Toad the Wet Sprocket

Toad the Wet Sprocket

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1986 in Santa Barbara, California, United States
Founder	Glen Phillips, Todd Nichols, Dean Dinning, Randy Guss
Headquarters	Santa Barbara , United States
Products	Music albums, singles

Toad the Wet Sprocket is an American alternative rock group that originated in Santa Barbara, California in 1986. The founding members were vocalist and guitarist Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss, who ceased touring in 2017 and officially departed from the band in 2020. The band gained notable success during the 1990s with hits such as "Walk on the Ocean", "All I Want", "Something's Always Wrong", "Fall Down", and "Good Intentions".

Following their breakup in 1998 to explore individual projects, Toad the Wet Sprocket resumed touring across the United States in 2006, focusing on brief summer tours at more intimate venues. In December 2010, they officially reassembled as a full-time band and commenced writing new songs for their first studio album since 1997's Coil, released through Columbia Records. Their most recent full album, Starting Now, came out on August 27, 2021, with All You Want (Bonus Edition) Greatest Hits following in 2023.

Origin of the name

The band's moniker was inspired by a Monty Python sketch entitled "Rock Notes", which featured a fictional artist named Rex Stardust from "Toad the Wet Sprocket." This whimsical name was initially chosen as a joke by the members before their debut performance, intended to be temporary but ultimately kept permanently. Glen Phillips described it as "a joke that went on too long."

A British blues band from the late 1970s had previously used this name but had dissolved before Phillips' group was established.

Eric Idle, who created the original sketch, later commented on how surprising it was that a band with such a deliberately ridiculous name achieved success.

Early years (1986–1990)

Formed in 1986 by students from San Marcos High School near Santa Barbara, California, Toad the Wet Sprocket consisted of Glen Phillips at age 15 and his bandmates Todd Nichols, Dean Dinning, and Randy Guss, all aged 19. Their first public performance took place at an open-mic contest in September 1986.

Their debut record, Bread & Circus (1989), was self-funded via their own label Abe's Records and featured singles like "Way Away" and "One Little Girl," which charted on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks but attracted limited mainstream attention. The follow-up album Pale released in 1990 demonstrated a more developed sound and coincided with their signing to Columbia Records. They opted not to re-record Pale but arranged for Columbia to reissue their debut. Singles such as "Jam" and "Come Back Down" enjoyed heavy rotation on college radio stations. Their first music video for "One Little Girl" was broadcast on MTV's 120 Minutes.

Rise to prominence (1991–1998)

Mainstream recognition came with their third album, 1991’s fear, which produced hits like "All I Want" and "Walk on the Ocean" that reached the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.

In 1993, their track "Brother" was included on the soundtrack for Mike Myers’ film So I Married an Axe Murderer and later featured on both the compilation album In Light Syrup and a live release issued in 2004.

After extensive touring, they unveiled Dulcinea in 1994, which yielded successful singles including "Fall Down", topping U.S. Modern Rock charts and reaching No. 5 on Mainstream Rock charts, along with "Something's Always Wrong." This album also achieved platinum certification.

The 1995 compilation In Light Syrup collected b-sides such as "Good Intentions," which gained exposure through its use in the television series Friends, and earned gold certification by 2001.

Their fourth studio album, Coil, released in 1997, embraced a more electric rock style; its single "Come Down" performed well on modern-rock charts. However, follow-up singles like "Crazy Life" and "Whatever I Fear" failed to chart significantly. The album did not meet commercial expectations, often attributed to inadequate promotion.

Due to creative disagreements, the band officially parted ways in July 1998.

Post-breakup activities and reunions (1998–2008)

Despite officially parting ways in 1998, Toad the Wet Sprocket reunited sporadically for collaborative projects. In 1999, Phillips, Dinning, and Guss came together to record two songs for the compilation P.S. (A Toad Retrospective), including the track "P.S." Notably, Nichols was absent and his role was filled by Rob Taylor, guitarist from Lapdog.

The group briefly reconvened in late 2002 for a charity concert, subsequently opening for Counting Crows, followed by a concise full-length tour in early 2003. Although the tour was met with favorable reviews, members returned to their individual pursuits afterward. In 2004, they released Welcome Home: Live at The Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara 1992, a live album showcasing their prime period during the fear tour.

From 2004 through 2010, Toad played several short sets and embarked on a 34-date U.S. tour during summer 2006. In 2007, they performed shows featuring Glen Phillips as the opening act. Early 2008 included additional concerts such as appearances at The Rock Boat VIII and the Ann Arbor Folk Festival. Mid-year performances took place at prominent venues including the Trocadero Theatre and Starland Ballroom, alongside festivals like the Alexandria Red Cross Waterfront Festival and The Norva, where they spotlighted Phillips' solo hit "Everything But You."

On December 19, 2008, the band made an appearance on The Adam Carolla Show recorded in Agoura Hills, California. In May 2009, they conducted a brief four-show tour featuring intimate settings like The Ark in Ann Arbor and an outdoor event in Virginia Beach. A subsequent summer tour comprising twelve stops commenced at Houston's House of Blues; Phillips remarked that Texas had been missing from their itinerary but expressed intentions to establish it as a regular destination due to enthusiastic audience reactions.

Full reunion, studio return, New Constellation, and Starting Now era (2009–present)

In 2009, bassist Dean Dinning confirmed that Toad the Wet Sprocket was actively functioning as a band despite no new studio releases since 1997 and limited live performances. By May 2010, the group re-recorded some of their earlier hits to regain control over revenue streams since Columbia Records retained ownership of their original master recordings, restricting income from previous albums. These new versions were primarily intended for licensing opportunities in film and television.

On December 7, 2010, they debuted "It Doesn't Feel Like Christmas," marking their first fresh studio recording in over a decade, which was offered as a free download on Bandcamp. Concurrently, they signed with Primary Wave to oversee management of both their back catalog and forthcoming projects. By the end of 2010, the band was actively composing new material for their first studio album since Coil (1997), premiering tracks such as "Friendly Fire" and "The Moment" during live performances.

April 12, 2011 brought the release of All You Want, a greatest hits compilation featuring eleven freshly recorded renditions of their songs. While some masters from the Columbia era remained inaccessible, the band regained rights to tracks from their initial two albums and planned remastered reissues under their Abe's Records imprint following their next studio album.

Recording for the new album concluded by March 22, 2013; production and mixing were handled by Mikal Blue at Revolver Studios in Thousand Oaks, California. The lead single "New Constellation" premiered on June 5, 2013 via Rolling Stone. The full-length album sharing this title was released on October 15, 2013 through Abe's Records. The marketing campaign incorporated Kickstarter crowdfunding with an initial target of $50,000; fans contributed over $50,000 within just twenty hours and ultimately raised $264,762. To celebrate, the band hosted a release party accompanied by a live show in Los Angeles during August 2013.

Touring resumed in 2014 with Toad opening for Counting Crows while featuring new material from New Constellation. In summer 2015, they toured alongside fellow '90s bands Smash Mouth and Tonic. That same year saw the release of the EP Architect of the Ruin on June 16.

In 2018, deluxe remastered vinyl editions of fear and Dulcinea were reissued through their online store along with a limited deluxe colored vinyl box set containing fear, Dulcinea, and Acoustic Dance Party.

A January 2020 interview disclosed that recording sessions had resumed with a lineup change: drummer Randy Guss departed due to health complications related to osteogenesis imperfecta; Josh Daubin filled drumming duties on tours from 2017 until 2022 and contributed to the 2021 album Starting Now. Beginning in 2023, Carl Thomson assumed drumming responsibilities for live performances.

Before releasing their album Starting Now on August 27, 2021, the band issued singles "Starting Now" on September 25, 2020 and "Old Habits Die Hard" on October 23.

In 2025, Toad led the Good Intentions Tour alongside The Jayhawks, KT Tunstall, Sixpence None the Richer, and Vertical Horizon. Additionally, they launched acoustic renditions of popular tracks ahead of unveiling a new album later that year.

Musical style

Toad the Wet Sprocket is predominantly identified with the alternative rock genre, incorporating elements from folk rock, pop rock, jangle pop, and folk-pop. Their early recordings displayed a "garage band sound with jangle pop influences," which matured into "intelligent and memorable pop/rock compositions" by the time of their Fear album.

Glen Phillips' solo endeavors

Following the band's breakup in 1998, Glen Phillips pursued a solo path, releasing five studio albums: Abulum (2000), Winter Pays For Summer (2005), Mr. Lemons (2006), Coyote Sessions (2012), and Swallowed by the New (2016), alongside two live recordings.

Lapdog

In the late 1990s, Nichols and Dinning established Lapdog, producing two albums—Near Tonight (2001) and Mayfly (2002)—with Guss contributing as drummer. Dinning later departed to concentrate on production and acting, while Nichols transitioned to songwriting and producing roles in Nashville and Los Angeles. Lapdog’s track "See You Again" was adapted into "I'll Bet On You" for Toad’s album New Constellation.

Current lineup

• Dean Dinning – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar (1986–present)
• Todd Nichols – lead guitar, backing vocals, mandolin (1986–present)
• Glen Phillips – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin, keyboards (1986–present)

Former members

• Randy Guss – drums, backing vocals (1986–2020); stopped touring in 2017 due to osteogenesis imperfecta

Touring musicians

• Bruce Winter – keyboards, backing vocals (1992)
• Jonathan Kingham – keyboards, backing vocals, rhythm guitar, mandolin, lap steel guitar (2011–2022)
• Josh Daubin – drums, percussion, backing vocals (2017–2022)
• Jon Sosin – keyboards, lap steel guitar, mandolin (2023–present)
• Carl Thompson – drums, percussion (2023–present)

Session contributors

• Rob Taylor – lead guitar on "Eyes Open Wide" from P.S. (A Toad Retrospective) (1999)

Discography

• Bread & Circus (1989)
• Pale (1990)
• Fear (1991)
• Dulcinea (1994)
• Coil (1997)
• New Constellation (2013)
• Starting Now (2021)

External links

• Official site of Randy Guss