Moist (band)

Last updated

Moist
Moist Toronto.jpg
Moist performing in 2019
Background information
Origin Vancouver, Canada
Genres Alternative rock, [1] power pop, [2] grunge [3]
Years active1992–2001, 2013–present
Labels EMI (1994–2001)
Universal (2014)
Known Accomplice (2021–present)
Members
Past members
  • Jamie Kaufmann
  • Paul Wilcox
  • Louis Lalancette
  • Chris Taylor-Munro
Website moistonline.com

Moist is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1992. It consists of David Usher as lead vocalist, Mark Makoway on lead guitars, Jonathan Gallivan on guitars, Kevin Young on keyboards, Francis Fillion on drums, and Jeff Pearce on bass. Drummer Paul Wilcox left the band just before its hiatus in 2000. [4]

Contents

Moist was signed by EMI Music in 1994 and released three studio albums in the 1990s, becoming a staple of Canadian rock music. Shortly after releasing a compilation album in 2001, the band underwent an unplanned hiatus for over a decade, and then became officially re-established in June 2013. [5] Shortly after reuniting, the band began work on their fourth studio album, entitled Glory Under Dangerous Skies , which was released in 2014. Their fifth album, End of the Ocean , was released in January 2022. [6]

The band has been nominated for ten Juno Awards, winning two. [7] Between 1996 and 2016, Moist was among the top 50 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 20 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada. [8]

History

Founding and mainstream success (1992–2001)

Mark Makoway, Jeff Pearce, David Usher and Kevin Young, all from Ontario, all individually moved to Vancouver over eight years. The group came together in 1992 where they formed the first version of Moist, which included drummer Jamie Kaufmann. The band began writing songs in November 1992 and played their first gig two months later. Drummer Paul Wilcox replaced Kaufmann in early 1993. In 1993, the band recorded a 9-song demo tape at the 8th Avenue Sound Studio with engineer Kevin Hamilton. Their sound was influenced by contemporary Seattle acts such as Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Alice in Chains . [1] The two-day recording session cost $500 Canadian dollars. The band had 500 copies of the untitled cassette pressed. The band found support from the staff at the flagship Sam the Record Man store in Vancouver. The cassette reached No. 1 on Sam the Record Man's local independent chart. The release was distributed to other stores in the national chain and entered the top 10 on Sam the Record Man's national independent chart. In 1993, Moist signed to EMI Music Publishing Canada. Moist spent much of 1993 touring Canada and writing material for an expanded release. In January 1994, they completed their first full-length album, which cost $3,000 Canadian dollars. The album was titled Silver and released independently on February 8, 1994. After MuchMusic began playing the music video for Moist's lead single "Push" in medium rotation, the album sold almost 6,000 records within six weeks. By March 1994, the band signed with EMI Music Canada. [9] The Silver album went on to sell 400,000 copies in Canada on the strength of the singles "Push", "Silver", "Believe Me" and "Machine Punch Through". The band was also successful internationally in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Thailand. [10] That year the band continued to tour around Canada. [11] In 1995, the band won the Juno Award for "Best New Group".

Frontman David Usher performing in 2012 David Usher performing.jpg
Frontman David Usher performing in 2012

In late 1996, Moist released their second album, Creature , to favourable reviews and sales in excess of 300,000 units. The album included the hits "Leave It Alone", "Resurrection", "Tangerine", and "Gasoline", all of which were placed on high rotation on MuchMusic. In addition to these, a remixed version of "Tangerine" became a hit on radio and MuchMusic.

Following the band's second record, David Usher released his first solo album, Little Songs .

In early 1999, the band regrouped to record their third full-length album, the melancholic and soft-toned Mercedes 5 and Dime . The album was released in the summer of 1999 in Canada and later in 2000 in the United States. Singles included "Breathe", "Underground", and "Comes and Goes". While touring in support of the album, drummer Paul Wilcox injured his back, causing him to miss the band's final performances. In December 2000, it was revealed that Wilcox had decided to take a "potential permanent leave from the band." [12] Wilcox never returned to the band and retired from music. The band released a compilation album and DVD in 2001, titled Machine Punch Through , [13] and thereafter unofficially entered a hiatus period that would last 12 years.

Hiatus (2001–2013)

During the band's hiatus, David Usher continued to record solo, releasing Morning Orbit in 2001, Hallucinations in 2003, If God Had Curves in 2005, Strange Birds in 2007, Wake Up and Say Goodbye in 2008, The Mile End Sessions in 2010, and Songs from the Last Day on Earth in 2012. Mark Makoway published a guide to the music industry, called The Indie Band Bible, and continued to produce and mix records. Jeff Pearce formed the band RYE, and released the album "Wolves" through Maple Nationwide in 2004. Kevin Young toured with David and worked as a freelance writer.

Reunion, new albums (2013–present)

In June 2013, the band got back together, with Francis Fillion on drums. The first new Moist recording in 13 years, a cover of Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas", was released through CBC Music in December 2013. Moist toured around Canada in November and December that year, calling their tour "Moist - The Resurrection", a reference to their 1996 single "Resurrection". [5] The tour began in London, Ontario and ended in Calgary, Alberta. [14]

In January 2014, the band, now including Jonathan Gallivan, who had accompanied Moist as a second guitarist on the 2013 tour, reconvened in Montréal to continue work on material for a new album. Although he would still be featured on some of the new record, bassist Jeff Pearce left to focus on being a father. Recording of the new songs began in January 2014. The band signed a new deal with Universal Music Canada, and released a single, "Mechanical", to radio on May 23, 2014, and to iTunes on May 27. The band's fourth full-length album, Glory Under Dangerous Skies , was released on October 7, 2014.

On May 9, 2019, it was announced that Jeff Pearce had reunited with the band. [15] 2019 also marked the 25th anniversary of Moist's debut hit album Silver. [16] Moist took to the road for the Silver 25th Anniversary Tour through Canada. The group performed Silver in its entirety, as well as favourites from their career. In November 2019, Moist released a 2CD/digital remastered edition of Silver and a 180g 3LP deluxe edition out in December. Both versions include demos, acoustic versions, and previously unreleased live tracks recorded in Los Angeles in 1994.

Also in November 2019, Moist released remasters of their albums, Silver, Creature, and Mercedes Five and Dime, for the first time on 180g vinyl.

In January 2021, Moist released a single "Tarantino", their first new song since 2014. [17] In April 2021, Moist announced that they would be releasing a new studio album, End of the Ocean , on October 1, 2021. [6] The title track single of the same name was simultaneously released. The album was released on January 14, 2022.

Discography

Studio albums

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
[18] 		CAN
[19]
1994 Silver 124× Platinum
1996 Creature 73× Platinum
1999 Mercedes 5 and Dime 4Platinum
2014 Glory Under Dangerous Skies 8
2022 End of the Ocean

Independent albums

YearTitleChart positionsCertifications
CAN CAN
1993Moist (independent cassette)-

Compilations

YearTitlePeak chart positionsCertifications
CAN
CAN
2001 Machine Punch Through: The Singles Collection 58

Singles

YearSongPeak chart positionsAlbum
US Main
[20] 		CAN
[21] 		CAN Rock/Alt.
[22] [23] 		CAN CanCon
[24] 		CAN AC
[25]
1994"Push"3732——— Silver
"Silver"—9———
"Believe Me"—11—8—
1995"Machine Punch Through"—72—5—
"Freaky Be Beautiful"—————
1996"Leave it Alone"—36—— Creature
"Resurrection"—84——
1997"Tangerine"—25———
"Gasoline"—27———
1999"Breathe"—305—22 Mercedes 5 and Dime
"Underground"—367——
2000"Comes and Goes"——10——
"Dogs"—————
2014"Mechanical"––3—— Glory Under Dangerous Skies
"Black Roses"——9——
2021"Tarantino"–––——End of the Ocean
"End of the Ocean"——–——
"Dying For a Light In The Dark (We Are)"——–——
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that country.

Music videos

YearVideo[ citation needed ]Director(s)
1994"Push" Brenton Spencer
"Silver"
"Believe Me"
"Freaky Be Beautiful"
1996"Leave it Alone"
"Resurrection"
1997"Tangerine"Stephen Scott
"Gasoline"Javier Aquilera
1999"Breathe" Phil Harder
2000"Underground"Ulf Buddensieck
2021"End of the Ocean"Mateo Guez

Band members

Current

Past

Timeline

Moist (band)

Awards and recognition

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References

  1. 1 2 John Bush. "Moist - Artist biography". AllMusic. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ Wilton, Chad (October 5, 1995). "POLARPALOOZAIN WHICH AN ANCHORAGE LAW CLERK GATECRASHES A ROCK FESTIVAL AT THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT" . Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Two Hours Traffic, Chance the Rapper and King Krule Lead This Week's Can't Miss Concerts" . Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  4. ↑ Bliss, Karen (December 12, 2000). "Moist's drummer quits band". Canoe Jam. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. 1 2 Hart, Courtney (September 17, 2013). "Moist "The Resurrection" 2013 Tour Dates Announced". Kingston Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Thiessen, Brock (April 2, 2021). "Moist Return with Their First New Album Since 2014". Exclaim!. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Awards". junoawards.ca. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
  8. ↑ "NIELSEN MUSIC & BILLBOARD PRESENT CANADA 150 CHARTS" (PDF). bdsradio.com. p. 28. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 2, 2020. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
  9. ↑ "CANADA'S MOIST REIGNS WITH GOLD DEBUT". Billboard . July 9, 1994. Retrieved December 25, 2018.
  10. ↑ Larry LeBlanc (December 24, 1994). "A Breakthrough Year for Canadian Acts". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 53–. ISSN   0006-2510.
  11. ↑ "Moist savours sweet taste of success". The Gazette, Montreal, Canada, September 18, 1994. page 39
  12. ↑ "Moist's drummer quits band". Archived from the original on December 12, 2000.
  13. ↑ "CD REVIEWS: Kittie, Moist, Radiohead, Sevendust, Swollen Members and many more" [usurped] . Chart ttack, November 13, 2001. Review by Erik Missio.
  14. ↑ Gallivan, Jonathan. "MOIST". Archived from the original on July 5, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  15. ↑ Barber, Jim (July 30, 2019). "Moist Mark 25th Anniversary of Debut Album, Welcome Pearce Back into the Fold". Music Life Magazine.
  16. ↑ "Concert celebrates band's 'Silver' anniversary". Thewhig.com. Retrieved July 19, 2021.
  17. ↑ Gregory, Allie (January 29, 2021). "Moist Return with First New Music in Six Years". Exclaim! . Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  18. ↑ Peak positions for Moist's albums in Canada:
  19. ↑ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada . Retrieved June 3, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Moist Top Singles positions". RPM . Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  22. ↑ "Moist Rock/Alternative positions". RPM . Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  23. ↑ "Chart History". Billboard . Retrieved December 5, 2018.
  24. ↑ "Moist Canadian Content positions". RPM . Archived from the original on October 18, 2012. Retrieved September 7, 2010.
  25. ↑ "RPM - Library and Archives Canada | RPM - Bibliothèque et Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on August 1, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2011.
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