Toadies are an American rock band formed in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas, best known for the song "Possum Kingdom". The band's classic lineup consisted of Vaden Todd Lewis (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Lisa Umbarger (bass guitar), Darrel Herbert (lead guitar), and Mark Reznicek (drums). The band released two studio albums before disbanding in 2001 after Umbarger left the group. The band reformed in 2006 and released their third album No Deliverance two years later. In 2010, they re-released the album Feeler with Kirtland Records (the album's original release was denied by Interscope in 1997). The band's most recent album, The Charmer, was released in May 2026.

Biography

Early years, Slaphead, Rubberneck, and commercial breakthrough (1989–1996)

Toadies began in 1989 in Fort Worth, Texas. The initial lineup consisted of vocalist/guitarist Vaden Todd Lewis, bassist Lisa Umbarger, guitarist Charles Mooney III, and drummer Guy Vaughan, although Terry Valderas quickly replaced Vaughan on drums after a few live shows. The band self-released the independent album Slaphead in 1989. Afterwards, the band went through numerous lineup changes, which eventually stabilized with Vaden on vocals/guitar, Umbarger on bass, Mark Reznicek on drums, and Darrel Herbert on guitar. During their first few years together, Toadies recorded additional one-off singles and demo EPs. After releasing the EP titled Pleather on Grass Records, Toadies signed to the major label Interscope Records. Their first full-length album, Rubberneck, was released in the summer of 1994. Featuring a sound described as "distinctly grunge" and "distinctly Texan", until "Possum Kingdom" became a successful single in late 1995, reaching number nine on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

Toadies toured extensively throughout the 1990s supporting Rubberneck, opening for artists such as Red Hot Chili Peppers, White Zombie, Bush, and The Butthole Surfers. The band also headlined and co-headlined tours with acts such as Supersuckers, and The Reverend Horton Heat. Toadies were a regular act at the festivals Edgefest in Dallas, and Buzzfest in Houston during these years. By 1996, Clark Vogeler had replaced Herbert on guitar.

Feeler sessions, Hell Below/Stars Above, and breakup (1997–2002)

The band entered the studio in 1997 to record new tracks for a second album, Feeler. Interscope Records did not approve the finished product, and rejected its 1998 release. In 2000, they went back to the studio, salvaged some of the songs from the Feeler sessions, and released their second full-length album Hell Below/Stars Above in the spring of 2001. The band toured in the spring and summer of 2001 in support of the new album, until bassist Lisa Umbarger unexpectedly resigned from the band on July 14, 2001. Umbarger told the Dallas Observer that she resigned after realizing that Interscope Records was not going to promote the band. In March 2007, they embarked on a mini-tour, playing dates in Austin, Houston, and Dallas. The final show of the mini-tour was recorded and released as the live album Rock Show.

The band released its third studio album, No Deliverance, on August 19, 2008, via Kirtland Records. The lead single for the album was the title track.

Toadies performed at Lollapalooza on August 2, 2008, Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival on May 16, 2009, and May 18, 2013, and Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 4, 2009. In addition, on August 31, 2008, the Toadies headlined the inaugural Dia De Los Toadies, an annual Texas music festival organized by and featuring the band.

In June 2010 it was announced that Feeler, the follow-up album to Rubberneck that was shelved by Interscope, would finally be seeing a release. Vaden Todd Lewis was quoted as saying: "Since there are unfinished versions floating around on the Internet, it is important to us that people hear it as we meant it to be." The band was unable to obtain the original 1997 Feeler masters from Interscope, and re-recorded the album in 2010.

thumb|Toadies performing in [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Rubberneck 20th Anniversary Tour.]]

Rubberneck 20th anniversary celebration, Heretics and The Lower Side of Uptown (2014–2021)

On January 7, 2014, the Toadies announced via its Facebook page that its Rubberneck album would be reissued by Kirtland Records with five previously unreleased bonus tracks. The announcement also revealed plans for a nationwide Rubberneck 20-year anniversary tour, featuring the Toadies playing the entire Rubberneck album "front to back", with supporting acts Supersuckers and Battleme. The tour ended in September 2014 with a final Rubberneck start to finish performance, followed by performances of the band's more recent songs, at the seventh annual Dia De Los Toadies festival in Fort Worth.

In January 2015, Everclear announced its fourth annual multi-city Summerland Tour via Twitter. The 2015 Summerland Tour featured Everclear and Toadies, as well as alternative rock bands American Hi-Fi and Fuel. The album "re-imagines and reinterprets" several Toadies songs such as "Possum Kingdom" and "Backslider," and featured two new songs and a cover of Blondie's 1979 single "Heart of Glass".

The Toadies released its ninth album, The Lower Side of Uptown on September 8, 2017, via Kirtland Records.

On September 6, 2017, band members kicked off their fall tour with Local H in Denton, Texas.

Damn You All to Hell EP, Rubberneck 25th anniversary tour and The Charmer (2022–present)

Toadies released the EP Damn You All to Hell on September 13, 2022, as they began touring North America to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the album Rubberneck. The EP is four previously unreleased tracks, including a cover of David Bowie's "Sound and Vision". Three of the songs were recorded during sessions for the band's latest studio album The Lower Side of Uptown, while "Forgiven" was recorded during the No Deliverance sessions.

On January 8, 2024, Toadies announced that their eighth studio album The Charmer, which was recorded with Steve Albini at Electrical Audio in Chicago, was scheduled to be released later in the year. However, following Albini's death in May of that year, the album was delayed multiple times before its release on May 1, 2026.

Band members

Current members

  • Vaden Todd Lewis – lead vocals <small>(1989–2001; 2006–present)</small>, rhythm guitar <small>(1989–1991; 1992–2001; 2006–present)</small>, bass <small>(2008)</small>
  • Mark Reznicek – drums <small>(1991–2001; 2006–present)</small>
  • Clark Vogeler – lead guitar, backing vocals <small>(1996–2001; 2006–present)</small>
  • Doni Blair – bass, backing vocals <small>(2008–present)</small>

Touring members

  • Edo Levi – percussion <small>(2001)</small>

Former members

  • Charles Mooney III – lead guitar <small>(1989–1993)</small>
  • Lisa Umbarger – bass <small>(1989–2001)</small>, backing vocals <small>(1996–2001)</small>
  • Guy Vaughan – drums <small>(1989)</small>
  • Terry Valderas – drums <small>(1989)</small>
  • Charles Madison Winchell III – drums <small>(1989–1990)</small>
  • Michael Jerome – drums <small>(1990–1991)</small>
  • Tracey Sauerwein – rhythm guitar <small>(1991–1992, died 2004)</small>
  • Darrel Herbert – lead guitar <small>(1992–1996)</small>
  • Mark Hughes – bass <small>(2001, 2006–2008)</small>

Timeline

Discography

  • Slaphead (1989)
  • Rubberneck (1994)
  • Hell Below/Stars Above (2001)
  • No Deliverance (2008)
  • Feeler (2010)
  • Play.Rock.Music. (2012)
  • Heretics (2015)
  • The Lower Side of Uptown (2017)
  • The Charmer (2026)

See also

  • Dia De Los Toadies
  • List of alternative music artists

References

  • The Toadies official website
  • Interview with Vaden Todd Lewis 11/14/2007
  • New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Stand and Deliver