Oleander (band)
| Oleander | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Sacramento, California, United States |
| Genres | Post grunge, Grunge (early) |
| Years active | 1995–2004, 2008–present |
| Labels | Fine, Universal, Sanctuary, Carved |
| Website | www.oleander.net |
| Members | Thomas Flowers Doug Eldridge Ric Ivanisevich Steve Brown Rich Mouser |
| Past members | Fred Nelson Jr. Scott Devours |
Oleander is a post-grunge band from Sacramento, California, USA. Its name is derived from the poisonous wildflower oleander, which line the highways of Northern California. In their nine years of activity, the band released four studio albums under various record labels. Their most successful effort, 1999's February Son, includes the hit single "Why I'm Here." Oleander went on official hiatus after the release and promotion of their fourth album, Joyride, in 2004. The band took some time off, but reunited in 2008, and began work on their album Something Beautiful, which was released on April 16, 2013.
In 1989, singer and guitarist Thomas Flowers met bassist Doug Eldridge; both of whom were employees of a Sacramento eatery. They played with several local bands together before meeting guitarist Ric Ivanisevich who joined them in a rehearsal. Chuck Combs the original drummer left, leaving the position to Fred Nelson Jr, a co-worker of Flowers' and Eldridge's. The quartet formed Oleander in 1995 and soon released an eponymous EP on the indie label Fine Records. This would be followed by a full-length album, Shrinking the Blob, in 1997.
The band then gave their CD to a friend who worked at 98-Rock KRXQ who began playing two of their songs on air. The track "Down When I'm Loaded" gradually became a regional hit, and after opening for Sugar Ray, Oleander was approached by a representative of Republic Records. Soon after, they signed with Universal and began re-recording their 1997 studio album.
During this time, session drummer extraordinaire Jonathan Mover was recruited in the studio to record a new album and play live for the first leg of that tour. Nelson later joined the tour but subsequently left the band and was replaced with Scott Devours. In 1999, Oleander released their major label debut titled February Son. The album featured the hit singles "Why I'm Here" and "I Walk Alone." The former was even featured in the popular TV series Dawson's Creek. In promotion of the album, Oleander also participated in and their music was featured in American Pie and Scary Movie. The American Forces Radio Network in Asia and Europe also quickly jumped on February Son, which led to a quick following overseas.
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