Remy Zero
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Birmingham, Alabama , United States |
| Products | Alternative rock music |
Remy Zero was a rock group from Birmingham, Alabama, specializing in alternative rock, established in 1989. The lineup featured August Cinjun Tate (vocals, guitar), Shelby Tate (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Cedric LeMoyne (bass), Jeffrey Cain (guitar, vocals), and originally Louis Schefano on drums, who was later succeeded by Gregory Slay (drums, percussion).
History
The band came together as adolescents in Alabama during the late 1980s. Their name was inspired by an Alabama railroad laborer depicted on a box of 4-track tapes that contained songs alongside trainyard noises. According to Cinjun Tate, the choice of name was partly motivated by a desire to locate the worker’s family. In an interview with MTV, Tate described Remy Zero as a fictional seer they created.
Prior to releasing any records, their demo caught the attention of Radiohead, who invited them to join the U.S. tour supporting The Bends. This exposure prompted Remy Zero to move to Los Angeles to work on their first album.
Their debut album, self-titled, achieved modest commercial results. The subsequent release, Villa Elaine, recorded while residing in a Hollywood apartment sharing its name, attracted critical praise. Their third studio effort, The Golden Hum, also received favorable reviews. The song "Save Me" from this album served as the theme for the WB/CW television series Smallville throughout its decade-long run.
Remy Zero’s tracks were featured in various notable films and media: "Shattered" appeared in Crazy/Beautiful and Suicide Kings; "Fair" from Villa Elaine was included in Garden State and Fanboys; "Prophecy" was used in both She's All That and The Last Kiss; "Gramarye" appeared in Stigmata; "Temenos (Here Come the Shakes)" featured in The Chamber; and "Perfect Memory" was played during the finale of Smallville’s first season as well as in The Invisible. Additionally, the band contributed a rendition of Art Garfunkel’s "Bright Eyes" for the 2002 charity compilation For the Kids.
Following the completion of The Golden Hum, Remy Zero disbanded. Band members embarked on separate endeavors: Shelby and Cinjun formed Spartan Fidelity and released Excava-11 in 2004. Cain became part of Isidore before founding Dead Snares. LeMoyne toured with Alanis Morissette, then joined projects O+S and Rose of the West. Slay initiated the band Sleepwell.
Drummer Gregory Slay passed away on January 1, 2010, at age 40 due to complications related to cystic fibrosis.
On May 22, 2010, Remy Zero reunited for a tribute concert honoring Slay in New Orleans. Later that year, on September 7, they released the single "Til the End" under the Popantipop label. Between October 7 and 12, they performed memorial shows across Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. According to their Twitter account, these concerts marked their final appearances.
Slay’s last solo album as Horsethief Beats—The Sound Will Find You, released on October 18, 2011—featured contributions from Jeffrey Cain and Cedric Lemoyne. Subsequently, Cain joined Australian band the Church, famous for their hit "Under the Milky Way."
Cinjun Tate composed music for Amy Jo Johnson’s film The Space Between.
In 2020, Shelby and Cinjun Tate digitally released a largely new studio album under the moniker Zero Brothers.
In March 2025, Remy Zero performed at Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre during a charity event celebrating two decades since the release of Garden State, sharing the lineup with artists such as the Shins, Iron & Wine, Cary Brothers, and Laufey.
Band members
- August Cinjun Tate – lead vocals, guitar
- Shelby Tate – guitar, vocals, keyboards
- Jeffrey Cain – guitar
- Cedric LeMoyne – bass guitar
- Louis Schefano – drums (1989–1996)
- Gregory Slay – drums (circa 1996–2003)
Touring musicians
- Leslie Van Trease – guitar, keyboards
- Chip Kilpatrick – drums (2010)
Timeline
<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:150 bottom:80 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1989 till:30/05/2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:2 ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1989
BarData =
bar:CT text:Cinjun Tate bar:ST text:Shelby Tate bar:JC text:Jeffrey Cain bar:CL text:Cedric LeMoyne bar:LS text:Louis Schefano bar:GS text:Gregory Slay
Colors =
id:vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:bass value:blue legend:Bass id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards id:drums value:orange legend:Drums id:touring value:yellow legend:Live_guest id:studio value:black legend:Studio_album
LineData =
layer:back at:30/01/1996 color:studio at:25/08/1998 color:studio at:18/09/2001 color:studio
PlotData=
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:CT from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:vocals bar:CT from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:guitar width:3 bar:ST from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:vocals width:3 bar:ST from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:keyboard width:7 bar:ST from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:guitar bar:JC from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:guitar bar:CL from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/2003 color:bass
bar:GS from:01/01/1996 till:01/01/2003 color:drums bar:LS from:01/01/1989 till:01/01/1996 color:drums
bar:CT from:22/05/2010 till:22/05/2010 color:vocals bar:CT from:22/05/2010 till:22/05/2010 color:guitar width:3 bar:ST from:22/05/2010 till:22/05/2010 color:vocals width=3 bar:ST from=22//05//2010 till=22//05//2010 color=guitar bar=JC from=22//05//2010 till=22//05//2010 color=guitar bar=CL from=22//05//2010 till=22//05//2010 color=bass
bar=CT from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=vocals bar=CT from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=guitar width=3 bar=ST from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=vocals width=3 bar=ST from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=guitar bar=JC from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=guitar bar=CL from=30//05//2025 till=30//05//2025 color=bass
</timeline>
Studio albums
| Year | Album Title | Chart Rankings | |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Heatseekers |
NZ | ||
| 1996 | Remy Zero | — | — |
| 1998 | Villa Elaine | 37 | — |
| 2001 | The Golden Hum | 20 | 39 |
EPs
| Title | Information |
|---|---|
| Live on Morning Becomes Eclectic |
|
| A Searchers EP |
|
| Remy Zero EP |
|
Singles
| Year | Title | Highest chart rankings | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Modern Rock | US Mainstream Rock | US Adult Top 40 | France | New Zealand | United Kingdom | |||
| 1996 | "Temenos (Here Come the Shakes)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Remy Zero |
| 1998 | "Prophecy" | 27 | 25 | — | — | — | — | Villa Elaine |
| "Problem" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1999 | "Gramarye" | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 2001 | "Save Me" | 27 | — | 33 | 16 | 46 | 55 | The Golden Hum |
| "Perfect Memory (I'll Remember You)" | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 2010 | "'Til the End" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Remy Zero EP |