A Grape Dope

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A Grape Dope
Also known asJohnny Machine, A Grape Dope
Born
John Herndon

(1966-04-09) April 9, 1966 (age 59)
Long Island, New York, U.S. [1]
Origin Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Genres Instrumental hip hop, indie hip hop, jazz, post-rock, electronica, progressive rock, dub
OccupationsProducer, musician
InstrumentDrums
Years active1990–present
LabelsGalaxia
Website www.trts.com

John Herndon (born April 9, 1966) [2] is an American musician and artist. Based in Chicago, he was a founding member of the post-rock band Tortoise, where he plays drums and percussion.

Contents

Herndon also works as a producer for instrumental hip hop under the name A Grape Dope. [3]

Early life

Herndon was born in 1966 on Long Island, New York. He was the second child of his family, with a brother two years older than him. After his family moved to Boston, Herndon's father was jailed and his mother was a drug addict, so the children were put into the foster care system when Herndon was a toddler. He described the experience as abusive. He remained in the system until his father was released from prison in 1971. [2]

In 1976, Herndon moved to the North Carolina mountains with the Grateful Union Family Trust, a commune that Herndon's father and his girlfriend were a part of. [2]

Career

John Herndon is a member of the bands Tortoise and Isotope 217, playing mainly drums but some other percussion (vibraphone, etc.) and occasional keyboards. [4] He produced Deep Puddle Dynamics' song "More from June" in 2002. [5] He released the Missing Dragons EP under the alias A Grape Dope on Galaxia in 2003. [6] It features a guest appearance by rapper Doseone. [7]

Personal life

Herndon resides in Los Angeles, California. He has two children, Hollis and Angus. His oldest son, Hollis, who performs under the stage name "2hollis", is a musician and producer known for blending experimental pop, electronic, and ambient influences. [8] Herndon’s younger son, Angus, is active in Los Angeles’s independent hardcore and metal scene.

Herndon has expressed pride in both of his children’s creative pursuits, noting the continuity of experimentation and self-expression across generations. [9]

Discography

Albums

EPs

Productions

Contributions

Remixes

References

  1. ↑ Ankeny, Jason. "John Herndon". Allmusic.
  2. 1 2 3 Locker, Melissa (19 November 2020). "John Herndon of Tortoise has a deal for you". Chicago Reader.
  3. ↑ Gordon, Scott (May 27, 2009). "Tortoise's John Herndon to DJ with Madison's Ka-Boom!Box at Mickey's". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012.
  4. ↑ "A GRAPE DOPE, "MISSING DRAGONS"". Brainwashed.
  5. ↑ Hunt, Sam (March 31, 2002). "Dusted Reviews: Deep Puddle Dynamics / Anticon - More From June / We Ain't Fessin' (double quotes)". Dusted Magazine.
  6. ↑ Bryant, Andrew (July 2, 2003). "A Grape Dope: Missing Dragons EP". Pitchfork Media.
  7. ↑ Lee, Andy (May 2003). "A Grape Dope - Missing Dragons". Exclaim!.
  8. ↑ Pierre, Alphonse (2025-03-07). "In Defense of 2hollis". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2025-05-07.
  9. ↑ Snapes, Laura (2025-09-19). "'We'd play for a frozen burrito': post-rockers Tortoise on the changing face of Chicago, Steve Albini and their new-gen fans". The Guardian. Retrieved 2025-10-22.


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