Flowerhead
Encyclopedia
Biography
The seeds of Flowerhead were originally planted deep underground by founding members Eric Faust (Lead Vocals, Bass, Guitars) and Buz Zoller (Guitars, Vocals) in 1987. With the addition of Eric Schmitz (Guitars, Vocals) in 1989 and Pete Levine (Drums, Vocals) in 1990, the roots took hold. The unassuming rock band, working in the sweaty club environments of Austin, TexasAustin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and nearby cities and states, began its campaign to enter the music world with their independently produced 4-track, cassette only release "Turmoil in the Toybox".
After being "discovered" (buying and listening to Turmoil) by CMJ (College Media Journal) veteran Scott Byron (A&R guru for BMG
BMG
Bertelsmann Music Group, , was a division of Bertelsmann before its completion of sale of the majority of its assets to Japan's Sony Corporation of America on October 1, 2008. It was established in 1987 to combine the music label activities of Bertelsmann...
label Zoo Entertainment), the band was quickly signed following feverish live performances preceding and during Austin's popular South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
Music Festival. A fast paced 1991 resulted in the rapid replacement of local management and legal representation by industry insiders in New York City and Hollywood. Riding on the "Turmoil Tapes", the band embarked on a promotional tour before going into the studio. An East coast stint with British rockers Thee Hypnotics laid a foundation in the "cool club circuit" that made Flowerhead welcome throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Flowerhead produced their debut album at Butch Vig
Butch Vig
Butch Vig is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the drummer of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage and the producer of multi-platinum selling album Nevermind by Nirvana....
's Smart Studios in Madison, Wisconsin in the Spring of 1992. Working with engineers Brian Anderson, Steve Marker
Steve Marker
Steve Marker is an American musician and record producer, best known internationally as the guitarist of the Madison, Wisconsin-based alternative rock band Garbage.-Early life:...
, and Duke Erikson
Duke Erikson
Douglas Elwin Erickson , better known as Duke Erikson, is a founding member of the band Garbage. At 16 years old he formed his first band, The British. Erickson studied art history, and financed his studies with numerous jobs such as carpenter or truck driver...
, the band recorded Ka-Bloom within two months. Faust joined Lou Giordano
Lou Giordano
Lou Giordano is a record producer and recording engineer who worked at Radiobeat Studios and Fort Apache Studios. He has produced a wide variety of bands, including Hüsker Dü, the Goo Goo Dolls, and many others....
at The Carriage House in Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford, Connecticut
Stamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
for the mixing sessions, and mastering was at K Disc in Hollywood with Jack Skinner. However, after mastering the tracks, Flowerhead decided that the record was not complete. The addition of "Everything is Beautiful" was produced at Cedar Creek Studios in Austin with engineer Jim Wilson.
The release was followed by constant touring, including jaunts with Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin
Ned's Atomic Dustbin are an English rock band formed in Stourbridge in West Midlands in November 1987. The band took their name from an episode of The Goon Show. The band were unusual for using two bass players in their lineup: Alex Griffin played melody lines high up on one bass, and Mat Cheslin...
, and favorite tour companions Blind Melon
Blind Melon
Blind Melon is an American rock band active from 1989 to 1999, and from 2006 onward.Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock...
.
With the addition of drummer Kyle Thomas (Course of Empire
Course of Empire
Course of Empire was an Alternative / post-punk band based in Dallas, Texas.- Biography :Course of Empire was a hard-edged, post-industrial, alternative music group based in Dallas, Texas from 1988 to 1998. In the early days, large drums would be placed throughout the audience as a means to...
, Reverend Horton Heat), 1994's The People's Fuzz was recorded in Austin (Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
's Arlyn Studio) with co-producer Robbie Adams (U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
). As stated in the liner notes, Danny Levin (Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel
Asleep at the Wheel is a American country music group that was formed in Paw Paw, West Virginia, but based in Austin, Texas. Altogether, they have won nine Grammy Awards since their 1970 inception. In their career, they have released more than twenty studio albums, and have charted more than twenty...
) blessed the record with his fiddle, most notably on "Cows" and the loop in "Arise".
Mixing was done at Chick Corea
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, and composer.Many of his compositions are considered jazz standards. As a member of Miles Davis' band in the 1960s, he participated in the birth of the electric jazz fusion movement. In the 1970s he formed Return to Forever...
's Mad Hatter Studios, but changes were needed as before with Ka-Bloom!. Without the presence of Adams, and again with engineer extraordinaire "Supermodel" Jim Wilson, additional tracks were added as well as remixes for many of the songs on the record.
From 1994 - 1995, the Zoo bands felt the impact of BMG's "downsizing" of their "indie" label. Flowerhead continued touring, including a brief time with Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick
Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
, until the summer of 1995 when they decided to go on a hiatus. The band has remained on hiatus, but promises to reform and rock the world when both are ready.
Compilations
- Certain Damage (CMJ Presents) - 1992
- The Alternative Way - Everything Is Beautiful (Ariola Benelux) - 1993