three live dates in support of the album for March 2026, at [[Electric Brixton]] in London on March 11, Manchester's [[New Century Hall]] on March 12 and St. Luke's in Glasgow on March 13.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=23 September 2025 |title=Cardiacs announce live dates in support of new album LSD for March 2026 {{!}} Louder |url=https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/cardiacs-announce-live-dates-in-support-of-new-album-lsd-for-march-2026 |access-date=25 September 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref> In a September interview, Jim Smith promised that ''LSD'' would not be the final Cardiacs release, and that the band likely have "two more albums" which they expect to begin working on in the near future.<ref>{{Cite web |last=dakika |first=English Okuma süresi: 12 |date=2025-09-25 |title=Cardiacs Interview: "Where Tim Is, He's Up Front" |url=https://kiyimuzik.com/cardiacs-interview-where-tim-is-hes-up-front/ |access-date=2025-09-27 |website=Kıyı Müzik |language=tr}}</ref>

== Musical and lyrical style ==
{{Quote box
| quote = "Think about what pop music is, and where it has been, the things and changes that it has gone through, however ridiculous. All pop is ridiculous and fantastic. Who is to say that you can't do whatever you like with it when you look at its history?"
| source = —Tim Smith, ''[[The Yorkshire Post]]'', 2007<ref name="yorkshirepost2007"/>
| align = left
| width = 25%
}}
Cardiacs have been labeled as [[art rock]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dalton |first=Stephen |title=Album Reviews - ''Heaven Born and Ever Bright'' |url=http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/album-reviews-heaven-born-and-ever-bright/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509143140/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/album-reviews-heaven-born-and-ever-bright/ |archive-date=9 May 2008 |access-date=10 March 2023 |website=[[NME]] |via=Cardiacs.com |quote=Tim Smith's mental art-rock project still churn out their unique brand of turbo-charged whimsy with scarily psychotic gusto.}}</ref><ref name="UK Tour"/><ref name="Prog Streaming"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=21 June 2023 |title=Cardiacs first full-length album gets four disc reissue |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/cardiacs-first-full-length-album-gets-4cd-reissue |access-date=21 August 2024 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McIver |first=Joel |author-link=Joel McIver |date=31 January 2024 |title="Daevid Allen was always throwing a grenade into situations… Tim Smith was quite benign, although very driven. They both had the same sort of presence:" Kavus Torabi compares his late Gong and Cardiacs bandmates |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/gong-kavus-torabi-daevid-allen-tim-smith-cardiacs |access-date=12 August 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kendall |first=Jo |date=3 January 2025 |title="As pictorial histories go, it's as smart and surprising as Cardiacs themselves": A Big Book And A Band And A Whole World Window by Aaron Tanner |url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/cardiacs-big-book-whole-world-window-aaron-tanner |access-date=3 January 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref name=":3" /> [[progressive punk]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lester |first=Paul |date=4 November 2016 |title=Outer Limits: How Prog are North Sea Radio Orchestra? |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/outer-limits-how-prog-are-north-sea-radio-orchestra |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=8 January 2018 |title=Cardiacs' Tim Smith raising money to help with medical bills |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/cardiacs-tim-smith-raising-money-to-help-with-medical-bills/ |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref><ref name="RIP" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sacher |first=Andrew |date=22 January 2021 |title=Cardiacs' discography is finally on streaming services |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/cardiacs-discography-is-finally-on-streaming-services/ |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref> (or 'pronk'<ref name="atox" /><ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Maxwell |first=Jackson |date=22 July 2020 |title=Tim Smith, Cardiacs frontman, dies aged 59 |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/news/tim-smith-frontman-of-cardiacs-dies-aged-59 |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[Guitar World]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=22 July 2020 |title=Cardiacs singer Tim Smith dead at 59 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/cardiacs-singer-tim-smith-dead-at-59 |access-date=5 May 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref name="OndaRock" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=7 August 2025 |title=David Gilmour: On 60 Years Of Quiet Industry and Epic Live Performance - Record Collector Magazine |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/cover-story/david-gilmour-on-60-years-of-quiet-industry-and-epic-live-performance |access-date=12 August 2025 |website=[[Record Collector]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hatfield |first1=Amanda |last2=Andrew |first2=Andrew Sacher |last3=Pearis |first3=Bill |date=2 September 2025 |title=72 Albums We're Anticipating for Fall 2025 |url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/72-albums-were-anticipating-for-fall-2025/ |access-date=18 September 2025 |website=[[BrooklynVegan]]}}</ref>), [[psych rock]],<ref name="UK Tour" /><ref name="Uncut Whole World Window">{{Cite web |last=Dalton |first=Stephen |date=8 September 2023 |title=Cardiacs – A Little Man And A House And The Whole World Window |url=https://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/cardiacs-a-little-man-and-a-house-and-the-whole-world-window-143711/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |website=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]]}}</ref> [[avant-punk]],<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Uncut Whole World Window" /> [[art-pop]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dickson |first=Jamie |date=18 April 2023 |title=Six-string psychonaut Kavus Torabi on the mythology of Gong, Hotel California moments with Steve Hillage and his epiphany with scales |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kavus-torabi-gong-the-utopia-strong |access-date=20 April 2023 |website=[[Guitarist (magazine)|Guitarist]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 August 2025 |title=Cardiacs: Tim Smith's Legacy and the Return of 'LSD' |url=https://recordcollectormag.com/features/cardiacs-tim-smith-legacy-lsd |access-date=12 August 2025 |website=[[Record Collector]]}}</ref> [[Experimental music|experimental]],<ref name="Billboard" /> [[post-punk]],<ref name=":0" /> [[art-punk]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yu |first=Zhenzhen |date=13 March 2023 |title=Godcaster: Godcaster Album Review |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/godcaster-godcaster/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]}}</ref> [[experimental rock]],<ref name="McIver" /> [[indie rock]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Demalon |first=Tom |title=Cardiacs  |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cardiacs-mn0000531346 |access-date=5 May 2024 |work=[[AllMusic]] |quote=Eccentric U.K. indie rockers whose cassette-only releases and oddball performances built them a 1980s cult following. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250412213404/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cardiacs-mn0000531346 |archive-date=12 April 2025 |url-status=unfit}}</ref> [[avant-pop]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kendall |first=Jo |date=1 September 2025 |title=Cardiacs – Arresting Development |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/record-collector/20250901/page/65 |access-date=20 September 2025 |website=[[Record Collector]] |page=65}}</ref> [[psych-pop]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 November 2025 |title=New Albums |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/uncut/20251101/page/31 |access-date=20 September 2025 |website=[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]] |page=31 |via=[[PressReader]]}}</ref> and "[[Alternative rock|alt]] [[Progressive rock|prog]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=2 October 2024 |title=Fully authorised visual history of Cardiacs to be published |url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/fully-authorised-visual-history-of-cardiacs-to-be-published |access-date=11 June 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref> The Italian publication ''OndaRock'' commented that Cardiacs can also be classified as forerunners of two bizarre "non-genres" that collect projects outside the box, balanced between progressive complexity and pop/punk immediacy: the eighties "[[Zolo (music genre)|Zolo]]" and the more recent "[[Fabloo]]".<ref name="OndaRock" /> Cardiacs' music is noted for balancing the attack and 'raw energy' of [[punk rock]] with the intricacies and technical cleverness of early British [[progressive rock]].<ref name=":0" /> The band also incorporates elements of other musical forms such as [[ska]], [[medieval music]], [[folk music]], [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]], [[hymn]]s, [[Classical music|classical]] and corporate anthems.<ref name="dreadedpress2007">{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110717202015/http://www.rock-metal-music-reviews.com/live-review-cardiacs-the-wedgewood-rooms-22nd-november-2007/ Live review: Cardiacs – The Wedgewood Rooms, 22 November 2007]}} from ''The Dreaded Press''</ref><ref name="classicrockginger" /><ref name="pse-garage" /> The music magazine [[Organ (magazine)|Organ]] once commented that "one Cardiacs song contains more ideas than most other musicians' entire careers."<ref name="orgbio">{{cite web|author=Sean Worrall|date=2007-12-16|title=Org: Cardiacs|url=http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/biocardiacs.htm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004222905/http://www.organart.demon.co.uk/biocardiacs.htm|archive-date=4 October 2013|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Organart.demon.co.uk}}</ref>

The broad combination of styles in the band's music has sometimes been referred to as "progressive punk" – or "[[Progressive music#Progressive punk|pronk]]" – and has led to Cardiacs being labelled the primary exponents of this musical style.<ref name="atox">{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Steve |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA55 |title=The A to X of Alternative Music |publisher=A&C Black |isbn=978-0-8264-8217-4 |date=27 September 2006 |page=55 |access-date=27 August 2015 |orig-date=6 July 2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505085002/https://books.google.com/books?id=KPOsu8JOHO8C&pg=PA55 |archive-date=5 May 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Tim Smith rejected the term, preferring the description "[[Psychedelic music|psychedelic]]" or simply "[[Pop (music)|pop]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiacs.com/interviews/harmonie-magazine-france-may-2000/|title=Interview with Tim Smith in Harmonie Magazine, May 2000, by Jean-Luc Putaux (archived on Cardiacs homepage)|access-date=2008-12-09|archive-date=23 October 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023043454/http://www.cardiacs.com/interviews/harmonie-magazine-france-may-2000/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="quietusheartattack" /><ref name="auto" /> Musicians that the band have cited as influences include [[XTC (band)|XTC]], [[Van der Graaf Generator]], [[Gong (band)|Gong]], early [[Split Enz]], [[Devo]], [[Gentle Giant]] (though downplayed by Smith),<ref>{{Cite web |last=Quietus |first=The |date=2022-07-03 |title=The Strange (Parallel) World of… Tim Smith Of Cardiacs |url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/strange-world-of/tim-smith-cardiacs-strange-world/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=The Quietus |language=en-GB}}</ref> [[Alberto y Lost Trios Paranoias]], early [[Genesis (band)|Genesis]], [[Deaf School]], [[Wire (band)|Wire]].<ref name="quietusheartattack" /> [[The Who]]'s ''[[Quadrophenia]]'' was particularly influential on Smith's approach to songwriting, having taught how to write musical notation from the album's [[songbook]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://thecorroseum.org/features/wayback/daa/cardiacs.htm|title = Dancing About Architechture: &#91;sic&#93; The PIEmag * C a R D I a C S * - interview - THE CORROSEUM}}</ref>

"I don’t know what influences [Cardiacs] really, I wouldn’t say that we are influenced by any actual bands in particular, I’ve got no bones about musically ripping someone else’s band off though…. I’ve definitely nicked bits and pieces here and there, I don’t mind if they don’t mind…. I remember working on one song we did a little while ago which was based just on the memory of a song I heard by someone else way back when I was about 14 years old, trouble was that it ended up quite similar to the original, I didn’t care, but the audacity of it raised a few wiggly eyebrows, the actual tune I wrote was totally different and all that… but the atmosphere was very similar, which pleased me as it was that which I was trying to rekindle…. I thought my memory of it had twisted the atmosphere into this new creature, but as it turned out my memory wasn’t that bad… but so what, tunes are for borrowing, you give them all back in the end. *

‘Influences’ come more from random or abstract things… like I might walk past a radio playing something nice in somebodies window…. or I’ll hear a ghost in the bushes, or whatever, and I’ll think ‘oooh I’ll do a song like that’ but it’ll twist into something totally different in the end….but I do like [[Devo|DEVO]] and I think [[JG Thirlwell|Jim Feotus]] [sic] and [[Frank Zappa|Zappa]] are genius and [[Gentle Giant]] have there moments of total unique brilliance (and moments of embarrassing grimness as well, like anyone unfortunately) but I can’t say that they influence us any more than a crow on a stump does."

-Margen Magazine (Spain) April 2001, Tim Smith Interview<ref>{{Cite web |title=The home of CARDIACS on the World Wide Web |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=CARDIACS |language=en-US}}</ref>

<small>* Based on the relative dates provided, Smith is likely referring to the [[Faust (band)|Faust]] song "[[Faust IV|Läuft...Heißt Das Es Läuft Oder Es Kommt Bald...Läuft]]" and Cardiacs' "[[Sing to God|Wireless]]".</small>{{Quote box
| quote = "You look at a road on an aerial photograph and you think, bloody hell, it's suburbia, all those little houses, all in a row, but all those houses have people in them – say there's four people in a house, that is four whole worlds... Yes, I mean we're part of it all, we're all in it, but it's strange that you have a house and it's all you ever wanted, you've worked all your life for it and you're keeping it in order for the eyes of others who probably couldn't give a toss anyway – or people who want to compete, to care, which is even weirder."
| source = —Tim Smith discussing suburbia (an early Cardiacs lyrical obsession), ''Time Out of Mind'', {{circa}} 1987.<ref name="Time-Out-Of-Mind-1987">
{{cite web 
 |url=http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_interview_time.html 
 |title=Cardiacs 
 |publisher=Time Out of Mind fanzine (reproduced on Cardiacs Museum website 
 |date=c. 1987 
 |access-date=2009-10-06 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090630233958/http://www.cardiacs.org/exhibits/documents/docs_interview_time.html 
 |archive-date=30 June 2009
 }}
</ref>
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}}Earlier lineups of the band were sextets and octets employing extensive use of saxophones, percussion and live keyboards. From 1991 onwards, the band was a rock power quartet centred on two guitars (with the remaining keyboard and percussion parts sequenced on tape). Vocally, Cardiacs employed a distinctive singing style centred on Tim Smith's lead vocals (reedy and high-pitched, with a strong, punk-styled south London suburban accent) and choral sections (varying from yelled to falsetto) involving most or all of the band. [[Tim Smith (Cardiacs)|Smith]]'s singing style has been described by music critics as 'skittish'; it has also been commented that his singing voice sounded very similar to his speaking one. The band's music was written almost entirely by Tim Smith, although contributions were sometimes made by other group members.

Smith was also responsible for the majority of the band's lyrics, which were written in a cryptic fractured form of English alternately hailed as poetic or nonsensical. He generally refused to discuss their content, preferring to keep the words and their inspirations shrouded in mystique and allowing for fan interpretations. Smith also sometimes employed a [[Cut-up technique|cut-up]] lyrical approach drawing on the works of (among others), [[William Blake]], [[Charles Kingsley]], [[William Shakespeare]] and [[T.S. Eliot]]. Two favourite cut-and-paste sources were Pedro Carolino's ''[[English As She Is Spoke]]'' (a failed [[Victorian era|Victorian]] English-Portuguese phrasebook once hailed by [[Mark Twain]] as a perfect example of absurdity)<ref>{{cite web|title=&#91;Clemens&#93; Mark Twain's essay: English as She is Taught|url=http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/884/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205151605/http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/884/|archive-date=5 December 2010|access-date=2011-01-22}}</ref> and the nineteenth-century Irish poet [[George Darley]]. Fans have also spotted references to the films ''[[The Night of the Hunter (film)|The Night of the Hunter]]'' and ''[[Eraserhead]]'' in Smith's words and music videos.<ref>{{cite web|title=CARDIACS: Poetry and words for your viewing pleasure|url=http://www.angelfire.com/wy/cardiacs/cardiacs/lyrics/cdxpoetry.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110318010346/http://www.angelfire.com/wy/cardiacs/cardiacs/lyrics/cdxpoetry.htm|archive-date=18 March 2011|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Angelfire.com}}</ref> Jim Smith recalls the film [[Overlord (1975 film)|''Overlord'']] as another influence on his brother.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-10-25 |title=Cardiacs Special Edition Vinyl Casebound Book for Sale! |url=https://cardiacs.org/casebound-books/ |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=cardiacs.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Performance style and mythology ==
[[File:Cardiacs live in Amsterdam 1987 1.jpg|alt=|left|thumb|Cardiacs live in Amsterdam, 1987]]
Alphabet's original representative characters were Cardiac's "sordid, waxy" manager "the Consultant" (real name James Stevens) and his assistant and band advisor "Miss Swift", both of whom made onstage appearances with Cardiacs during the 1980s.<ref name="mmlive1987">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ 1987 live review of Cardiacs at The Marquee Club, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by [[Christopher Dawes (author)|Christopher "Push" Dawes]] in ''[[Melody Maker]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref><ref name="mm1987-2">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ 1987 live review of Cardiacs at The Bunker Club, Rotterdam, Netherlands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by [[Christopher Dawes (author)|Christopher "Push" Dawes]] in ''[[Melody Maker]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref>

In performance, Cardiacs generally rejected (or occasionally parodied) standard rock band posturing. The band's shows instead featured behaviour which has been described as "therapeutic, surrealist pantomime", compared to absurdist theatre, and labelled "not so much theatrically eccentric as completely fucking neurotic". During any given performance Tim Smith ranted between and during numbers, acting out bizarre childlike ideas and emotions.<ref name="mm1987-2" /><ref name="soundsjan1988">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ January 1988 live review of Cardiacs at The Marquee Club, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by Cathi Unsworth in ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref><ref name="nmemarch1988">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ March 1988 live review of Cardiacs at Town and Country Club, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by Jane Solanas in ''[[New Musical Express]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref><ref name="mmlivedecember1988">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ December 1988 live review of Cardiacs at Town and Country Club, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by Andrew Smith in ''[[Melody Maker]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref> During the 1980s the band perfected a detailed stage act involving shabby lift attendant costumes, badly-applied clown makeup, Tim Smith's bullying and confrontation<ref name="Billboard" /> of other band members (predominantly Jim Smith), and a final formal presentation of champagne and flowers by the Consultant and Miss Swift complete with confetti, taking place to "a euphoric sweep of saxophone and keyboards that wouldn't seem out of place in a '70s cigar advert."<ref name="soundslive1987">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ 1987 live review of Cardiacs at Dingwalls, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by Andy Hurt in ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref><ref name="quietusheartattack" /><ref name="nmemarch1988" /> During the 1990s, the theatrical elements of the live show were toned down and the uniforms replaced by formal suits, although certain rituals (including the childlike mannerisms and Smith's ranting style) were retained.<ref name="nmelivedecember1988">[http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/ December 1988 live review of Cardiacs at Town and Country Club, London, UK] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120317164545/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/old-live-reviews/|date=17 March 2012}} by Stephen Dalton in ''[[New Musical Express]]'' (copy of text hosted on Cardiacs homepage)</ref><ref name="dreadedpress2007" /><ref name="pse-garage" /><ref name="yorkshirepost2007" /><ref name="quietusheartattack" />

== Legacy ==
While the critical status of Cardiacs is wildly mixed (the band tends to attract extreme responses, with some critics hailing them while others violently condemn them to the point of pariahhood), Cardiacs were renowned for their unique performing and songwriting styles and their poetically cryptic, philosophical and abstract lyrics, as well as for their ability to produce a unique, complex and innovative sound with all their musical ventures over and over again throughout their long career.<ref name="orgbio" /><ref name="quietusheartattack" /> Tim Smith regularly attracted fulsome praise: he has been described in the music press as the "[[Mozart]]", "[[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]" and "[[Messiaen]]" of rock and pop music for his complex and innovative compositional skills,<ref name="quietusheartattack" /><ref name="gunsreviews">{{cite web|title=Cardiacs Official Website" Album Reviews- GUNS|url=http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/album-reviews-guns/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101207164238/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/album-reviews-guns|archive-date=7 December 2010|access-date=2010-01-13}}</ref><ref name="musicalvocabulary">{{cite web|date=2010-05-09|title=dfan says» Blog Archive" Cardiacs: musical vocabulary|url=http://dfan.org/blog/2010/05/09/cardiacs-musical-vocabulary/|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Dfan.org}}</ref> as well as being hailed as a genius<ref>{{cite web|title=Cardiacs Official Website" Live Reviews - London Astoria 2004|url=http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/london-astoria-2004/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110515200128/http://www.cardiacs.com/reviews/london-astoria-2004/|archive-date=15 May 2011|access-date=2010-01-13}}</ref> (albeit sometimes a "deranged" one).<ref name="gunsreviews" /> The snooker player [[Steve Davis]] is also a big fan of the band and attended many of their live gigs, as well as co-authoring the book ''[[Medical Grade Music]]'', featuring Cardiacs, with Torabi.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}''.'' The actor [[Mark Benton]] is a fan''.<ref>{{cite web |title=My Record Collection: Mark Benton |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/my-record-collection-mark-benton |website=Louder |date=27 February 2020 |access-date=10 May 2025}}</ref>''

Cardiacs have had a profound underground influence on over three decades of musicians, including the pioneers of the [[nu metal]] and [[avant-garde metal]] genres. The band has also influenced [[math rock]] artists such as [[the Monsoon Bassoon]] and [[Battles (band)|Battles]].<ref name="margen2001">{{cite web |title=Interview with Tim Smith in Margen Magazine, April 2001, by Luis Gonzalez (archived on Cardiacs homepage) |url=http://www.cardiacs.com/interviews/margen-magazine-spain-april-2002-tim-smith/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509192125/http://www.cardiacs.com/interviews/margen-magazine-spain-april-2002-tim-smith/ |archive-date=9 May 2008 |access-date=2008-12-09}}</ref><ref name="gunsreviews" /> The band are sometimes credited as having been the inventors of the "[[Progressive music#Progressive punk|pronk]]" (progressive punk) music genre;<ref name=atox/> Tim Smith rejected the term from the off, stating that Cardiacs are better described as a [[Pop music|pop]] group or a [[psychedelic rock]] band.

{{Quote box
| quote = "I love it when a celeb is on our side. It's not as if their opinions are any more important than anyone else's, I just like it. Who wouldn't? Imagine if a great big celeb lived next door to you and they said they liked your slippers, you'd tell everyone. I would."
| source = —Tim Smith, ''The Yorkshire Post'', 2007<ref name="yorkshirepost2007"/>
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}}Groups who have cited Tim Smith's work as a major influence include [[Blur (band)|Blur]],<ref name=":2" /><ref name="Sky News" /> [[Mike Vennart]] of [[Oceansize]], [[Mike Patton]] of [[Faith No More]] and [[Mr. Bungle]], and [[Tool (band)|Tool]].<ref name="quietusheartattack" /> During the 1980s, Cardiacs were a professed influence or inspiration for [[Marillion]], [[It Bites]] and British psychedelic acts such as [[Ring (band)|Ring]]; during the 1990s, emerging bands and musicians who were or became Cardiacs fans included Blur, [[Supergrass]],<ref name="quietusheartattack" /> [[Shane Embury]] of [[Napalm Death]],<ref name="Shane Embury">{{Cite web |last=Hobson |first=Rich |date=2 September 2021 |title=Shane Embury: My Life In 10 Songs |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/shane-embury-my-life-in-10-songs |access-date=1 July 2022 |website=[[Metal Hammer]]}}</ref> [[Storm Corrosion]]'s [[Steven Wilson]] and [[Mikael Åkerfeldt]], [[Neil Cicierega]], [[the Scaramanga Six]], [[the Monsoon Bassoon]], [[Leech Woman]], [[Mike Keneally]], [[Justin Hawkins]] of [[The Darkness (band)|The Darkness]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF0n1gI-d9w This Band Changed My Life] Justin Hawkins Rides Again. 28 November 2021. Retrieved 28 November 2022.</ref> [[Dave Grohl]] of [[Foo Fighters]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/classic-rock/20210105/281552293486209 |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=PressReader|title=Buyer’s Guide Cardiacs |work=Classic Rock}}</ref> and [[the Wildhearts]] (who would later pay direct tribute via their track "Tim Smith" on 2009's [[Chutzpah! (album)|''Chutzpah!'']] and 2021's "[[21st Century Love Songs|We Sing for Tim]]"). During the 2000s, Cardiacs influenced musical acts such as Rocketgoldstar, Little Trophy, [[the Display Team]], Liberty Ships, [[Major Parkinson]] and [[Silvery (band)|Silvery]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Mandi Apple|title=Cardiacs intro|url=http://www.mandiapple.com/Cardiacsintro.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807174059/http://www.mandiapple.com/Cardiacsintro.html|archive-date=7 August 2008|access-date=2016-08-07|website=Mandiapple.com}}</ref> During the 2010s, Cardiacs-inspired musical acts like [[Black Midi]], [[The Fierce and the Dead]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Music Radar - The Fierce & The Dead's Matt Stevens picks 10 essential prog-rock albums|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/the-fierce-the-deads-matt-stevens-picks-10-essential-prog-rock-albums-626212 |date=11 August 2015 |access-date=18 April 2025}}</ref> [[Everything Everything]], and [[Bent Knee]] entered the scene. Visual artists [[Cyriak]]<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs1kWoJid5I |title=Cardiacs - There's Good Cud - animation by Cyriak |date=2015-10-13 |last=Cornelius Breadbasket |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymKIP7vf0z0 |title=Wind and Rains is Cold - Cardiacs. Animation by Cyriak |date=2015-09-29 |last=Cornelius Breadbasket |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref> and [[Jim Woodring]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hale |first=Corianton |title=Jim Woodring Discovered a Way to Change the Past |url=https://www.thestranger.com/visual-art/2022/08/15/77755179/jim-woodring-discovered-a-way-to-change-the-past |access-date=2024-06-19 |website=The Stranger |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QosVvKj7lOg |title=Jim Woodring Episode #24 Alan Fulle's Art Interviews |date=2024-03-27 |last=Alan Fulle's Art Interviews |access-date=2024-06-19 |via=YouTube}}</ref> have also professed an affinity for Cardiacs and Tim Smith.

Six months after Tim Smith's death, Cardiacs' discography was added to streaming services on 22 January 2021.<ref name="Prog Streaming">{{Cite web|last=Ewing|first=Jerry|date=22 January 2021|title=Cardiacs albums finally appear on streaming services|url=https://www.loudersound.com/news/cardiacs-finally-appear-on-streaming-services|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128110538/https://www.loudersound.com/news/cardiacs-finally-appear-on-streaming-services|archive-date=28 January 2021|access-date=2021-02-04|website=Prog Magazine|language=en}}</ref>

In January 2025, the band released a visual history coffee table book, ''Cardiacs: A Big Book and a Band and the Whole World Window'', with author [[Aaron Tanner]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-02 |title=Fully authorised visual history of Cardiacs to be published |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/fully-authorised-visual-history-cardiacs-113158339.html |access-date=2025-01-02 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Members ==
{{Main|List of Cardiacs band members}}
'''Current lineup'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Marsden |first=Rhodri |author-link=Rhodri Marsden |date=18 August 2025 |title=Cardiacs: 'If Tim hadn't died, this album would have been impossible to finish' |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/music/cardiacs-tim-died-album-impossible-finish-3838088 |access-date=20 August 2025 |website=[[The i Paper]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=1 August 2025 |title=Cardiacs announce that their final album, LSD, will be released in September |url=https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/cardiacs-announce-that-their-final-album-lsd-will-be-released-in-september |access-date=20 August 2025 |website=[[Prog (magazine)|Prog]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Official Home of Cardiacs on the Whole World Wide Webs. |url=https://www.cardiacs.net/ |access-date=20 August 2025 |publisher=Cardiacs}} The alternative text for the band photo reads "Cardiacs current lineup".</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Ewing |first=Jerry |date=2025-09-23 |title=Cardiacs announce live dates in support of new album LSD for March 2026 |url=https://www.loudersound.com/bands-artists/live-performances/cardiacs-announce-live-dates-in-support-of-new-album-lsd-for-march-2026 |access-date=2025-09-24 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim Smith]] – bass, vocals
* [[Bob Leith]] – drums, vocals
* [[Kavus Torabi]] – guitars, vocals
* Sharron Fortnam – vocals
* [[Craig Fortnam]] – percussion, glockenspiel, vocals
* Chloe Herington – saxophone
* Jane Kaye – vocals
* [[Mike Vennart]] – lead vocals
* [[Rhodri Marsden]] – keyboards

'''1977–2008'''
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Tim Smith (Cardiacs)|Tim Smith]] – vocals <small>(backing 1977–1980, lead 1980–2008)</small>, guitar, keyboards<ref name="Shane Embury" /> <small>(1977–2008; died 2020)</small>
* [[Jim Smith (bassist)|Jim Smith]] – bass, vocals <small>(1977–2008)</small>
* Michael Pugh – lead vocals <small>(1977–1980)</small>
* [[Peter Tagg (musician)|Peter Tagg]] – drums <small>(1977–1979)</small>
* [[The Sound (band)|Colvin Mayers]] – keyboards <small>(1978–1981; died 1993<ref>{{Cite book |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-A0KAQAAMAAJ&q=colvin%20mayers%20the%20sound |title=The Encyclopedia of Popular Music: Rich, Young and Pretty - Swift, Richard |publisher=MUZE |year=2006 |volume=7 |chapter=The Sound|isbn=978-0-19-531373-4 }}</ref>)</small>
* [[The Trudy|Ralph Cade]] – saxophone <small>(1978–1979)</small>
* [[Mark Cawthra]] – drums <small>(1979–1982)</small>, keyboards <small>(1982–1983)</small>, vocals <small>(1979–1983)</small>
* [[The Sea Nymphs (band)|Sarah Smith]] – saxophone, clarinet, vocals, keyboards <small>(1980–1989; later guest appearances)</small>
* [[Tim Quy]] – percussion, keyboards <small>(1981–1990; died 2023)</small>
* Dominic Luckman – drums <small>(1982–1993)</small>
* [[William D. Drake]] – keyboards, vocals <small>(1983–1990)</small>
* Graham Simmonds – guitar <small>(1983–1984)</small>
* Marguerite Johnston – saxophone <small>(1983–1984)</small>
* [[Bic Hayes|Christian Hayes]] – guitar, vocals <small>(1989–1991)</small>
* [[Jon Poole]] – guitar, keyboards, vocals <small>(1991–2003)</small>
* [[Bob Leith]] – drums <small>(1993–2008)</small>
* [[Kavus Torabi]] – guitar, vocals <small>(2003–2008)</small>
* [[North Sea Radio Orchestra|Sharron Fortnam]] – vocals <small>(2004–2007)</small>
* [[Circulus (band)|Cathy Harabaras]] – percussion <small>(2004–2008)</small>
* [[Sidi Bou Said (band)|Claire Lemmon]] – vocals <small>(2004–2007)</small>
* Dawn Staple – percussion <small>(2004–2007)</small>
* [[Melanie Woods (musician)|Melanie Woods]] – vocals <small>(2004–2008)</small>
{{Div col end}}

== Discography ==
{{Main|Cardiacs discography|List of songs recorded by Cardiacs}}

* ''[[A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window]]'' (1988)
* ''[[On Land and in the Sea]]'' (1989)
* ''[[Heaven Born and Ever Bright]]'' (1992)
* ''[[Sing to God]]'' (1996)
* ''[[Guns (Cardiacs album)|Guns]]'' (1999)
* ''[[LSD (Cardiacs album)|LSD]]'' (2025)

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Sister project links
 |b= no|c= yes|d= Q1035697|m= no|mw= no|n= no|q= no|s=no |species=no |v=no |voy=no |wikt=cardiacs}}
* {{official website|cardiacs.net}}
* [https://cardiacs.org/ Cardiacs Museum] 
* {{discogs artist|Cardiacs}}
* {{IMDb name|13186719}}

{{Cardiacs|state=expanded}}
{{Navboxes|title=Articles related to Cardiacs|state=collapsed|list={{Tim Smith}}}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Cardiacs| ]]
[[Category:English art rock groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1981]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 2008]]
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[[Category:Art pop groups]]
[[Category:Art punk groups]]
[[Category:Avant-pop groups]]
[[Category:English experimental rock groups]]
[[Category:British experimental musical groups]]
[[Category:Indie rock groups from London]]
[[Category:Psychedelic pop music groups]]
[[Category:Psychedelic musical groups]]
[[Category:Musical groups from the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames]]