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The Inbreds

From Alfawiki
The Inbreds
Company typeMusical duo
IndustryMusic
Founded1992
Headquarters
Kingston, Ontario
,
Canada
Area served
Canada
ProductsMusic albums, singles, EPs

The Inbreds were a Canadian alternative rock duo originating in 1992 from Kingston, Ontario. In 1996, they moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia before disbanding two years later in 1998. The group was composed of vocalist and bassist Mike O'Neill alongside drummer Dave Ullrich.

Out of their four studio albums, three reached the top position on Canada's national campus radio charts, and the band earned two Juno Award nominations. Recognized as a significant presence within the Canadian indie rock scene of the 1990s, they were distinguished by their stripped-down bass-and-drums arrangement and melodies inspired by classic pop groups such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys.

History

The Inbreds consisted of Mike O'Neill, who served as singer, songwriter, and bassist, and drummer Dave Ullrich,[1] with O'Neill employing an innovative style of playing full chords on bass,[2] resulting in a sound that often resembled multiple instruments.[3] Although their core instrumentation was bass and drums, their third release It's Sydney or the Bush featured additional elements like guitars, piano, horns, and guest contributions from musicians including Matt Murphy.[4]

While frequently associated with the 1990s East Coast alternative movement (Halifax Pop Explosion), The Inbreds actually formed in Kingston in 1992 during the time O'Neill and Ullrich attended Queen's University.[5] Their initial releases were self-issued through Ullrich's label PF (Proboscis Funkstone) Records.[6]

Their first full-length album, Hilario (1993), compiled tracks from earlier self-distributed cassettes.[2] This attracted attention from established Canadian bands such as the Rheostatics, who invited them to join a tour. Subsequently, The Inbreds broadened their exposure by touring alongside acts like the Tragically Hip and Buffalo Tom.[7]

The sophomore album Kombinator (1994), produced by Rheostatics’ drummer Dave Clark,[8] received significant airplay on college radio stations and earned a MuchMusic Video Award nomination for the single "Any Sense of Time".[9] To support this release, they toured with The Tragically Hip during the Another Roadside Attraction festival.[10] Kombinator also secured their first Juno nomination for Best Alternative Album in 1996.[11]

Following this success, a competitive bidding process unfolded between Sub Pop and TAG Recordings.[7] They ultimately signed with TAG due to its better fit with their artistic goals and concerns regarding Sub Pop’s insistence on adding a guitarist,[7] leading to a reissue of Kombinator in the United States and support for subsequent tours.[12]

Their third album, It's Sydney or the Bush, produced by Lincoln Fong from 4AD,[13] presented a richer rock sound that expanded beyond their trademark bass-and-drum foundation. After TAG Recordings ceased operations soon after this album’s release, The Inbreds continued independently and received nominations for Best Alternative Band at the East Coast Music Awards as well as another Juno nod in 1997.[14]

Their final record, Winning Hearts (1998), launched through Sloan’s Murderecords,[3] marked a return to their minimalist style. This album dominated Canadian campus radio charts for two consecutive months and coincided with performances at prominent festivals such as Edgefest.[15]

After an extensive touring period promoting Winning Hearts, O'Neill and Ullrich chose to end The Inbreds unexpectedly in mid-1998.[16]

Post-breakup

Following the disbandment of the Inbreds, both O'Neill and Ullrich have continued their musical endeavors independently. O'Neill embarked on a solo path, while Ullrich established the band Egger. In 2004, Ullrich's independent label Zunior released multiple CDs containing rare and previously unreleased tracks by the Inbreds. The duo briefly reunited in 2005 for a special performance at a Zunior concert held at Lee's Palace.

In 2007, the pair came together once more to record "Dope Fiends and Booze Hounds" for the tribute album The Secret Sessions, dedicated to the Rheostatics. This marked their first new studio effort since 1998. During that same year, O'Neill made an appearance as Thomas Collins on the Canadian television series Trailer Park Boys and continues to reside in Halifax. Furthermore, a tribute compilation titled Wanna Be Your Friend: A Tribute to the Inbreds was released, featuring covers by artists including Chris Murphy, In-Flight Safety, and Ruth Minnikin, along with three bonus Inbreds tracks covering songs originally by The Everly Brothers and The Super Friendz.

The Inbreds have occasionally reunited for live shows, such as their participation in the Herohill Hearts Music showcase and the 2008 edition of the Halifax Pop Explosion. In 2012, they performed two concerts: one at Toronto’s Lee's Palace during Canadian Music Week, marking their first Toronto appearance in more than seven years, and another at the Lawnya Vawnya festival in St. John's, which was their inaugural performance in Newfoundland. In September 2017, they appeared at Ontario’s Sandbanks Music Festival alongside headliners Great Lake Swimmers.

Another reunion took place on September 29, 2016, when they played at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel to promote vinyl reissues of their albums Kombinator, It's Sydney or the Bush, and Winning Hearts under Label Obscura.

In 2024, Ullrich’s band Egger unveiled a new rendition of "Any Sense of Time," collaborating with Tim Vesely from Rheostatics and The Violet Archers for the Music Buddy podcast.

Studio albums

EPs

  • 1992: Let's Get Together
  • 1992: Darn Foul Dog
  • 1993: Egrog
  • 1993: Split (with the Shermans)
  • 1996: Double Yolk

Live albums

  • 2004: 1997 Live in Calgary

Singles

Title Year Album
"Amelia Earhart (Navigator)" 1994 Kombinator
"You Will Know" 1995
"Any Sense of Time"
"North Window" 1996 It's Sydney Or The Bush
"Moustache" 1997 Winning Hearts
"Yelverton Hill"

DVD

  • 2004: Home Movies

See also

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named kingston
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named innovative
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named simple
  4. ↑ "And then there were three ...; Bass-and-drums duo The Inbreds adds a guitarist to its alternative-rock mix". Edmonton Journal, November 7, 1996.
  5. ↑ "Their approach to music sets Inbreds apart". Windsor Star, October 31, 1996.
  6. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named musicvideo
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named havenot
  8. ↑ "Inbreds tackle hot rock with intuitive licks". Toronto Star, November 17, 1994.
  9. ↑ "MacIsaac, Halo in running for video awards". Halifax Daily News, August 16, 1996.
  10. ↑ "Tragically Hip to tour Canada". The Globe and Mail, May 6, 1995.
  11. ↑ "Juno nominees reflect success of female singers". The Globe and Mail, February 1, 1996.
  12. ↑ "Kingston duo's charm hard to deny". Vancouver Sun, August 17, 1995.
  13. ↑ "Inbreds' North Window a sweet visual". Ottawa Citizen, November 16, 1996.
  14. ↑ "Major Juno nominees". Toronto Star, January 30, 1997.
  15. ↑ "Tight schedule for Edgefest". Ottawa Citizen, June 27, 1998.
  16. ↑ "‘I’ll always be writing music’". Queens University Journal, July 30, 2012.
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