Screaming Trees
Encyclopedia
Screaming Trees was an American
rock
band formed in Ellensburg, Washington
in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan
, guitarist Gary Lee Conner
, bass player Van Conner
and drummer Mark Pickerel
. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin
by the time the band reached its most successful period. Although widely associated with grunge
, the band's sound incorporated hard rock
and psychedelic
elements. Since its formation, Screaming Trees released seven studio album
s, five EPs
and three compilation
s.
Screaming Trees is known as one of the "Godfathers of Grunge" along with the Melvins, U-Men, Skin Yard
, Soundgarden
, Green River
, and Malfunkshun
. Screaming Trees rose to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with bands such as Alice in Chains
, Stone Temple Pilots
, Pearl Jam
, Nirvana
and Soundgarden and was one of the most successful underground music acts of the 1990s. The band achieved one top ten single on the Modern Rock Tracks
charts. Screaming Trees had been plagued by extended inactivity due to their problems with making a follow up to Dust
. This led to their official breakup in 2000.
and Mark Pickerel
in 1985 in Ellensburg, Washington
, a small town a little over 100 miles from Seattle
.
The band was drawn together by an interest in punk, new wave, garage and classic rock in high school.
The band rehearsed at the Conner family's video rental store and recorded their demo tape Other Worlds
in the summer of 1985 with Steve Fisk
at Creative Fire recording studio in Ellensburg. The band talked the owner of the studio into releasing it as a cassette on the local indie label, Velvetone Records (the recording was re-released as a CD and vinyl EP by SST Records in 1988). In 1986, they released their debut album, Clairvoyance, also on the Velvetone label. Musically, the album is a combination of psychedelic music
and hard rock
. With Fisk's help, the LP caught the attention of Greg Ginn
, and the band were signed to SST Records
.
In 1987, the band released their second LP, and their first for SST, Even If and Especially When. After the release of the album in 1987, the band began working the American indie circuit, playing shows across the US with other SST bands such as fIREHOSE
and Meat Puppets
. Their next album, Invisible Lantern
, was released in 1988. Buzz Factory
, released in 1989, was the fourth full length album by Screaming Trees and their last for SST Records.
. In 1991, the band released their fifth album, and first for a major label, Uncle Anesthesia
. The album was produced by Soundgarden
vocalist Chris Cornell
and included the single "Bed of Roses", which gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations and peaked at # 23 on the modern rock tracks
. The single was the first Screaming Trees release to chart. Although Uncle Anesthesia sold better than their previous efforts, the band remained a cult act.
After the release of Uncle Anesthesia Van Conner went on hiatus from the band, choosing to tour as bass player for Dinosaur Jr. instead, with Donna Dresch
filling in for him during Screaming Trees performances. Late in 1991, Nirvana's Nevermind
became an unexpected commercial success, opening the gates for the rest of the Seattle scene. Where many of their peers were able to capitalize on that success, Screaming Trees had more difficulty gaining mainstream notice.
Barrett Martin
replaced previous drummer Pickerel and the new line up recorded Sweet Oblivion
in 1992. When Martin joined the band they had already finished the song "Nearly Lost You", which soon became a successful single. Sweet Oblivion was the band's breakout album and included the hit singles "Nearly Lost You
", "Dollar Bill", and "Shadow of the Season". The two first singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the video for "Nearly Lost You" became an MTV and alternative radio hit in the fall of 1992, thanks to its inclusion in the soundtrack for the film Singles. "Nearly Lost You" peaked at #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and #50 in the UK Singles Chart
, making it the band's first single to chart outside the United States. Sweet Oblivion sold a total of 300,000 copies in the United States
.
The band supported Sweet Oblivion with a year-long tour, during which tension developed among the members. After the tour was finished, the group took an extended hiatus. During that time, Lanegan recorded his second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
, which was released in 1994. The following year, Lanegan was featured as a guest vocalist in the Layne Staley
and Mike McCready
side project Mad Season
. Lanegan co-wrote and sang on two songs. Mad Season would only release one album because of Staley's deteriorating health and eventual death in 2002.
In early 1995, Screaming Trees toured Australia for the only time as part of the Big Day Out
festival, before beginning work on their follow-up to Sweet Oblivion. Following one stillborn attempt at the album, the band hired producer George Drakoulias
, who had previously worked with the Black Crowes
and the Jayhawks
. The resulting album, Dust
, was released in 1996, nearly four years after its predecessor. Dust spawned the singles "All I Know", and "Dying Days". The album peaked at #134 on the Billboard 200
, #32 in the UK Albums Chart
, and #39 on the Canadian album chart
, making it the first Screaming Trees album to chart outside the United States. Despite favorable reviews, the album did not match the sales of Sweet Oblivion. After the release of the album, Josh Homme, formerly from Kyuss
, was hired briefly as rhythm guitarist.
Following the Dust tour in the United States, Screaming Trees took another hiatus for Lanegan to begin his work on his third solo album, Scraps At Midnight
, which was released in 1998. The band headed back into the studio in 1999 and recorded several demos including the song "Ash Grey Sunday" and shopped them around to labels, but no label was interested. The band played a few surprise shows in early 2000 to try to gain a label's attention but they were unsuccessful. They did however release the song "One Way Conversation" on the Musicblitz Records internet label. In 2000 after a concert to celebrate the opening of Seattle's Experience Music Project
, the band announced their official breakup.
. Also in that year, he became a member of the hard rock group Queens of the Stone Age
with Josh Homme. Lanegan recorded two albums as one of the group's three vocalists before leaving the group in late 2005. His sixth solo album Bubblegum was released in 2004 and became his best-selling album and his first solo album to chart. He has since gone on to work with Greg Dulli
in the Gutter Twins and the Twilight Singers. Lanegan also received critical acclaim for his albums with Isobel Campbell
, one of which, Ballad of the Broken Seas
, was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize.
Gary Lee Conner started the bands The Purple Outside and Microdot Gnome in which he is the vocalist. Lee Conner has also done session work with other musicians. In 1999 he released the EP Grasshopper's Daydream/Behind The Smile, which featured Josh Homme.
Van Conner initially turned his efforts to his side-projects Gardener with Aaron Stauffer (formerly of Seaweed (band)
, and later VALIS. He also contributed to the Mark Lanegan album Field Songs
in 2001. Van has produced and contributed to several other projects over the years, including Kitty Kitty, VALIS, Gardener, and Gary Lee's SubPop single Grasshopper's Daydream. Van's band VALIS has released several recordings, including:
Barrett Martin
has been a touring member for many noteworthy bands after the breakup of Screaming Trees. He has worked with Stone Temple Pilots
and R.E.M.
, and has released two solo albums with limited success. He later contributed to Lanegan's solo album I'll Take Care of You
and the album Rated R
by Queens of the Stone Age
. He is currently the drummer in Tuatara
and drummer/vocalist in The Minus 5
. He also studies different music cultures, mostly from Africa
. In 2000, Martin was ordained as a Zen
priest in the Sōtō
tradition, through the Detroit Street Zen Center in Los Angeles. As of 2005, he is pursuing a doctorate in anthropology and music at the University of New Mexico
.
Barrett contributed playing drums on two albums by Nando Reis
a Brazilian musician: Para Quando O Arco Irís Encontrar O Pote de Ouro (2000) together with Peter Buck from R.E.M.
and A Letra A
(2003).
On June 22, 2011, it was announced that an unreleased album that the band recorded in 1998 and 1999 would finally see the light of day. Mixed by Jack Endino
and the Trees' own Barrett Martin
, Last Words: The Final Recordings was released on August 2, 2011 digitally with CD and vinyl versions to come in the following months.
Touring musicians
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
, guitarist Gary Lee Conner
Gary Lee Conner
Gary Lee Conner was the lead guitarist for rock act Screaming Trees, along with his brother Van, who was the band's bassist. Conner began his career with Screaming Trees in 1985 which lasted until their disbanding in 2000...
, bass player Van Conner
Van Conner
Van Conner is an American rock musician. In 1984 he co-founded the band Screaming Trees with his brother Gary Lee Conner and close friends Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel. On the 25 June 2000 Screaming Trees announced their official breakup...
and drummer Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel is best known as the original drummer for the Screaming Trees, a rock group from Ellensburg, WA, that formed in 1985. Other members of the band included the versatile singer Mark Lanegan and the Conner brothers...
. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
by the time the band reached its most successful period. Although widely associated with grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, the band's sound incorporated hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and psychedelic
Neo-psychedelia
Neo-psychedelia is music that emulates or is heavily influenced by the psychedelic music of the 1960s. It began to be revived among British post-punk bands of the later 1970s and early 1980s and was taken up by groups including bands of the Paisley Underground and Madchester scenes, as well as...
elements. Since its formation, Screaming Trees released seven studio album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, five EPs
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
and three compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s.
Screaming Trees is known as one of the "Godfathers of Grunge" along with the Melvins, U-Men, Skin Yard
Skin Yard
Skin Yard was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, who were active from 1985 to 1992. The group never gained a mainstream audience, but were an influence on their contemporaries – most notably Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, The Melvins, and Green River – alongside whom they are considered...
, Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, Green River
Green River (band)
Green River was an American rock band from Seattle, Washington that was active from 1984 to 1988. Although the band had little commercial impact outside of its native Seattle, Green River proved to have significant influence on the genre later known as grunge, both with its own music and with the...
, and Malfunkshun
Malfunkshun
Malfunkshun is a band formed in 1980 by Andrew Wood and his brother Kevin Wood. Malfunkshun, along with Skin Yard, Green River, U-Men, and Melvins are considered the "godfathers" of grunge, with Malfunkshun being the first of those bands to form.-History:...
. Screaming Trees rose to fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with bands such as Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
, Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
, Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
and Soundgarden and was one of the most successful underground music acts of the 1990s. The band achieved one top ten single on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
charts. Screaming Trees had been plagued by extended inactivity due to their problems with making a follow up to Dust
Dust (Screaming Trees album)
Dust is the seventh and final album by the Screaming Trees, released on June 25, 1996.After an aborted attempt at recording a followup to Sweet Oblivion with producer Don Fleming, the band hired producer George Drakoulias to man the controls for what eventually turned out to be their last album...
. This led to their official breakup in 2000.
1985–1990: Formation and early releases
The Conner brothers formed Screaming Trees with Mark LaneganMark Lanegan
Mark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
and Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel
Mark Pickerel is best known as the original drummer for the Screaming Trees, a rock group from Ellensburg, WA, that formed in 1985. Other members of the band included the versatile singer Mark Lanegan and the Conner brothers...
in 1985 in Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
, a small town a little over 100 miles from Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
.
The band was drawn together by an interest in punk, new wave, garage and classic rock in high school.
The band rehearsed at the Conner family's video rental store and recorded their demo tape Other Worlds
Other Worlds
Other Worlds EP is Screaming Trees' 1985 debut, produced by Steve Fisk. It was released on Velvetone Records and distributed by K Records...
in the summer of 1985 with Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk
Steve Fisk is a Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician.Fisk joined the instrumental rock band Pell Mell in 1982. With vocalist Shawn Smith, he formed Pigeonhed, which released its first album in 1993....
at Creative Fire recording studio in Ellensburg. The band talked the owner of the studio into releasing it as a cassette on the local indie label, Velvetone Records (the recording was re-released as a CD and vinyl EP by SST Records in 1988). In 1986, they released their debut album, Clairvoyance, also on the Velvetone label. Musically, the album is a combination of psychedelic music
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. With Fisk's help, the LP caught the attention of Greg Ginn
Greg Ginn
Gregory Regis Ginn is a guitarist, songwriter, and singer. He is best known for being the leader of and primary songwriter for the hardcore punk band Black Flag, which he founded and led from 1976 to 1986....
, and the band were signed to SST Records
SST Records
SST Records is an American independent record label formed in 1978 in Long Beach, California by musician Greg Ginn. The company was initially called Solid State Transmitters through which Ginn sold electronics equipment...
.
In 1987, the band released their second LP, and their first for SST, Even If and Especially When. After the release of the album in 1987, the band began working the American indie circuit, playing shows across the US with other SST bands such as fIREHOSE
FIREHOSE
Firehose was an alternative rock band consisting of Mike Watt , Ed Crawford , and George Hurley .-History:...
and Meat Puppets
Meat Puppets
The Meat Puppets are an American rock band formed in January 1980, in Phoenix, Arizona. The group's original lineup was Curt Kirkwood , his brother Cris Kirkwood , and Derrick Bostrom . The Kirkwood brothers met Bostrom while attending Brophy Prep High School in Phoenix...
. Their next album, Invisible Lantern
Invisible Lantern
Invisible Lantern is the third full-length album by Seattle grunge band Screaming Trees, released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Ivy" – 3:16# "Walk Through to This Side" – 2:32# "Lines & Circles" – 3:45# "She Knows" – 2:15# "Shadow Song" – 4:15...
, was released in 1988. Buzz Factory
Buzz Factory
Buzz Factory was the 4th full length album by Seattle band Screaming Trees and their final record released through SST Records released in 1989. The LP was also available on translucent purple vinyl...
, released in 1989, was the fourth full length album by Screaming Trees and their last for SST Records.
1990–1995: Major label debut
In 1990 the band had signed a major-label contract with Epic RecordsEpic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
. In 1991, the band released their fifth album, and first for a major label, Uncle Anesthesia
Uncle Anesthesia
Uncle Anesthesia is the Screaming Trees' fifth album and first full-length album release on Epic Records, released on January 29, 1991. It includes two of the four tracks from the band's previous Epic release, 1990's Something About Today EP, including the song that would give the LP its title...
. The album was produced by Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
vocalist Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell
Chris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
and included the single "Bed of Roses", which gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations and peaked at # 23 on the modern rock tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
. The single was the first Screaming Trees release to chart. Although Uncle Anesthesia sold better than their previous efforts, the band remained a cult act.
After the release of Uncle Anesthesia Van Conner went on hiatus from the band, choosing to tour as bass player for Dinosaur Jr. instead, with Donna Dresch
Donna Dresch
Donna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch and the Queen of Grunge....
filling in for him during Screaming Trees performances. Late in 1991, Nirvana's Nevermind
Nevermind
Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind was the group's first release on DGC Records...
became an unexpected commercial success, opening the gates for the rest of the Seattle scene. Where many of their peers were able to capitalize on that success, Screaming Trees had more difficulty gaining mainstream notice.
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
replaced previous drummer Pickerel and the new line up recorded Sweet Oblivion
Sweet Oblivion
Sweet Oblivion is Screaming Trees' 6th full length album that was released on September 8, 1992. The recording was the band's highest landmark in terms of album sales, and was the closest they would come to ever achieving mainstream success...
in 1992. When Martin joined the band they had already finished the song "Nearly Lost You", which soon became a successful single. Sweet Oblivion was the band's breakout album and included the hit singles "Nearly Lost You
Nearly Lost You
Nearly Lost You is the second greatest hits compilation of the Screaming Trees, released in 2001.-Track listing:# "Halo of Ashes" - 4:05# "Nearly Lost You" - 4:07# "Butterfly" - 3:22# "Alice Said" - 4:13...
", "Dollar Bill", and "Shadow of the Season". The two first singles gained considerable airtime on alternative rock radio stations, while the video for "Nearly Lost You" became an MTV and alternative radio hit in the fall of 1992, thanks to its inclusion in the soundtrack for the film Singles. "Nearly Lost You" peaked at #5 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart and #50 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, making it the band's first single to chart outside the United States. Sweet Oblivion sold a total of 300,000 copies in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
The band supported Sweet Oblivion with a year-long tour, during which tension developed among the members. After the tour was finished, the group took an extended hiatus. During that time, Lanegan recorded his second solo album, Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost
Whiskey for the Holy Ghost is the second solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. The album builds upon the roots music foundation that Lanegan had established with his debut The Winding Sheet...
, which was released in 1994. The following year, Lanegan was featured as a guest vocalist in the Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
and Mike McCready
Mike McCready
Michael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
side project Mad Season
Mad Season
Mad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994 by members of three popular Seattle-based bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. Mad Season only released one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit"...
. Lanegan co-wrote and sang on two songs. Mad Season would only release one album because of Staley's deteriorating health and eventual death in 2002.
In early 1995, Screaming Trees toured Australia for the only time as part of the Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
festival, before beginning work on their follow-up to Sweet Oblivion. Following one stillborn attempt at the album, the band hired producer George Drakoulias
George Drakoulias
George Drakoulias is a Greek-American music producer and A&R executive at the American Recordings label. He is often considered a protege of Rick Rubin....
, who had previously worked with the Black Crowes
The Black Crowes
The Black Crowes are an American rock band formed in 1989. Their discography includes nine studio albums, four live albums and several charting singles. The band was signed to Def American Recordings in 1989 by producer George Drakoulias and released their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, the...
and the Jayhawks
Jayhawks (band)
The Jayhawks are an American alternative country and rock band that emerged from the Twin Cities music scene during the mid 1980s. Their country rock sound was influential on many bands who played the Twin Cities circuit during the 80s and 90s like Uncle Tupelo, The Gear Daddies and The Honeydogs...
. The resulting album, Dust
Dust (Screaming Trees album)
Dust is the seventh and final album by the Screaming Trees, released on June 25, 1996.After an aborted attempt at recording a followup to Sweet Oblivion with producer Don Fleming, the band hired producer George Drakoulias to man the controls for what eventually turned out to be their last album...
, was released in 1996, nearly four years after its predecessor. Dust spawned the singles "All I Know", and "Dying Days". The album peaked at #134 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
, #32 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and #39 on the Canadian album chart
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
, making it the first Screaming Trees album to chart outside the United States. Despite favorable reviews, the album did not match the sales of Sweet Oblivion. After the release of the album, Josh Homme, formerly from Kyuss
Kyuss
Kyuss is a rock band, originally from Palm Desert, California. After forming in the late 1980s and releasing an EP under the name Sons of Kyuss in 1990, the band shortened its name to Kyuss. Over the next five years the band released four full-length albums, and one last split EP in 1997 with...
, was hired briefly as rhythm guitarist.
Following the Dust tour in the United States, Screaming Trees took another hiatus for Lanegan to begin his work on his third solo album, Scraps At Midnight
Scraps at Midnight
Scraps at Midnight is the third solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. It was produced by Mark Lanegan and longtime collaborator Mike Johnson....
, which was released in 1998. The band headed back into the studio in 1999 and recorded several demos including the song "Ash Grey Sunday" and shopped them around to labels, but no label was interested. The band played a few surprise shows in early 2000 to try to gain a label's attention but they were unsuccessful. They did however release the song "One Way Conversation" on the Musicblitz Records internet label. In 2000 after a concert to celebrate the opening of Seattle's Experience Music Project
Experience Music Project
The EMP Museum is a museum dedicated to the history and exploration of both popular music and science fiction located in Seattle, Washington...
, the band announced their official breakup.
Post-Screaming Trees
Lanegan released a solo album in May 2001 entitled Field SongsField Songs
Field Songs is an album by Mark Lanegan, released in 2001 on the Beggars Banquet label.The two largest instrumental contributors are Mike Johnson and Ben Shepherd. The album also features Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver as well as Lanegan's ex-wife, Wendy Rae Fowler.The album represents a...
. Also in that year, he became a member of the hard rock group Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
with Josh Homme. Lanegan recorded two albums as one of the group's three vocalists before leaving the group in late 2005. His sixth solo album Bubblegum was released in 2004 and became his best-selling album and his first solo album to chart. He has since gone on to work with Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli
-Biography:Greg Dulli was born and brought up in the working-class city of Hamilton, Ohio. Although he was raised a Catholic, he is now agnostic. Dulli first came to public attention in the late 1980s with The Afghan Whigs when he joined D.C. transplant bassist John Curley and Louisville, Kentucky,...
in the Gutter Twins and the Twilight Singers. Lanegan also received critical acclaim for his albums with Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell
Isobel Campbell is a Scottish singer, cellist and composer in the indie and rock genres.-History:Campbell was a member of Belle & Sebastian from their formation in Glasgow in 1996 until 2002, when she departed the band for personal reasons. She played cello and keyboards with the band, and sang...
, one of which, Ballad of the Broken Seas
Ballad of the Broken Seas
Ballad of the Broken Seas is an album released by Isobel Campbell and the first collaboration between her and Mark Lanegan. It made the shortlist for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize and was one of NME's top one hundred albums of the decade....
, was nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize.
Gary Lee Conner started the bands The Purple Outside and Microdot Gnome in which he is the vocalist. Lee Conner has also done session work with other musicians. In 1999 he released the EP Grasshopper's Daydream/Behind The Smile, which featured Josh Homme.
Van Conner initially turned his efforts to his side-projects Gardener with Aaron Stauffer (formerly of Seaweed (band)
Seaweed (band)
Seaweed is a band from Tacoma, Washington who were active throughout the 1990s. Their style of music is a combination of punk rock and grunge, mostly due to its 'dirty' sound.-History:...
, and later VALIS. He also contributed to the Mark Lanegan album Field Songs
Field Songs
Field Songs is an album by Mark Lanegan, released in 2001 on the Beggars Banquet label.The two largest instrumental contributors are Mike Johnson and Ben Shepherd. The album also features Duff McKagan of Velvet Revolver as well as Lanegan's ex-wife, Wendy Rae Fowler.The album represents a...
in 2001. Van has produced and contributed to several other projects over the years, including Kitty Kitty, VALIS, Gardener, and Gary Lee's SubPop single Grasshopper's Daydream. Van's band VALIS has released several recordings, including:
- VALIS/Kitty Kitty Split CD/EP – Man’s Ruin Records (1998)
- Vast Active Living Intelligence System – Lunasound/Abstract (2002)
- Head Full of Pills – Small Stone (2004)
- Champions of Magic – Small Stone (2005)
- Sucking the 70′s 2 – Various Artists – Small Stone (2006)
- Dark Matter – Now on Itunes – CD Out April 14th- Small Stone (2009)
- Split Single with Kandi Coded – Volcom Entertainment (2009)
- Northwest Mind Meld – Various Artists – Small Stone – iTunes only (2009)
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
has been a touring member for many noteworthy bands after the breakup of Screaming Trees. He has worked with Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots
Stone Temple Pilots is an American rock band from San Diego, California that consists of Scott Weiland , brothers Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo , and Eric Kretz ....
and R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, and has released two solo albums with limited success. He later contributed to Lanegan's solo album I'll Take Care of You
I'll Take Care of You
I'll Take Care of You is the fourth solo album by former Screaming Trees vocalist Mark Lanegan. This album consists of cover songs.It features Lanegan's interpretation of songs from a wide variety of songwriters, including Tim Rose, Tim Hardin, Booker T. Jones, and Buck Owens...
and the album Rated R
Rated R (Queens of the Stone Age album)
Rated R is the second studio album by American rock band Queens of the Stone Age. It was released on June 6, 2000 through Interscope Records. Rated R was a critical and commercial success and became the band's breakthrough album. It peaked at number 16 on the Top Heatseekers and reached high...
by Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age
Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1997. The band's line-up has always included founding member Josh Homme , with the current line-up including longtime members Troy Van Leeuwen and Joey Castillo , alongside Michael Shuman and...
. He is currently the drummer in Tuatara
Tuatara (band)
Tuatara is a Seattle-based instrumental music group featuring members of R.E.M., The Minus 5, Critters Buggin, and the Screaming Trees.-History:...
and drummer/vocalist in The Minus 5
The Minus 5
The Minus 5 is an American rock band, headed by musician Scott McCaughey and featuring R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.-Band history:Formed in 1993, McCaughey designed the Minus 5 as a pop collective, with each record the group put out featuring a new lineup...
. He also studies different music cultures, mostly from Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. In 2000, Martin was ordained as a Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
priest in the Sōtō
Soto
Sōtō Zen , or is, with Rinzai and Ōbaku, one of the three most populous sects of Zen in Japanese Buddhism.The Sōtō sect was first established as the Caodong sect during the Tang Dynasty in China by Dongshan Liangjie in the 9th century, which Dōgen Zenji then brought to Japan in the 13th century...
tradition, through the Detroit Street Zen Center in Los Angeles. As of 2005, he is pursuing a doctorate in anthropology and music at the University of New Mexico
University of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
.
Barrett contributed playing drums on two albums by Nando Reis
Nando Reis
Nando Reis is a Brazilian musician and producer, best known as the former bassist and lead singer of Brazilian rock band Titãs and for his successful solo career, with his own band called Os Infernais...
a Brazilian musician: Para Quando O Arco Irís Encontrar O Pote de Ouro (2000) together with Peter Buck from R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and A Letra A
A Letra A
A Letra A is the fourth solo album released by Brazilian musician Nando Reis, and the first one after his departure from Titãs...
(2003).
On June 22, 2011, it was announced that an unreleased album that the band recorded in 1998 and 1999 would finally see the light of day. Mixed by Jack Endino
Jack Endino
Jack Endino is a producer and musician based in Seattle. Long associated with Seattle label Sub Pop and the grunge movement, Endino worked on seminal albums from bands such as Mudhoney, Soundgarden, and Nirvana...
and the Trees' own Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin
Barrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
, Last Words: The Final Recordings was released on August 2, 2011 digitally with CD and vinyl versions to come in the following months.
Former members
- Mark LaneganMark LaneganMark Lanegan is an American rock musician and songwriter. Lanegan began his music career in the 1980s, forming the grunge group Screaming Trees with Gary Lee Conner, Van Conner and Mark Pickerel. During his time in the band Lanegan would start a low-key solo career...
- lead vocals, guitar (1985–2000) - Gary Lee ConnerGary Lee ConnerGary Lee Conner was the lead guitarist for rock act Screaming Trees, along with his brother Van, who was the band's bassist. Conner began his career with Screaming Trees in 1985 which lasted until their disbanding in 2000...
- guitar, backing vocals (1985–2000) - Van ConnerVan ConnerVan Conner is an American rock musician. In 1984 he co-founded the band Screaming Trees with his brother Gary Lee Conner and close friends Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel. On the 25 June 2000 Screaming Trees announced their official breakup...
- bass, backing vocals (1985–2000) - Mark PickerelMark PickerelMark Pickerel is best known as the original drummer for the Screaming Trees, a rock group from Ellensburg, WA, that formed in 1985. Other members of the band included the versatile singer Mark Lanegan and the Conner brothers...
- drums (1985–1991) - Barrett MartinBarrett MartinBarrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
- drums, percussion, backing vocals (1991–2000) - Josh Homme - rhythm guitar (1996–1998)
Touring musicians
- Donna DreschDonna DreschDonna Dresch is an American punk rock musician, perhaps best known as founder, guitarist and bass guitarist of Team Dresch and the Queen of Grunge....
- bass (1988, 1991) - Sean Hollister - drums (1991)
- Dan PetersDan PetersDaniel Joe Peters is the drummer for Mudhoney. He joined Bundle of Hiss when he was fifteen years old. He also played drums for Nirvana, appearing on one single, "Sliver". Peters' only live appearance with Nirvana was on September 22, 1990, in Seattle, Washington, at the Motor Sports International...
- drums (1991)
Discography
- Clairvoyance (1986)
- Even If and Especially When (1987)
- Invisible LanternInvisible LanternInvisible Lantern is the third full-length album by Seattle grunge band Screaming Trees, released in 1988.-Track listing:# "Ivy" – 3:16# "Walk Through to This Side" – 2:32# "Lines & Circles" – 3:45# "She Knows" – 2:15# "Shadow Song" – 4:15...
(1988) - Buzz FactoryBuzz FactoryBuzz Factory was the 4th full length album by Seattle band Screaming Trees and their final record released through SST Records released in 1989. The LP was also available on translucent purple vinyl...
(1989) - Uncle AnesthesiaUncle AnesthesiaUncle Anesthesia is the Screaming Trees' fifth album and first full-length album release on Epic Records, released on January 29, 1991. It includes two of the four tracks from the band's previous Epic release, 1990's Something About Today EP, including the song that would give the LP its title...
(1991) - Sweet OblivionSweet OblivionSweet Oblivion is Screaming Trees' 6th full length album that was released on September 8, 1992. The recording was the band's highest landmark in terms of album sales, and was the closest they would come to ever achieving mainstream success...
(1992) - DustDust (Screaming Trees album)Dust is the seventh and final album by the Screaming Trees, released on June 25, 1996.After an aborted attempt at recording a followup to Sweet Oblivion with producer Don Fleming, the band hired producer George Drakoulias to man the controls for what eventually turned out to be their last album...
(1996) - Last Words: The Final Recordings (2011)