Idaho (band)

Idaho is an American rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles, California, United States, founded as a duo by high school friends Jeff Martin and John K. Berry. The two had played in various bands and projects together since 1981.They were eventually signed to Caroline Records in December 1992 by Brian Long, then released the The Palms EP and Year After Year full-length in 1993. Martin and Berry switched off on drumming duties and shared in the songwriting. Idaho drew frequent comparisons to American Music Club, Red House Painters and Codeine due to vocal, lyrical, and instrumental similarities. Idaho toured the U.S. with similar-minded artists like Red House Painters, Half String, Low, and Cranes in 1993-1995. Dan Seta joined as a multi-instrumentalist on Three Sheets to the Wind, the band's third album, along with Terry Borden - bass (later of the Pete Yorn band) and Mark Lewis (West Indian Girl) on drums. Seta and Lewis had previously been in the band Pet Clarke together, along with Geoff Gans and former Let's Active touring bassist Janine Cooper, who went on to join Downy Mildew. Idaho have played dates in Europe with Lali Puna and Dirty Three

Martin had recorded some solo songs (including "Never Back Again") in 1984 in the U.K., but a solo career never materialized. Idaho's music is traditionally categorized as slowcore or sadcore. The band has released seven full-length albums, as well as numerous EPs and singles, dating back to 1992. Idaho became primarily the vehicle of singer-songwriter Martin, who has performed the most recent of Idaho's albums almost entirely on his own. To this day, he remains the band's sole songwriter and principal musician. His foreboding four-string tenor guitar playing (he has had several such guitars custom-made for him) is a hallmark of most Idaho albums, though later releases rely more heavily on piano. 1998 album Alas featured vocals on a few songs by Melissa Auf der Maur.

Idaho's sonic stylings range from existentially introspective songs to cathartic screaming, though their music falls in the first category the majority of the time. Their release, The Lone Gunman, often eschews the traditional song structure for more instrumental experimentation.

In December 2008 Idaho contributed their track "Santa Claus Is Weird" to an Indiecater Records festive compilation titled An Indiecater Christmas.

Martin has recently done music for U.S. television shows, films, and documentaries.

Idaho released You Were A Dick on June 28, 2011.

On January 9, 2016, John Berry died in his sleep.^[1]

Discography

Albums

• Year After Year (1993, Caroline)
• This Way Out (1995, Caroline) (recorded in 1994)
• Three Sheets To The Wind (1996, Caroline)
• Alas (1998, Buzz)
• Hearts Of Palm (2000, Idaho Music)
• Levitate (2001, Idaho Music)
• The Lone Gunman (2005, Retrophonic)
• You Were A Dick (2011)

Compilation and live albums

• People Like Us Should Be Stopped (Live, Volume 1) (2000, Idaho Music) (Recorded Dec. 11, 1993 at Downtown Performing Arts Center in Tucson, AZ)
• We Were Young And Needed The Money (compilation of rare and previously unissued songs from '92 to '00) (2002, Idaho Music)
• Vieux Carré (compilation released in Germany) (2004, Kalinkaland)

EPs and singles

• "Skyscrape" (b/w "Star") 7" (1993, Ringer's Lactate)
• The Palms (1993, Caroline)
• "Fuel" (b/w "Hail Mary") 7" (1993)
• Drive It (1994, Quigley)
• Bayonet (released with extra tracks in its 10" vinyl format) (1995, Fingerpaint)
• "Pomegranate Bleeding" (b/w "The Right Escape") 7" (1996, Caroline)
• The Forbidden (1997, Buzz)

References

External links

• Idaho
• slidingpast.com, the official Idaho archive
• Trouser Press entry
• Idaho at the Allmusic
• An Indiecater Christmas