The Ernies
| The Ernies | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Genres | Ska punk, alternative rock, rap rock, rap metal |
| Years active | 1994–2001, 2013-present |
| Labels | Bob, Mojo |
| Past members | Will Hummel, Matt Goves, D. Hayes Smith, Mike Hughes, Stefan Demetriadis, Chris Bondi, Brian Knight, Damian Holton, Dave Warren, Steve Bider, Tom Hummel, Jeff Fuquay, Tom Martin, T., Jimmy McAvoy, Heath Losick, Derrick Dorsey |
The Ernies were a popular American alternative rock/ska punk band from Richmond, Virginia. They released two albums on an independent label before signing to Mojo Records and releasing their third album entitled Meson Ray.
The Ernies were formed in 1994 by four students of Virginia Commonwealth University: Will Hummel, Tom Martin, Matt Goves, and Hayes Smith. Hayes majored in music education, learning the saxophone and the bassoon, and Matt majored in music performance, focusing on percussion. Will studied English, and was especially influenced by the Modernists of the early 20th century.
The Ernies released their self-titled debut album on October 1, 1995. This album featured a three-piece horn section consisting of Steve Bider on alto saxophone, Stefan Demetriadis on trombone, and Hayes Smith on the baritone saxophone. In 1995, bassist Mike Hughes joined the band.
On May 12, 1997, The Ernies released their second album, Dropping Science. This album diverged from the pure ska style present on their previous album. The first track, "Jive", addresses the style change with lyrics like "We're not ska-core or reggae, jazz or funk, we're not hip-hop or rock or pop" and "to pacify those of you who need a label, call it what you want, we know you'll kick it if you're able". Without Steve Bider in the band, the horn section on Dropping Science consisted only of Stefan Demetriadis on trombone, and Hayes Smith on the baritone saxophone.
Chris Bondi joined the band in 1997, playing the turntables and theremin. While playing a show in Los Angeles during a tour across the United States, The Ernies were discovered by a record executive and signed to Mojo Records.Meson Ray was released on Mojo Records on April 20, 1999. With trombonist Stefan Demetriadis no longer in the band, the only horn section remaining for this release was Hayes Smith on a variety of saxophones.
A remix of the song "Motivate" appeared during a scene in the movie BASEketball. This version of the song also appeared on the BASEketball soundtrack, released by Mojo Records.
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