Cracker (band)

Cracker
Cracker performing at Jones Beach, NY.
Background information
Origin	Redlands, California, United States
Genres	Alternative rock
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Virgin, Cooking Vinyl, Savoy / 429 Records
Associated acts	Camper Van Beethoven
Website	www.crackersoul.com
Members	David Lowery Johnny Hickman Bryan Howard CoCo Owens Matt "Pistol" Stoessel
Past members	Davey Faragher Phil Jones Michael Urbano Bruce Hughes David Lovering Joey Peters Johnny Hott Bob Rupe Charlie Quintana Kenny Margolis Brandy Wood Victor Krummenacher Sal Maida Frank Funaro Thayer Sarrano

Cracker is an American alternative rock band led by singer David Lowery and guitarist Johnny Hickman. The band is best known for its gold-selling 1993 album, Kerosene Hat, which includes the hit songs "Low" and "Euro-Trash Girl."

Lowery and Hickman formed the band in 1991, releasing the album Cracker the following year (which included singles "Happy Birthday to Me" and "Teen Angst") on Virgin Records. The band has been touring ever since, releasing 10 studio albums and several compilations, collaborations, solo projects and live albums. The band's newest studio album, Berkeley to Bakersfield, was released December 9, 2014 on 429 Records.

Cracker mix influences and sounds from rock, punk, grunge, psychedelia, country, blues and folk.

Shortly after Lowery's former group Camper Van Beethoven disbanded in 1990, he began demoing material along with boyhood friend, guitarist Johnny Hickman. After moving from Redlands, California to Richmond, Virginia, Lowery and Hickman recorded a demo tape, later nicknamed Big Dirty Yellow Demos by the group's fans, which included early versions of songs that appeared on later albums. They eventually chose the name Cracker and teamed up with fellow Redlands bass guitarist Davey Faragher. A brief tour with Virginia drummer Greg Weatherford followed.

By 1991, the newly formed band had signed a recording contract with Virgin Records and enlisted the help of several drummers/percussionists (Jim Keltner, Michael Urbano and Phil Jones), issuing its first album, Cracker, in 1992. From the album came radio hit "Teen Angst (What the World Needs Now)", which peaked at No. 1 on Modern Rock Tracks, and a second single entitled "Happy Birthday to Me." The album went on to sell more than 200,000 copies.