Doughboys (Canadian band)

Doughboys

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1987 in Montreal, Canada
Founder	John Kastner
Defunct	1997
Headquarters	Montreal , Canada
Products	Music albums, singles, EPs

Doughboys were a Canadian alternative rock ensemble established in 1987 in Montreal by John Kastner following his departure from the Asexuals. Recognized for their fusion of punk energy and pop harmonies, they launched their debut record Whatever on Pipeline Records the same year. This album was later honored among the top Canadian releases by Chart magazine in both 1996 and 2000.

Formation and Early Phase

The group underwent numerous personnel adjustments during its initial period. Founding guitarist Scott McCullough exited to create Rusty, prompting Kastner to bring in Jonathan Cummins from Circus Lupus. The lineup included Jon Asencio (also known as John Bondhead) on bass and Brock Pytel on drums. Collaborating with manager and producer Dan McConomy, they re-recorded guitar parts for a movie soundtrack despite Restless Records filing for bankruptcy; the album was subsequently issued by Electric Distribution in Canada and Malaco in the United States. The Doughboys supported Red Hot Chili Peppers on their Canadian tour after achieving top rankings on Independent Retail Sales and College Radio charts.

Their sophomore release, Home Again, appeared in 1988 under Restless Records. In 1990, Pytel departed to pursue meditation studies in India, with Paul Newman taking over drumming duties for their third album, Happy Accidents. Following this, Asencio left and John Deslaurier joined as bassist, featuring on the five-track EP When Up Turns to Down, which included a rendition of the B-52s' "Private Idaho". This EP was part of a contract buyout involving Enigma/Restless.

Rise to Prominence

Deslaurier's exit in 1992 led to Peter Arsenault, formerly with Jellyfishbabies, joining the band. Manager James MacLean orchestrated a contract buyout from US label Restless/Enigma Records, paving the way for a deal with A&M Records.

For their major label introduction, they enlisted producers Daniel Rey and Dave Ogilvie, releasing Crush in August 1993. The album’s lead single "Shine" became their most successful Top 40 track and earned a CASBY Award for best single in 1994. Other significant singles included "Neighbourhood Villain" and "Fix Me." By 1996, Crush had achieved gold certification in Canada. Additionally, "Shine" was ranked as the 26th greatest "Top Canadian Single of All Time" by Chart magazine in 2000 and served as the theme for Much Music's alternative rock program "The Wedge."

The 1996 release Turn Me On continued their exploration of pop punk, co-produced by Ted Niceley alongside Daniel Rey. It featured singles such as "I Never Liked You" and "Everything and After," which reached #50 and #28 respectively on Canada's RPM Top Singles chart. Soon after, Cummins departed, criticizing the band’s diminishing edge and commercial direction. He was succeeded on tour by Wiz, former vocalist/guitarist of Mega City Four, who had co-written tracks on both Turn Me On and Crush, including "Shine." After supporting The Offspring on tour in 1997, Doughboys disbanded.

In 2003, their initial demo recording titled La Majeure was released.

Activities Following Disbandment

Kastner went on to form All Systems Go! alongside Mark Arnold and Frank Daly from Big Drill Car. Residing in Silverlake, California with his wife Nicole de Boer and daughter Summer Lee, he released his debut solo album Have You Seen Lucky in June 2006. His work extended into composing soundtracks for films and television series such as Phil the Alien, Universal Soldier, and B.R.A.T.S of the Lost Nebula. In 2000, he contributed to Brock Pytel's solo project Second Choice and toured with Bran Van 3000 in 2008, also recording an album with them.

Jonathan Cummins founded the band Bionic, produced multiple albums, performed with the Besnard Lakes for half a year, and authored a music column for The Montreal Mirror.

Wiz established Serpico and Ipanema but tragically died in London on December 6, 2006, due to a brain blood clot.

Paul Newman transitioned into road management after his time with Doughboys before joining The Forgotten Rebels. He currently performs with Big Rude Jake's Blue Mercury Coupe and works as a main stage technician for Coldplay’s global tours.

Brock Pytel now leads East Vancouver’s SLIP~ons.

Reunion

In the summer of 2011, Doughboys briefly came together again to perform during the Canadian portion of a Foo Fighters tour. However, there are no intentions to prolong this reunion or to create new recordings.

Discography

Year	Album Title	Record Label	Highest Chart Position	Certification
			CAN	CAN
1987	Whatever	MTL Records
1989	Home Again	Restless Records
1990	Happy Accidents	Restless Records
1993	Crush	A&M Records	63	Gold
1996	Turn Me On	A&M Records

EPs

• When Up Turns to Down, (Restless Records/Emergo, 1991)
• Blanche, (A&M Records, 1993)

Singles

• "You’re Related"/"Stranger from Within"/"Forecast", 7", (No Label, 1988), limited promotional release (500 copies)
• "Home Again Live", 7", (Black Box Records, 1991)
• "Disposable", Single, (A&M Records, 1993)
• "Shine", Single and Maxi-single, (A&M Records, 1993)
• "Fix Me", Single, (A&M Records, 1993)
• "Neighbourhood Villain" (from Crush, 1994)
• "I Never Liked You" and "Everything and After" (from Turn Me On, 1996)
• La Majeure 1987, 7", (Boss Tuneage Records, 2003)

Compilation albums

• More Than a State of Mind, (Restless Records, 1990) – featuring the track "I Won't Write You a Letter"
• Black Box Compilation, (Black Box Records, 1992) – includes a live version of "Stole Yer Love"
• Something's Gone Wrong Again: The Buzzcocks Covers Compilations, (C/Z Records, 1992) – contains "Why She's a Girl from the Chainstore"
• A Tribute to Hard Core Logo, (BMG Music, 1996) – presents "Something's Gonna Die Tonight"

Videos

• "Deep End" (1991)
• "Shine" and "Fix Me" (1993)
• "Neighbourhood Villain" (1994)
• "I Never Liked You" (1996)
• "Everything and After" (1997)

External links

• Doughboys – Unofficial fan site