Shiner (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters | Kansas City, Missouri , United States |
| Products | Post-hardcore and alternative rock music |
Shiner is a post-hardcore and alternative rock group originating from Kansas City, Missouri. Initially active between 1992 and 2003, the band reformed in 2012. The current members consist of guitarist and vocalist Allen Epley, bassist and backing vocalist Paul Malinowski, drummer Jason Gerken, and guitarist Josh Newton.
History
The band was established in 1992 under the name Orchid, featuring Epley alongside drummer Jeff Brown and bassist Shawn Sherrill. In 1993, Tim Dow replaced Brown on drums, and Shiner embarked on tours with acts such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbox, and The Jesus Lizard. Their first single, "Brooks," was issued by DeSoto Records in 1993, followed by their debut album, Splay (1995), which was recorded at Steve Albini's studio in Chicago.
Following the release of Splay, Paul Malinowski took over bass duties from Sherrill. The band's sophomore album, Lula Divinia, was recorded at the Chicago Recording Company in 1996 and came out in March 1997 through Hit It! Recordings. Subsequently, Sub Pop released a 7" single featuring "Sleep it Off" and "Half Empty," and Shiner toured alongside Hum in 1998.
In 1998, Dow departed and was replaced by Jason Gerken. After a short stint with guitarist Joel Hamilton, Josh Newton joined the lineup. This formation produced their third record, Starless, which was released in 2000 on Owned and Operated, a label managed by members of Descendents. Their fourth album, The Egg, was recorded at Illinois’ Great Western Recorders with producers J. Robbins and Jason Livermore and released by DeSoto Records in 2001. After an extensive touring period, Shiner disbanded in 2003.
The band's final performance before their hiatus occurred at The Madrid Theater in Kansas City on January 25, 2003. Over time, The Egg expanded its audience through social media channels and file-sharing networks.
Reuniting in 2012, Shiner began performing occasional shows. In 2017, they reunited with Tim Dow to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Lula Divinia, which coincided with a vinyl reissue.
Their fifth studio album, Schadenfreude, was released on May 8, 2020. The lead track "Life as a Mannequin" preceded the album earlier that year. Plans for a supporting tour were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, Spartan Records reissued Shiner’s catalog on vinyl—excluding Schadenfreude. These reissues marked the first vinyl pressings of The Egg since 2018, Lula Divinia since 2017, Starless since 2015, and Splay since 1996; the latter featured new artwork along with a remix and remaster handled by Malinowski. In anticipation of their next release, Shiner announced their upcoming album titled BELIEVEYOUME, scheduled for September 26 via Spartan Records. The lead single "Asleep in the Trunk" was released on July 23.
Influences
Shiner draws inspiration from bands such as The Jesus Lizard, Slint, Swervedriver, Melvins, Failure, and Chavez. Allen Epley highlights Chavez as a significant influence, particularly admiring their chord progressions and powerful yet well-balanced sound that helped shape Shiner’s musical identity.
Appearances in Popular Media
The song "Third Gear Scratch" from the album Lula Divinia was included in the soundtrack of the video game Saints Row 2.
Current Lineup
- Allen Epley – vocals and guitar (1992–2003, 2012, 2015–present)
- Paul Malinowski – bass guitar (1996–2003, 2012, 2015–present)
- Josh Newton – guitar (2000–2003, 2012, 2015–present)
- Jason Gerken – drums (1999–2003, 2012, 2015–present)
Former Members
- Jeff Brown – drums (1992)
- Tim Dow – drums (1993–1998)
- Joel Hamilton – guitar (1999)
- Shawn Sherrill – bass guitar (1992–1996)
Member Timeline
<timeline> ImageSize = width:1000 height:auto barincrement:21 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:100 top:0 right:20 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = mm/dd/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1992 till:12/31/2023 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:mm Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1992 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1992
Colors =
id:Vocals value:red legend:Vocals id:Guitar value:green legend:Guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:bars value:gray(0.95)
BackgroundColors = bars:bars LineData =
layer:back color:lines at:01/01/1996 at:03/11/1997 at:04/18/2000 at:10/23/2001 at:05/08/2020
BarData =
bar:Epley text:"Allen Epley" bar:Hamilton text:"Joel Hamilton" bar:Newton text:"Josh Newton" bar:Sherrill text:"Shawn Sherrill" bar:Malinowski text:"Paul Malinowski" bar:Brown text:"Jeff Brown" bar:Dow text:"Tim Dow" bar:Gerken text:"Jason Gerken"
PlotData =
width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) bar:epley from:start till:01/25/2003 color:vocals bar:epley from:08/01/2012 till:end color:vocals
bar:hamilton from:01/01/1999 till:07/01/1999 color:guitar bar:newton from:07/01/1999 till:01/25/2003 color:guitar bar:newton from:08/01/2012 till:end color:guitar
bar:sherrill from:start till:07/01/1995 color:bass bar:malinowski from:07/01/1995 till:01/25/2003 color:bass bar:malinowski from:08/01/2012 till:end color:bass
bar:brown from:start till:03/01/1993 color:drums bar:dow from:03/01/1993 till:12/31/1998 color:drums bar:gerken from:01/01/1999 till:01/25/2003 color:drums bar:gerken from:08/01/2012 till:end color:drums
width:3 bar:epley from:start till:01/25/2003 color:guitar bar:epley from:08/01/2012 till:end color:guitar
</timeline>
Studio Releases
| Year | Album Information |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Splay
|
| 1997 | Lula Divinia
|
| 2000 | Starless
|
| 2001 | The Egg
|
| 2020 | Schadenfreude
|
| 2025 | BELIEVEYOUME
|
Singles and EPs
- "Brooks" / "Released" (1993, DeSoto)
- "Crush" / "Exhaust" (1994, Hit It!, split release with Molly McGuire)
- "Floodwater" / "Cowboy" (1995, HitIt!)
- "Sleep it Off" / "Half Empty" (1997, Sub Pop)
- "Farewell Bend Merger" (1998, DeSoto)
- "Semper Fi" / "Sailor's Fate" (1999, DeSoto)
- "Making Love EP" (2000, Anodyne, reissued in 2007)
- "Life as a Mannequin" (2020, Two Black Eyes)
- "Paul P Pogh" (2020, Two Black Eyes)
- "The One Thing" (2022)
- "Asleep in the Trunk" (2025, Spartan)
Compilations
- Featured track "Only Shallow" on the compilation CD Soak Your Shoes in Red Wine and Strike the Angels Dumb (2003, Grand Theft Autumn)
- The song "Anytime," credited to Ohms, included on the No Escape: A Tribute to Journey CD-EP compilation (2003, URININE)