Humongous
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| Record Labels: | Adept Recordings Gubbey Records | ||
| Started By: | Matt, Jamie | ||
| Years Active: | 2000 - 2014 | ||
| Based In: | Louisville | ||
| First Show | September 2 2000 | ||
| Last show: | December 31 2014 at Nachbar | ||
| Number of Members: | At least fifteen | ||
Louisville's answer to The Red Krayola. Brilliant. Joyful. Fun as fuck. A genre-shifting act that got more jazzy and bizarre as their sound evolved.
Biography
Humongous played in front of an audience for the first time Sept. 2nd 2000. We played as a bluegrass band with traditional bluegrass instrumentation. The line up during this phase was:
- Matt Fisher (ex-Union) - acoustic guitars/vocals/stand-up bass
- Jess Myers - violin/vocals
- Jamie Pickerill - (Bus Hus) - Mandolin/vocals
- Matt Pickerill (ex-Union, Ex-Gold Jacket Club, Bus Hus) - Acoustic guitars/vocals/stand-up bass
- Eric Young (ex-Bodyhammer,etc.) - acoustic guitars
This phase went on for about a year during which we managed to play many shows and record a full length record that was never released. Other musicians performing with the band at this time are as follows.
- Cory Petri - Banjo/acoustic guitar/vocals
- Elizabeth Vennable - Banjo/acoustic guitar/vocals
- Julie Fisher - vocals
- Alicia Whitaker - vocals
- Eric Bookstrom - Washboard/accordion
Sometime in 2001 we decided that we would make electric music. This reduced our line up to:
- Jess Myers - electric bass
- Jamie Pickerill - Drums/electric guitar
- Matt Pickerill - electric Guitar/drums
We played one show with this line up and decided that for our next live show we should have pre-recorded bass and drum tracks to play along with. The result was our heavy reggae influenced dub phase. With this we introduced synthesizers, conga drums, and a tape deck to the mix. We started playing our own songs mostly with this new phase, whereas in the previous bluegrass Phase we played only 4 original songs. We documented this phase with an e.p. titled "Girl Party"
The next phase saw the removal of the pre-recorded bass and drum tracks from our live shows. The core group at this time consisted of:
- Jess Myers - Coronet/violin/vocals
- Jamie Pickerill - Drums/vocals/synths
- Matt Pickerill - Guitar/vocals
- Erin Reed - Synths/vocals
This was the most ,uh, "focused" version of Humongous so far. Collectively, we wrote our "most well known songs" "Panty boy", "Hook-up the keyboard", "Flat and Smooth", "If P had W", "Intervention", etc., etc. We managed to travel via recreational vehicle to play 3 nights in Nashville w/Verktum and Dave Cloud! We almost opened for the Frogs and recorded a full length album at the L.A.V.A. house titled "Hello Frog".
A few other musicians helped us out at various times during this phase.
- Jason Schooling - Drums/Synths
- Eric Clark - Slide guitar
- Cory Petri - Electric guitar
Sometime in 2004, Humongous took a break for four years for reasons of college and careers. Although someone told me recently they heard the reason they took off was because the thought of George W. Bush holding office for another four years was too depressing to carry on... to which they would return upon possibility of a new president. Funny.
Humongous would officially reform in 2010 and begin work on a new album, recording with Dan Willems and Heather Floyd. Erin Reed would leave the band after recording was done but the end result would culminate in "Miniature Pinschers" released on October 13 2012. A double release party was hosted at Astro Black Records, also featuring the Gubbey Records split between Furlong and Sick City Four. Willems and Floyd would join the band.
Humongous began playing out a lot more in the early 2010s and contributed exclusive tracks to the Head Cleaner compilations put out by Gubbey Records. The band's last show was at the end of 2014. Dan and Heather would eventually move to Indianapolis, Jess would largely quit music and the Pickerill brothers would concentrate on their experimental hip-hop known as Bus Hus.
Lineup
Final Lineup
- Jess Myers - Cornet, Vocals (2000 - 2014)
- Jamie Pickerill - Drums, Vocals (2000 - 2014)
- Matt Pickerill - Guitar, Vocals (2000 - 2014)
- Dan Willems - Bass (2011 - 2014)
- Heather Floyd - Synthesizer, Trumpet (2011 - 2014)
Past Members
- Matt Fisher - Acoustic Guitar, Double Bass, Vocals (2000)
- Eric Young - Acoustic Guitar (2000)
- Erin Reed - Synthesizers, Vocals (2002 - 2012)
- Cory Petri - Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Vocals (2000s)
- Jason Schooling - Drums, Synthesizer (2000s)
- Eric Clark - Slide Guitar (2000s)
- Elizabeth Vennable - Banjo, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals (2000s)
- Julie Fisher - vocals (2000s)
- Alicia Whitaker - vocals (2000s)
- Eric Bookstrom - Washboard/accordion (2000s)
Discography
Studio Releases
- Girl Party (EP) (2001)
- Hello Frog (Album) (2004)
- Miniature Pinschers (Album) (2012, Adept Recordings)
Compilation Appearances
- Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation vol 1 & 2 Double Cassette/Digital, 2013
- Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation vol 3, 4, 5 & 6 Triple Cassette/Digital, 2014
- Head Cleaner: A Louisville Music Compilation vol 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 Triple Cassette/Digital, 2015