Wheat (band)
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Wheat is an indie rock group formed by singer/songwriter Scott Levesque, drummer Brendan Harney, guitarist Ricky Brennan, and bass player Kenny Madaras in Taunton, Massachusetts in 1996.[1]
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[edit] History
Wheat's debut album Medeiros, released in 1998 on Sugar Free Records, was recorded by Dave Auchenbach and mixed by Red Red Meat's Brian Deck. Madaras left the group (and was never permanently replaced) prior to the release of their second Sugar Free album, 1999's Hope and Adams, which was recorded/co-produced by Dave Fridmann at Tar Box Studios in Fredonia, NY and included the song "Don't I Hold You".
The group left Sugar Free Records and signed on with London based Nude Records in 2000. This label folded shortly after the signing. The band continued writing and after a 2 year period of record business limbo, and the adoption of an *, wheat* signed with Aware Records/Columbia Records in 2002. The original version of Per Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every Second was never released. Some of the songs recorded for the unreleased Nude album would survive as "Naked" versions on the Too Much Time compilation [aware/columbia], some were re-recorded for the later version of Per Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every Second. The new version of Per Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every Second was released in 2003. The album track "Some Days" was included in the film and on the soundtrack to Win a Date With Tad Hamilton!, "I Met A Girl" appeared in A Cinderella Story, and "Don't I Hold You (Alternate Version)" was featured in the film and soundtrack to Elizabethtown.
Following touring, including supports for Liz Phair, Toad the Wet Sprocket, and Blake Babies, a few late night television appearances, Conan O'Brien and Carson Daly, Wheat, less the *, took time to re-evaluate, and regain creative control.[citation needed] They were released from aware/Columbia in early 2004. Brennan left the band to form Duresse, self-releasing the 7 song EP entitled Elate in 2006, and is currently performing solo in the Boston area and working on his first solo album.
In 2006, Wheat completed writing/recording/producing their fourth album, Everyday I Said a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square with Rick Lescault at Electric Ali Studios in Fairhaven, MA. Preceded by the mini-album That's Exactly What I Wanted... Exactly That in December 2006, the album was released by Empyrean Records on May 2007. An EP titled "Move=Move" featuring exclusive tracks and multimedia content was also organised for release in February 2008, but was pulled at the last minute for undisclosed reasons. This caused much frustration for fans who had pre-ordered the EP in advance, and was possibly the catalyst for Wheat leaving Empyrean Records.
In early 2009 Wheat announced on their website and Myspace that Medeiros and Hope and Adams will be reissued as part of a 3CD deluxe package that also includes a bonus disc of outtakes and rarities entitled 30 Minute Theatrik. They have recently completed their fifth studio album White Ink, Black Ink, which the band anticipates will see a release mid-year through The Rebel Group.
Gary Lightbody, lead singer for Snow Patrol, is a self-proclaimed fan of the band, typically listing their albums on any of his top music lists, including his 2007 'Best of' blog post on the band's My Space page.
[edit] Discography
Albums
- Medeiros (1998)
- Hope and Adams (1999)
- Wheat (Re-Issue of Medeiros) (2003)
- Per Second, Per Second, Per Second... Every Second (2003)
- That's Exactly What I Wanted... Exactly That (2006) mini-album
- Everyday I Said a Prayer for Kathy and Made a One Inch Square (2007)
- Medeiros/Hope and Adams/30 Minute Theatrik (2009)
- White Ink, Black Ink (set for release Spring 2009)
Singles
- Death Car
- Off The Pedestal
- Don't I Hold You
- Raised Ranch Revolution
- I Met A Girl
EPs
- Too Much Time EP
- Move=Move EP (2008, unreleased)
