Hailing from Fort Worth, TX,
the Toadies formed in 1989 and weathered the grunge-punk revival of the early '90s by playing shows and issuing homemade tapes. Three years later, the alternative rock quartet (which was originally comprised of vocalist/guitarist
Todd Lewis, drummer
Mark Reznicek, bassist
Lisa Umbarger, and guitarist
Darrel Herbert) issued an EP entitled
Pleather and won the attention of Interscope Records, which signed the band soon after. The debut album
Rubberneck arrived in mid-1995, and
the Toadies quickly found a national audience thanks to "Possum Kingdom," a disturbing, catchy single that became a staple of modern rock radio. Tours with
Bush,
Red Hot Chili Peppers, and
the Butthole Surfers helped
the Toadies establish a temporary space in the post-grunge landscape; however, the band had trouble producing a worthy follow-up to
Rubberneck.
The band returned to the studio in 1997 and recorded an album's worth of new material. Entitled
Feeler, the record was slated for a 1998 release, but Interscope objected to the new songs and permanently shelved the project. Disenchanted,
the Toadies took a break during the remainder of the decade.
Herbert exited the lineup prior to the new millennium and was replaced by
Clark Vogeler, signaling a new maturation within the band. By 2001,
the Toadies had captured a fresh new sound on the long-awaited sophomore effort
Hell Below/Stars Above, which featured several songs from the
Feeler sessions. Before the year's end, however, the group had disbanded, with the release of
Best of Toadies: Live from Paradise marking their official exit. Although the band sporadically reunited throughout the following years for one-off shows,
the Toadies properly re-formed (with new bassist
Doni Blair) for the release of 2008's
No Deliverance. ~ MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide