Verbena (band)
Encyclopedia
Verbena was a rock band
from Birmingham, Alabama
, founded in the early 1990s by Scott Bondy, and Daniel Duquette Johnston who would become mainstays for the entirety of the bands career, despite undergoing several line-up changes. They released three albums, two of which were issued on Capitol Records
.
Anne Marie Griffin (additional vocals, guitar) replaced Nuby and the band Volume was renamed Shallow. Eventually drummer Carson Lamm quit Shallow to play with the band Fuzzy Sons, and the original Remy Zero
drummer Louis Schefano joined Shallow. Shallow released the songs "Lot" and "Always and Forever" on the compilation
album Balkanize Now. Soon after, Nuby rejoined the group as drummer (replacing Schefano) and the band recorded a handful of singles and an EP
for Merge Records
under the new name Verbena.
Following their first full length Souls For Sale
(1997), produced by Dave Fridmann
and released on Setanta Records
as well as Merge Records in the US, the band attracted attention from Dave Grohl
, who agreed to produce its major-label debut, Into The Pink
(1999) released on Capitol Records
. Before recording, Johnston left the band and Griffin took over bass duties. The album's single "Baby Got Shot" received moderate modern rock radio airplay, and its music video
landed in rotation on MTV2
in mid-year. Shortly afterwards, Griffin left the band and was replaced with Nick Daviston. Verbena continued as a trio and released La Musica Negra
(2003), produced by Rob Schnapf
, and again earned airplay for the single "Way Out West" with a music video that featured Kiefer Sutherland
and Natasha Lyonne
. They toured in support of La Musica Negra, often under the false name of The Alabama Boys Choir. Verbena disbanded in 2003 after extensive touring.
's backing band, The Volunteers, as second guitarist throughout her Prom
tour, and is currently the guitarist for Vulture Whale, signed to Skybucket Records
. In September 2007 Bondy released his solo debut American Hearts
under the name A.A. Bondy on Superphonic Records, later re-released by Fat Possum Records
the following year. Bondy released his second solo effort When The Devil's Loose
in 2009. Duquette Johnson toured as Cutgrass for years and played bass on tour with a reunion of The Blake Babies. Duquette Johnson and the Rebel Kings and has released several albums on the Superphonic Label, including Etowah.
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, founded in the early 1990s by Scott Bondy, and Daniel Duquette Johnston who would become mainstays for the entirety of the bands career, despite undergoing several line-up changes. They released three albums, two of which were issued on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
.
History
The band was founded in the early 1990s by high school friends Scott Bondy (vocals, guitar) and Les Nuby (guitar), Duquette Johnston (bass) and Carson Lamm (Drums) under the name Volume.Anne Marie Griffin (additional vocals, guitar) replaced Nuby and the band Volume was renamed Shallow. Eventually drummer Carson Lamm quit Shallow to play with the band Fuzzy Sons, and the original Remy Zero
Remy Zero
Remy Zero were a Birmingham, Alabama-based alternative rock band made up of Cinjun Tate , Shelby Tate , Cedric LeMoyne , Jeffrey Cain and Gregory Slay prior to his death in January 2010.-History:Before Remy Zero had released any full length albums, Radiohead found their demo tape and invited...
drummer Louis Schefano joined Shallow. Shallow released the songs "Lot" and "Always and Forever" on the 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...
album Balkanize Now. Soon after, Nuby rejoined the group as drummer (replacing Schefano) and the band recorded a handful of singles and an EP
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...
for Merge Records
Merge Records
Merge Records is an independent record label based in Durham, North Carolina. It was founded in 1989 by Laura Ballance and Mac McCaughan. It began as a way to release music from their band Superchunk and music created by friends, and has expanded to include artists from around the world and records...
under the new name Verbena.
Following their first full length Souls For Sale
Souls For Sale (album)
Souls For Sale is the first album by rock band Verbena, released in 1997 and would be the only album in which they would appear as a quartet. It is of note that the UK version of the album features an entirely different, alternative take of "Postcard Blues" clocking in at 2:30...
(1997), produced by Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
and released on Setanta Records
Setanta Records
Setanta Records is a UK Independent record label. The label was at the forefront of the indie Irish music scene in the late eighties and nineties as itchampioned young Irish groups.-History:...
as well as Merge Records in the US, the band attracted attention from Dave Grohl
Dave Grohl
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, and singer-songwriter who is the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter for Foo Fighters; the former drummer for Nirvana and Scream; and the current drummer for Them Crooked Vultures...
, who agreed to produce its major-label debut, Into The Pink
Into The Pink
Into The Pink is the second album by rock band Verbena, released in 1999, marking their major-label debut for Capitol Records, produced by Dave Grohl. It would be the bands first venture as a trio, with Anne Marie Griffin switching from second guitar to bass after the departure of original bassist...
(1999) released on Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
. Before recording, Johnston left the band and Griffin took over bass duties. The album's single "Baby Got Shot" received moderate modern rock radio airplay, and its music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
landed in rotation on MTV2
MTV2
MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available in the United States on digital cable and satellite television, and is progressively being added to analogue cable lineups across the nation...
in mid-year. Shortly afterwards, Griffin left the band and was replaced with Nick Daviston. Verbena continued as a trio and released La Musica Negra
La Musica Negra
La Musica Negra is the third and final album by rock band Verbena, released in 2003 on Capitol Records. Although the album marked yet another line-up change with the departure of long time member Ann Marie Griffin succeeded by Nick Daviston on bass, the album was dedicated to her in the liner...
(2003), produced by Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf
Rob Schnapf is an American record producer and musician. He was the co-producer of Elliott Smith's albums Either/Or, XO , Figure 8 and From a Basement on the Hill, for which he was recruited by Smith's family to complete after Smith's death.Schnapf, along with Rothrock and partner...
, and again earned airplay for the single "Way Out West" with a music video that featured Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland
Kiefer Sutherland is an English-born Canadian actor, producer and director, best known for his portrayal of Jack Bauer on the Fox thriller drama series 24 for which he has won an Emmy Award , a Golden Globe award , two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Satellite...
and Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne
-Early life:Lyonne was born Natasha Braunstein in Manhattan, New York City, the daughter of Yvette Lyonne, a product licensing consultant, and Aaron Braunstein, a native of Brooklyn who worked as a boxing promoter. Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household...
. They toured in support of La Musica Negra, often under the false name of The Alabama Boys Choir. Verbena disbanded in 2003 after extensive touring.
Current projects
In the fall of 2005 Bondy and Nuby each started their own respective solo projects. Nuby had a brief stint in Amy RayAmy Ray
Amy Elizabeth Ray is an American singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released four albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemon Records....
's backing band, The Volunteers, as second guitarist throughout her Prom
Prom (album)
Prom is the second solo album by Amy Ray of Indigo Girls, released in 2005 on her Daemon Records label.-Track listing:All songs written by Amy Ray#"Put It Out for Good" – 3:50#"Driver Education" – 2:21#"Rural Faggot" – 3:54#"Give In" – 1:59...
tour, and is currently the guitarist for Vulture Whale, signed to Skybucket Records
Skybucket Records
Skybucket Records, based in Birmingham, Alabama was formed in the summer 2002 to release a CD sampler of local music. After the success of this initial release, Skybucket continued to grow, concentrating on signing local musicians and independently releasing their recordings.Five years after the...
. In September 2007 Bondy released his solo debut American Hearts
American Hearts
American Hearts is the first solo album by A.A. Bondy, released in 2007 .-Track listing:"Killed Myself When I Was Young" by was featured in an episode of Season 4 of the television series Friday Night Lights and included on the Friday Night Lights Vol...
under the name A.A. Bondy on Superphonic Records, later re-released by Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records
Fat Possum Records is an American independent record label based in Oxford, Mississippi. At first Fat Possum focused almost entirely on recording hitherto unknown Mississippi blues artists . Recently, Fat Possum has signed younger rock acts to its roster...
the following year. Bondy released his second solo effort When The Devil's Loose
When the Devil's Loose
When the Devil's Loose is the second solo album by A.A. Bondy, released in 2009 .-Track listing:-Personnel:*A.A. Bondy – vocals and guitars*Ian Felice – guitar*Macey Taylor, Sr. – bass...
in 2009. Duquette Johnson toured as Cutgrass for years and played bass on tour with a reunion of The Blake Babies. Duquette Johnson and the Rebel Kings and has released several albums on the Superphonic Label, including Etowah.
Albums
- Souls For SaleSouls For Sale (album)Souls For Sale is the first album by rock band Verbena, released in 1997 and would be the only album in which they would appear as a quartet. It is of note that the UK version of the album features an entirely different, alternative take of "Postcard Blues" clocking in at 2:30...
(1997) - Into The PinkInto The PinkInto The Pink is the second album by rock band Verbena, released in 1999, marking their major-label debut for Capitol Records, produced by Dave Grohl. It would be the bands first venture as a trio, with Anne Marie Griffin switching from second guitar to bass after the departure of original bassist...
(1999) - La Musica NegraLa Musica NegraLa Musica Negra is the third and final album by rock band Verbena, released in 2003 on Capitol Records. Although the album marked yet another line-up change with the departure of long time member Ann Marie Griffin succeeded by Nick Daviston on bass, the album was dedicated to her in the liner...
(2003)
Singles
- "Everyday Shoes" (1995)
- "I Say So" (1995)
- "Hey, Come On" (1997)
- "Shaped Like a Gun" (1997)
- "Pretty Please" (1999)
- "Baby Got Shot" (1999)
- "Way Out West" (2003)
- "Top Of the Mountain" (2003) - split single with GrandaddyGrandaddyGrandaddy was an American indie rock band, formed in 1992 in Modesto, California by singer, guitarist, and keyboardist Jason Lytle, bassist Kevin Garcia, and drummer Aaron Burtch. Guitarist Jim Fairchild and keyboardist Tim Dryden later joined the band in 1995...