Toby Morse | |
|---|---|
 Morse in 2024 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Toby1 |
| Born | April 8, 1970 Taunton, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation | Singer |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | |
Toby Morse (born April 8, 1970) is an American vocalist who is best known as the lead singer for punk rock band H2O. He is also one of the vocalists for hardcore punk group Hazen Street.
Morse was born on April 8, 1970 [1] in Taunton, Massachusetts, the youngest of three siblings. [2] When he was three years old, his father died of a rare heart condition, and Morse was raised with the help of his brothers and grandparents because his mother started to work on multiple jobs. Morse and his family moved to Newport, Rhode Island, and later to St. Mary's County, Maryland. Around the age of twelve, Morse's siblings turned him on to skateboarding and punk music, taking him out to shows of bands such as Descendents and The F.U.'s. [3] They also were having parties at the house, but "seeing the way they acted when they were high or drunk really scared" him. [2] By age thirteen he discovered the song "Straight Edge" of Minor Threat and claimed edge, having never drunk before. [4] Morse graduated from Great Mills High School in 1988. [5]
In 1988, Morse relocated to New York City to be nearer to its hardcore punk scene. [5] That year, he was living in the same house as band Gorilla Biscuits and sang backing vocals on their album Start Today . [6] In 1989, Morse started being a roadie for bands such as Gorilla Biscuits, Killing Time and finally Sick of It All, staying with them for several years. [3] Initially during the soundchecks and then at their shows, Morse would join the group to perform the song "My Love is Real". By then, along with his friends Rusty Pistachio and Eric Rice, he formed H2O, playing their first show in December 1994. [7] They became part of the New York hardcore scene. [4]
In 2004, Morse started collaborating with David Kennedy, best known for being in Tom Delonge's side-project Box Car Racer. Out of this came Hazen Street, which included Toby's friend Freddy Cricien, of another New York hardcore band Madball, as a co-vocalist.
In 2006, Morse started a clothing line called Straight Edge OG (stylized as SXEOG). [3]
In 2009, Toby Morse founded the nonprofit organization "One Life, One Chance" whose objective is "to inspire kids to make healthy life choices, maintain a PMA, be themselves, and to avoid peer pressure", mainly visiting schools to share the experiences of his early life and as a member of a world-touring band. [8] Its name comes from the song of the same name of the 1999 album F.T.T.W. .
O.L.O.C. was prompted by a teacher friend of Morse who invited him to give a talk at a school in Queens, New York City, in early 2009, because her students were fans of H2O, which had a widely positive reception. [9]
Contributors to the organization include Travis Barker, CM Punk, C. J. Wilson, Moby, Hayley Williams and Ethan Suplee, among others. [10]
Morse currently resides in Los Angeles with his wife Moon and son Max. [11] In 1988, he became a vegetarian inspired by the song "Cats and Dogs" of Gorilla Biscuits [8] and, as of 2016, he is the only vegan in H2O. [12] Morse is also the only H2O member who has remained straight edge through all their years active. [13]
He is the younger brother of Todd Morse, guitarist for H2O, The Operation M.D. and Juliette and the Licks and bassist for The Offspring. [14]
| Year | Song | Artist | Album | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Various | Gorilla Biscuits | Start Today | [3] |
| 2003 | "Falling Down" | Story of the Year featuring Ray Cappo and John Feldmann | Page Avenue | [15] |
| 2009 | "2 Hip" | Danny Diablo | International Hardcore Superstar | [16] |
| 2009 | "Goodbye Farewell" | Danny Diablofeaturing Natasha Nicholson | International Hardcore Superstar | [16] |
| 2014 | "My Armor" | Madball featuring Chad Gilbert and CM Punk | Hardcore Lives | [17] |
| 2015 | "RMA (Revolutionary Mental Attitude)" | Stick to Your Guns | Disobedient | [18] |
| 2015 | "Never Walk Alone" | Agnostic Front featuring Freddy Cricien and Lou Koller | The American Dream Died | [19] |
Hardcore punk is a punk rock subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk scenes in San Francisco and Southern California which arose as a reaction against the still predominant hippie cultural climate of the time. It was also inspired by Washington, D.C., and New York punk rock and early proto-punk. Hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry and "anything similar to the characteristics of mainstream rock" and often addresses social and political topics with "confrontational, politically charged lyrics".
CIV was an American punk rock band from New York City. The band is named after its vocalist, Anthony Civarelli. Three of the band's members were members of Gorilla Biscuits. Siegler also played in other hardcore bands, including Youth of Today and Judge.
Youth of Today is an American hardcore punk band, initially active from 1985 to 1990 before reforming in 2010. The band played a major role in establishing the "Youth Crew" subculture of hardcore, both espousing and evolving the philosophies of the straight edge and vegetarian lifestyles.
Gorilla Biscuits are an American hardcore punk band from New York City, New York, United States, formed in 1986. The band currently consists of Anthony "Civ" Civarelli, Walter Schreifels, Arthur Smilios and Luke Abbey, and is signed to Revelation Records. Gorilla Biscuits are part of the New York hardcore scene.
John "Porcell" Porcelly, also known as Paramananda Das, is an American musician, best known as the guitarist for the 1980s hardcore bands Young Republicans, Violent Children, Youth of Today, and Judge. He also sang in Project X, and has had stints in other bands such as Bold and Gorilla Biscuits. More recently he has played in bands like Shelter, Never Surrender and Last of the Famous.
Project X was a short-lived hardcore punk/youth crew band from New York City, and also the name of their only release, being a five-track EP. The band consisted of members of other prominent NYC hardcore bands Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Side by Side and Judge.
Hazen Street (also typeset Hazen St.) is an American supergroup that formed in early 2004. The band features Freddy Cricien and Hoya Roc (Madball); Toby Morse (H2O), David Kennedy (Box Car Racer, Over My Dead Body, later Angels & Airwaves), and Mackie (Cro-Mags & Bad Brains). Chad Gilbert (Shai Hulud and later New Found Glory) co-wrote and helped record every song on the album, but he was soon dismissed from Hazen Street by New Found Glory's record label due to a contract dispute. He was replaced by Brian "Mitts" Daniels of Madball.
Hazen Street is the eponymous debut by the band of the same name. Borne out of an original collaboration between Morse and Kennedy and named for the address of the N.Y.C. prison in which ex-Madball vocalist Cricien did a stint, the band mixed hard-hitting contemporary hardcore with metal, rap-rock, and pop overtones. Hazen Street signed with Benji and Joel Madden's Epic-distributed DC Flag imprint in 2003 and set to work on their debut with producer Howard Benson. Guitarist Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory also performed on the record, but commitments to NFG kept him from touring in support with Hazen Street. The self-titled effort was then issued in July 2004.
Madball is an American New York hardcore band. Originated in the late 1980s as a side project of Agnostic Front, the band developed after Agnostic Front's vocalist Roger Miret would let his younger half-brother Freddy Cricien take the microphone and perform lead vocals during Agnostic Front shows. Following Agnostic Front's 1992 disbandment, Madball became the members' main project and many became a part of the band who were never in Agnostic Front. They have released nine studio albums and four EPs.
Destroy the Machines is the debut studio album by American metalcore band Earth Crisis, it was released in 1995. It is widely considered a landmark release in metalcore.
H2O is an American hardcore punk band formed in New York City in 1994.
Freddy Cricien, also known as Freddy Madball, is an American vocalist, primarily known as the lead singer of the New York hardcore band Madball. He is also the lead singer of Hazen Street and has a hip hop career from which debut album was November 2009's Catholic Guilt. He also moonlights as an MC with DJ Stress as the hip hop duo Freddy Madball & DJ Stress.
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Don Fury is an American recording engineer and producer who owned three rehearsal and recording studios in New York City. He has recorded and produced music for a variety of punk and hardcore bands including GG Allin, Agnostic Front, Sick of It All, Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Madball, Warzone, Helmet, Into Another, and Quicksand. In 2008 Fury moved his studio to Troy, New York.
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