After leaving The Bondi Cigars Mitch Grainger formed Papa Lips (a six-piece Blues & Roots band) with his sister Kara Grainger, Declan Kelly, Rowan Lane, Danny Guerrero and Clayton Doley.
Through Mitch Grainger's connections with Malcolm Young and Albert Productions, the band was introduced to John Brewster of The Angels who managed the band.

Papa Lips recorded and released one EP (Harmony – 1996) and one album (High Time Now – 1998) distributed by Festival Records.
They toured extensively on Australia's east coast, and played major Australian music festivals such as the Byron Bay Bluesfest and Woodford.
In 1998 Papa Lips were awarded, "Best New Band" at the Australian Blues Music Awards.

In 1998 the band was introduced to producer Harry Vanda of The Easybeats and AC/DC fame and signed by Albert Productions.
The band changed their name to "Grainger" and were in the studio for a period of two years recording an unreleased album, and an EP, Sky Is Falling.
In September 2001 Mitch Grainger traveled along with his sister Kara Grainger to New York to meet with American record labels, Atlantic Records, Sony BMG, Virgin Records and Elektra Records.
The pair arrived in Manhattan on 9 September and were witness to the 11 September attacks.
After leaving The Bondi Cigars Mitch Grainger formed Papa Lips (a six-piece Blues & Roots band) with his sister Kara Grainger, Declan Kelly, Rowan Lane, Danny Guerrero and Clayton Doley. Through Mitch Grainger's connections with Malcolm Young and Albert Productions, the band was introduced to John Brewster of The Angels who managed the band.
Papa Lips recorded and released one EP (Harmony – 1996) and one album (High Time Now – 1998) distributed by Festival Records. They toured extensively on Australia's east coast, and played major Australian music festivals such as the Byron Bay Bluesfest and Woodford. In 1998 Papa Lips were awarded, "Best New Band" at the Australian Blues Music Awards.
In 1998 the band was introduced to producer Harry Vanda of The Easybeats and AC/DC fame and signed by Albert Productions. The band changed their name to "Grainger" and were in the studio for a period of two years recording an unreleased album, and an EP, Sky Is Falling. In September 2001 Mitch Grainger traveled along with his sister Kara Grainger to New York to meet with American record labels, Atlantic Records, Sony BMG, Virgin Records and Elektra Records. The pair arrived in Manhattan on 9 September and were witness to the 11 September attacks.
Mitch Grainger