This Los Angeles, California, USA-based alternative rock act’s breakthrough came in the autumn of 1997 with the radio success of ‘If You Could Only See’. Their previous two releases, ‘Open Up Your Eyes’ and ‘Casual Affair’, had both won critical support and airplay, but it was their third effort that brought them national success via the auspices of MTV. The band, formed in 1993 by Emerson Hart (b. 21 July 1969, Washington, Pennsylvania, USA; guitar/vocals), Jeff Russo (b. 31 August 1969; guitar), Dan Rothchild (bass), and Kevin Shepard (b. 19 December 1968; drums), developed as a unit playing regular sets at Los Angeles venues such as the Kibitz Room at Canter’s Delicatessen. The band also toured heavily, playing dates in 1997 with the Verve Pipe and, as part of the R.O.A.R. tour, Iggy Pop. As Hart confirmed to the press: ‘We love getting out there and working hard, and it’s also the best way for us to judge how we’re doing.’ The band signed a major label contract and released their rootsy debut album, Lemon Parade, in July 1996. Thanks to the breakthrough success of their third single the album went on to achieve platinum sales.
The Live & Enhanced EP was made available over the Internet in 1998. Rothchild and Shepard had left the band by this point. Bass player Dan Lavery (b. 11 June 1969) was brought in for the recording of the band’s second album Sugar (1999), with Peter Maloney and Joey Waronker filling in on drums. ‘You Wanted More’ became a radio hit thanks to its inclusion on the American Pie soundtrack. Waronker returned to help the trio out on their third album, Head On Straight (2002), a straight down the middle rock album with some terrific highlights (‘Take Me As I Am’, ‘Do You Know’, ‘Believe Me’). Despite continuing acclaim the trio announced in 2004 that they would be concentrating on solo projects for the forseeable future. Russo formed the band Low Stars and Hart made his solo bow in 2007 with Cigarettes & Gasoline.
