HHead
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Founder | Noah Mintz, Brendan Canning |
| Defunct | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Toronto , Canada |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
hHead was a Canadian alternative rock group that originated in 1991 in Toronto, Ontario.
Formation and Early Years (1991–1992)
Noah Mintz and Brendan Canning, who met at Brock University, founded the band initially as an acoustic duo named The Happy. They later transitioned into a harder rock sound influenced by the grunge movement of the early 1990s. Originally called Head, they modified their name by adding an extra h to distinguish themselves from another band, jokingly crediting this change to interactions with Vancouver's Rymes with Orange.
Throughout their early period, the band experienced several drummer changes, including Mark Bartkiw, formerly of Fancypants Hoodlum, who had connections to Merrill Nisker (later known as Peaches).
Notable Career Developments (1993–1997)
Their first album, Fireman, released independently in 1992, later achieved broader exposure through Canadian campus radio stations in 1993. hHead became a significant presence on the Toronto live music scene, performing at venues such as the Drake Hotel, Lee's Palace, and The Rivoli. They notably headlined shows that included a young Stone Temple Pilots as an opening act.
The band embarked on extensive tours throughout Canada and the United States, performing both as headliners and supporting acts for prominent artists like My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr., Goo Goo Dolls, and Stone Temple Pilots. Their Canadian tours also featured shared performances with The Tragically Hip, The Watchmen, and Sloan.
In 1993, hHead secured victory in CFNY-FM's Discovery to Disc contest, earning $100,000 to fund their next recording project. The following year, they signed with IRS Records and released their second album Jerk. To promote this release, they toured nationally as an opening act for Moist and participated in Edgefest 1995. Unfortunately, IRS Records encountered financial difficulties and declared bankruptcy in 1996.
Afterward, hHead joined Canadian independent label Handsome Boy Records and issued their final album Ozzy in 1996. They performed their concluding concert at Edenfest that same year before disbanding in 1997.
Post-breakup period (1997–present)
Following the band's dissolution, Mintz shifted his focus to mastering engineering, working with artists such as Hayden, Broken Social Scene, and The Dears. Concurrently, he pursued solo projects under the name Noah's Arkweld, which initially included contributions from Leslie Feist.
In 2015, previously unreleased songs "Fempire" and Brendan Canning’s solo piece "Born from the Ashes" were featured on the 20th anniversary compilation Return of Our Stupid Noise issued by Squirtgun Records.
Brendan Canning became a member of By Divine Right for their third studio release, Bless This Mess. He subsequently co-founded Broken Social Scene alongside Kevin Drew and established Cookie Duster with Bernard Maiezza. The Broken Social Scene album Bee Hives contains the track "hHallmark," a nod to hHead’s unique typographical style.
Members
- Noah Mintz – Guitar / Vocals (1991–1997)
- Brendan Canning – Bass guitar / Backing vocals (1991–1997)
- Jason Ray – Drums (1996–1997)
- Mark Bartkiw – Drums (1992–1995)
- Roland Rainer – Drums (1991–1992)
- Zak Hanna – Additional Guitar on Fireman (1991–1992)
Discography
- 1991 — Potato E.P. (Self-released)
- 1992 — Fireman (reissued 1993)
- 1994 — Jerk
- 1996 — Ozzy
- 2017 — Rare and Odd (1991-1997) (Digital release)
Compilations
The group contributed the track "Want," which was not included on any album, to both the 1996 and 1998 editions of More of Our Stupid Noise. Additionally, they participated in tribute compilations by covering Neil Young’s "Look Out for my Love" on the 1994 release Borrowed Tunes: A Tribute to Neil Young, as well as Bob Snider’s "They Oughta Bottle Friday Night" for 1996’s Poetreason: The Songs of Bob Snider.