Home Grown
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1994 in Orange County, California, United States |
| Defunct | 2005 (hiatus) |
| Fate | Reunited in 2024 |
| Headquarters | Orange County, California , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
| Website | myspace |
Home Grown is a ska punk and pop punk group originating from Orange County, California, established in 1994. Prior to their disbandment in 2005, they produced three studio albums alongside multiple EPs. Their sound is primarily identified as pop punk, frequently incorporating witty and satirical lyrics.
In June 2024, the band reunited for a performance in Los Angeles, marking their first live appearance in nearly two decades. They subsequently announced another headline show at the Glasshouse in Pomona, their first lead performance since regrouping. On March 7, 2025, John Tran revealed that the band was actively working on new recordings.
Origins
Formed in 1994 in Orange County, California, Home Grown consisted of John "John E. Trash" Tran (guitar and vocals), Adam "Adumb" Lohrbach (bass and vocals), Ian "Slur" Cone (guitar and backing vocals), and Bob Herco (drums). Their style combined elements of punk rock, pop, surf, and skate music with lyrics known for their humor. Their debut album, That's Business (1995), released through Liberation Records, helped establish their foothold in the Southern California music scene and featured fan favorites such as "Surfer Girl." The band supported the album with extensive regional touring. In 1996, they issued the EP Wusappaning?! under the Swedish label Burning Heart Records.
Act Your Age era and lineup shifts
After signing with the major label Outpost Recordings, Home Grown released their sophomore album Act Your Age in 1998. This release elevated their profile and reached number 24 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. The song "We are Dumb" was included on the soundtracks for both Half Baked and the film Homegrown. Following this period, Ian Cone departed and was succeeded by Justin Poyser on guitar. This lineup produced the 1999 EP EP Phone Home, which featured a punk rendition of Aqua’s "Barbie Girl." They toured alongside Limbeck and collaborated on a split EP titled Connection.
In March 2000, Home Grown embarked on a U.S. tour with Amazing Crowns, Limbeck, Pilfers, and the Gadjits. Although a UK tour was planned for later that year, it was ultimately canceled. Subsequently, drummer Bob Herco left to undergo treatment for a brain tumor while Poyser also exited the band, leaving them without a second guitarist. Adam Lohrbach and John Tran brought in Darren Reynolds from Longfellow as their new drummer and decided to continue as a trio without filling the second guitar position. After Outpost Recordings folded, they signed with the independent label Drive-Thru Records.
Release of Kings of Pop
In 2002, Home Grown unveiled their third full-length album Kings of Pop, which earned them wider national acclaim. Soon after the album’s release, they expanded their lineup by adding second guitarist Dan Hammond and created music videos for "You're Not Alone" and "Kiss Me, Diss Me." The band played on Drive-Thru Records’ stage during the Warped Tour and undertook extensive touring to promote the album. In 2004, they issued the EP When it All Comes Down, reflecting a shift toward a more mature sound with deeper emotional content, moving away from their earlier comedic tone. This EP was later reissued on 12" vinyl by Mutant League Records in 2014.
Disbandment
In February 2005, Adam Lohrbach departed from Home Grown and subsequently became a member of New Years Day. The group briefly continued with guest bassist Ted Vega; however, members eventually shifted their focus to separate endeavors: Tran collaborated with Bill Uechi of Save Ferris to form Red Panda, Hammond joined the band Paper Models, and Reynolds launched Defender. In 2004, Herco played drums for the short-lived band Ugly. By 2006, Home Grown’s official website was shut down, and their MySpace page announced an "indefinite hiatus." After October 2005, the band stopped both recording and live performances, although a new track titled "Nothing Can Stop Us" appeared on MySpace in March 2006.
Reunion
Home Grown revealed plans for a reunion concert alongside The Starting Line in Los Angeles scheduled for June 2024 on April 12, 2024. As of March 2025, they are booked to appear at the Four Chords Festival in September 2025.
On August 15, 2025, Darren Reynolds declared his exit from the band due to professional and family obligations. Russell Dixon, who had been substituting since May 2025 and had previously played with Lohrbach in New Years Day and Radical Radical, was officially named as the new drummer.
Band members
| (1994–1999) That's Business Wusappaning?! Act Your Age |
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|---|---|
| (1999–2000) EP Phone Home Connection |
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| (2000–2002) Kings of Pop |
|
| (2002–2005) When it All Comes Down |
|
| (2005) live performances only |
|
| (2024–2025) live performances |
|
| (2025–present) live performances |
|
- Current lineup
- John Tran (also known as John E. Trash) – guitar, lead vocals (1994–2005; 2024–present)
- Adam "Adumb" Lohrbach – bass guitar, lead vocals (1994–2005; 2024–present)
- Dan Hammond – guitar (2002–2005; 2024–present)
- Russell Dixon – drums (2025–present)
- Former lineup members
- Ian "Slur" Cone – guitar, backing vocals (1994–1999)
- Bob Herco – drums (1994–2000)
- Justin Poyser – guitar, backing vocals (1999–2000)
- Ted Vega – bass guitar (2005)
- Darren Reynolds – drums (2000–2005; 2024–2025)
Albums
| Year | Title | Label | Format | Additional details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | That's Business | Liberation Records | CD/LP | Debut studio album. |
| 1998 | Act Your Age | Outpost Recordings | CD | Final record featuring guitarist Ian Cone and drummer Bob Herco. |
| 2002 | Kings of Pop | Drive-Thru Records | CD/LP | Last album released. Introduced drummer Darren Reynolds. Sole output as a trio. |
EPs & 7" vinyl
| Year | Title | Label | Format | Additional details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Smoking is Cool | Insta-Noise Records | 7" vinyl | Initial release. Currently unavailable. |
| 1996 | Wusappaning?! | Burning Heart/Grilled Cheese | EP | Grilled Cheese version exclusive to North American edition of Burning Heart's European EP. |
| 1999 | EP Phone Home | Outpost Recordings | EP | First project featuring guitarist Justin Poyser. |
| 2000 | Connection | Utility Records | EP | Split release with Limbeck. Last record including guitarist Justin Poyser and drummer Bob Herco. |
| 2004 | When it All Comes Down | Drive-Thru Records | EP | Final release, exclusively with guitarist Dan Hammond. |
Non-album tracks
| Year | Compilation/Source | Label | Track(s) | Additional details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Punk Bites | Fearless Records | "Will You Dance With Me" | |
| 1997 | 'Take Warning: The Songs of Operation Ivy' | 'Glue Factory Records' | "Bombshell" | 'Operation Ivy cover.' |
| 1997 | 'The Duran Duran Tribute Album' | 'Mojo Records' | "Planet Earth" | 'Duran Duran cover.' |
| 2000 | 'Sleighed: The Other Side of Christmas' | 'Hip-O Records' | "Christmas Crush" | |
| 2001 | 'Welcome to the Family' | 'Drive-Thru Records' | "Give it Up" (demo), "You're Not Alone" (demo) | 'Demo versions for Kings of Pop.' |
| 2001 | 'Living Tomorrow Today: A Benefit for Ty Cambra' | 'Asian Man Records' | "I Love You, Not" (demo) | 'Demo track for Kings of Pop.' |
| 2002 | 'Limited tour single' | 'Drive-Thru Records' | "I Want More" (demo) | 'Outtake from Kings of Pop. Pre-release teaser including two album tracks.' |
| 2002 | 'You're Not Alone' UK CD and 7" singles' | 'Eat Sleep Records' | "Break Me Down", "Hope Sinks" | |
| 2004 | 'Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records' | 'Drive-Thru Records' | "Feliz Navidad" |
Music videos
| Year | Title | Album association | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | "Surfer Girl" | "Act Your Age" | |
| 2002 | "You're Not Alone" | "Kings of Pop" | |
| 2003 | "Kiss Me, Diss Me" | "Kings of Pop" | |
| 2003 | "I Love You, Not" | "Kings of Pop" | |
| 2004 | "Feliz Navidad" | "Happy Holidays from Drive-Thru Records" |
Chart positions
| Year | Album | Billboard 200 |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Kings of Pop | 189 |