Squirrel Bait was an American punk band from Louisville, Kentucky active from 1983 to 1988. Squirrel Bait's dense, moody, melodic hardcore sound, featuring pronounced tempo shifts, foreshadowed the grunge sound of the late 1980s as well as math rock. Squirrel Bait, along with Hüsker Dü, are often noted as precursors to the emocore ("emotional hardcore") sound that arose from the D.C. hardcore punk scene with bands like Rites of Spring, Beefeater and Fugazi.
The band started as a hardcore punk trio of high school friends, originally known as Squirrelbait Youth, with David Grubbs on guitar and vocals, Clark Johnson on bass guitar, and Rich Schuler playing drums for the band's first demo tape in August 1983. By the time Squirrel Bait recorded their second demo in 1984, Peter Searcy had taken over vocal duties and Britt Walford was playing drums. Three of this demo's songs would later appear on the band's vinyl releases.
Walford left and was replaced by Ben Daughtrey on drums and Brian McMahan joined on second guitar. The band continued to play locally and toured to nearby cities where they opened for Hüsker Dü and Chicago-based bands Naked Raygun and Big Black, who recommended Squirrel Bait to their label, Homestead Records. Through Homestead, Squirrel Bait released an eponymous EP in 1985, a single in 1986 and an LP in 1987, all of which were later compiled on a single CD.
Squirrel Bait is the first record by the American punk rock band Squirrel Bait, released in 1985 through Homestead Records.
The band had recorded its second demo in 1984 while its members were still in high school. Originally slated for release on the local label Upstart Records, Peter Searcy sang, David Grubbs played guitar, Clark Johnson was on bass guitar, and Britt Walford on drums. Over the next several months, Upstart Records folded, Ben Daughtry replaced Walford on drums, Brian McMahon joined on second guitar, and the band began touring to other Midwestern cities opening for prominent regional indie bands like Hüsker Dü, Big Black and Naked Raygun. Bob Mould wanted Squirrel Bait to sign to the Hüsker's imprint Reflex Records, but the band pursued and landed a deal with Homestead Records.
The group returned to the studio in April 1985 with engineer Howie Gano and recorded six songs. Two songs from the previous year's demo sessions were added to comprise Squirrel Bait's eponymous 8-song EP, originally released on Homestead with cover design by Steve Albini. The record and its follow-up, Skag Heaven, were reissued a decade later by Drag City.
Squirrel Bait was an American punk band from Louisville, Kentucky active from 1983 to 1988. Squirrel Bait's dense, moody, melodic hardcore sound, featuring pronounced tempo shifts, foreshadowed the grunge sound of the late 1980s as well as math rock. Squirrel Bait, along with Hüsker Dü, are often noted as precursors to the emocore ("emotional hardcore") sound that arose from the D.C. hardcore punk scene with bands like Rites of Spring, Beefeater and Fugazi.
The band started as a hardcore punk trio of high school friends, originally known as Squirrelbait Youth, with David Grubbs on guitar and vocals, Clark Johnson on bass guitar, and Rich Schuler playing drums for the band's first demo tape in August 1983. By the time Squirrel Bait recorded their second demo in 1984, Peter Searcy had taken over vocal duties and Britt Walford was playing drums. Three of this demo's songs would later appear on the band's vinyl releases.
Walford left and was replaced by Ben Daughtrey on drums and Brian McMahan joined on second guitar. The band continued to play locally and toured to nearby cities where they opened for Hüsker Dü and Chicago-based bands Naked Raygun and Big Black, who recommended Squirrel Bait to their label, Homestead Records. Through Homestead, Squirrel Bait released an eponymous EP in 1985, a single in 1986 and an LP in 1987, all of which were later compiled on a single CD.