Scrawl

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Scrawl is an American indie rock band. The band were formed in Columbus, Ohio in 1985 by guitarist and vocalist Marcy Mays, bassist and backing vocalist Sue Harshe and drummer Carolyn O'Leary, from the ashes of Mays' previous band Skull; they adopted their current name after playing their first show together. The band received consistent critical praise throughout their career but never gained wider commercial success or recognition, largely due to issues with the record labels they signed with.

In 1987, Scrawl released its debut album Plus, Also Too, which earned the band a deal with Rough Trade Records. The band released two albums, He's Drunk (1988) and Smallmouth (1990), before parting ways with the label. O'Leary left the band in 1992 and was replaced by Dana Marshall, who made his recording debut on Velvet Hammer (1993). The band moved to the major label Elektra Records for two albums, Travel On, Rider (1996) and Nature Film (1998), which were both underpromoted. Although they have not released any new material since Nature Film, Scrawl have continued to tour with drummer Jovan Karcic, who joined in 2007.

History

Formation and Rough Trade Records (1985–1990)

Guitarist and vocalist Marcy Mays and bassist and backing vocalist Sue Harshe first met each other in 1984 whilst the latter visiting her boyfriend in Athens, Ohio, and quickly became friends.[1]Template:Sfn Both members had past experience playing in hardcore bands; at the time of meeting, Mays was in a band called Skull with bassist Jane Young and drummer Carla Sanseri, and Harshe in No Amerika! According to Harshe, they did not contribute to their bands' songwriting as they felt intimidated.Template:Sfn When Mays relocated to Columbus in early 1985, she and Harshe both agreed they would write songs and be "masters of [their] own domain".[1]Template:Sfn Around this time, Skull were offered an opening slot for the Butthole Surfers by show promoter and School Kids and No Other Records owner Curt Scheiber.Template:Sfn Young was not interested, and Harshe subsequently joined the band as her replacement.Template:Sfn Prior to a show opening for the Meat Puppets in August 1985,[2] Skull changed its name to Scrawl and Sanseri was replaced by Carolyn O'Leary.Template:Sfn[3] According to Harshe, the band chose Scrawl because they thought that Skull "sound[ed] too heavy metal", and because it rhymed with their former name.Template:Sfn The band developed a following,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn and embarked on its first tour in 1986, performing in the cities of Lexington, Kentucky, Tallahassee and Jackson, Mississippi.Template:Sfn Mays said that Scrawl did not expect themselves to be long-lived, telling the Chicago Tribune in 1990; "Everything for the next nine months [after the Meat Puppets show] was, 'Let's just do one more gig'. We never thought we'd be together one more month."Template:Sfn

With the help of their friends, Scrawl recorded its debut album Plus Also Too in September 1986,Template:Sfn[2] for less than $500.Template:Sfn The album was released through Scheiber's No Other Records label in May 1987, to positive reviews and media response.[3]Template:Sfn After Robert Christgau gave the album a favourable review in his "Consumer Guide" for The Village Voice,[4] Scrawl received offers from Homestead, Twin/Tone and Rough Trade Records.Template:Sfn Following a performance for all three labels at CBGB in New York City—which Mays later recalled as "one of the worst" the band played—Scrawl signed to Rough Trade in the spring of 1988.[5][6] The band then recorded their second album, He's Drunk, at Paisely Park Studios in Minneapolis.Template:Sfn Released in October 1988,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn the album had sold 4,000 copies by 1990.Template:Sfn Following its release, Scrawl toured with Firehose;Template:Sfn they continued to tour the United States in support of the album until March 1989.Template:Sfn After a hiatus due to O'Leary breaking her arm, Scrawl recorded their third album Smallmouth with producer Gary Smith in November 1989.[2]Template:Sfn Following the album's release in February 1990, Scrawl embarked on a month-long tour of the United States before touring Europe for four weeks in May of that year.Template:Sfn In the fall of 1990,[3] Scrawl left Rough Trade following abortive negotiations with the label over their fourth album and the release of a four-song promotional extended play of covers recorded by Steve Albini.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The label declared bankruptcy shortly thereafter, taking the band's albums out of print;[3] they were forced to buy back their master tapes at public auction.[7]Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Simple Machines and Velvet Hammer (1991–1995)

In January and April 1991, the band recorded an extended play with Steve Albini, Bloodsucker.[8] Released in October 1991 through Feel Good All Over Records,[2] the EP quickly sold out of its first pressing of 2,000 copies.Template:Sfn Although it suffered from poor distribution,[3] Bloodsucker received strong reviews,Template:Sfn and was ranked ninth on the 1991 Pazz & Jop poll for extended plays, tying with releases from Dinosaur Jr. and Prisonshake.[9] Around the time of its release, the band played shows with the Afghan Whigs and My Bloody Valentine.Template:Sfn

In May 1992, O'Leary left Scrawl.Template:Sfn The following month, the band released the 7" single "Misery (Someone Is Winning) / Just Plain Bad",Template:Sfn before embarking on the "Foxcore, My Ass" tour as an acoustic duo.[3] By the end of 1992, the band had recruited Dana Marshall as their new drummer and signed with Simple Machines Records and Southern Records (for the UK).Template:Sfn Harshe said that the band were no long worried about working with men again as they felt they had become better songwriters and performers.[7] In January 1993, Scrawl worked with Albini again for the recording of Velvet Hammer,Template:Sfn which was released on November 8, 1993.Template:Sfn In the fall of 1994, the band embarked on a tour of EuropeTemplate:Sfn and performed at the Reading Festival in the United Kingdom.[10]

Elektra Records (1996–1999)

In 1996,[1] Scrawl were signed to Elektra Records by A&R rep Terry Tolkin.[11] The band released its major label debut, Travel On Rider, in August 1996.Template:Sfn The band toured the Northeastern US in October,Template:Sfn prior to a supporting tour with Wilco.Template:Sfn For their sixth album, Nature Film , Scrawl re-recorded six of their Rough Trade-era songs and a cover of Public Image Ltd's "Public Image", alongside six new songs.[12] Harshe said that the band wanted to re-record their old songs as they had changed and "become more fluid live" over the years, and because "the thought of giving [Elektra] 12 new songs seemed really depressing to us" due to the label's lacklustre promotion of Travel On, Rider.[12] Mays later said that the band "were basically saying 'fuck em' by not giving [the label] anything new".[13] The album was released in May 1998,[14] and was supported by a tour supporting Mike Watt.[12]Template:Sfn Six weeks after its release, Elektra informed Scrawl via fax that they had dropped the band from its roster. In response, Scrawl launched a mailing campaign with its supporters and more than 250 people on its mailing list to send a postcard to label head Sylvia Rhone, featuring a copy of the fax from Elektra on one side and the following message for a sender to tick off and sign on the other:Template:Sfn

Elektra has dropped Scrawl. I am: 1) Disgusted; 2) Relieved; 3) Out of the Closet; 4) Other

In an 1998 interview with CMJ New Music Report, Harshe said that they were not surprised about being dropped from Elektra due to the minimal support for both Travel On, Rider and Nature Film, claiming that the label "never sent out anything other than advance CDs" and that both releases had sold less copies than their independent albums, although she did not feel bitter towards them.Template:Sfn As of August 1998, the former had sold 2,115 copies, whilst the latter had sold only 956 copies.Template:Sfn David Martin of the Cleveland Scene associated Scrawl with the "Columbus Curse" of bands from the city that were "wooed, signed, and tossed aside like chew toys by major labels", including Royal Crescent Mob, the Toll and Watershed.[1] A planned tour of the west coast of the United States with the Spinanes, due to commence in October 1998,Template:Sfn was cancelled after Mays broke her collarbone, which also hindered the band's plans to work on new material.[12][15] The band resumed touring in 1999.[15]

Subsequent activities (2000–present)

On March 16, 2000, Scrawl played their final show with Dana Marshall, who relocated to Sweden thereafter.Template:Sfn In early 2001, Scrawl played a few shows as a duo, with Mays and Harshe handling keyboards in the absence of a drummer.[16][17][18] In 2007, Scrawl reunited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Little Brother club in Columbus, with Jovan Karcic, formerly the guitarist of fellow Columbus band Gaunt, joining as their new drummer.[19] That same year, Harshe formed a new band, Fort Shame.[20] The band has continued to tour and perform since then.

In a 2023 interview with Matter News, Mays revealed that Scrawl had begun producing new instrumentals together since the summer with the intention of finally releasing a new album, though said they have no deadlines.[21] In 2024, the band performed at DromFest '24 in Catskill, New York.[22][23][24]

Musical style and influences

Scrawl have been described as indie rock[25]Template:Sfn and post-punk.[1][26] The band's first two albums, Plus, Also, Too and He's Drunk, were described as indie pop.Template:Sfn[3] Gregory McGovern of Hot Press described the band's style as "minimalist rock ‘n' roll".[7] The band's musical influences include Cheap Trick,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Paula Abdul,Template:Sfn Head East, Judas Priest,Template:Sfn the Meat Puppets,Template:Sfn the Roches and Wire.[27] In an 1995 interview with The Michigan Daily, Harshe highlighted Mays' background in country and western music and her own interest in 1970s pop music as elements she thought came through in the band's music.Template:Sfn

Reception and legacy

Will Hermes referred to Scrawl as "[o]ne of America's great unsung post-punk bands".[28] Though the band consistently received critical praise throughout their career,Template:Sfn they never gained wider commercial success or recognition, largely due to issues with the record labels they signed with.[1]Template:Sfn Jill Hamilton of The Ann Arbor News remarked in 1994 that "It's not that people don't like Scrawl. They usually like the band quite a bit—if they ever get a chance to hear them."Template:Sfn Despite their limited success, Scrawl retained a passionate fanbase,[16]Template:Sfn whom Mays would later credit with preventing them from breaking up in an 1999 interview with Chapel Hill News: "I've never thought about how much weight that carries, but it must be a lot. We wouldn't keep on playing if there weren't people to listen."Template:Sfn

Around the time of Velvet HammerTemplate:'s release, journalists began to hail Scrawl as a precursor to the foxcore and riot grrrl movements.Template:Sfn Although the band did not idenfity with either[1][29] and were "deeply suspicious" of their associations with riot grrrl by a "trend-obsessed media"—as suggested by their 1992 "Foxcore, My Ass" tour—"many of the musicians involved in [the] movement openly acknowledged their debt to [Scrawl]'s late 80's recordings", according to Colin Larkin of The Encyclopedia of Popular Music.Template:Sfn Kathleen Hanna cited Scrawl as an influence on her music,Template:Sfn whilst Tsumani guitarist Jenny Toomey called them an "enormous influence on what we did and how we did it."Template:Sfn

Band members

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 bar:Marcy        text:Marcy Mays
 bar:Sue        text:Sue Harshe
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 bar:Sue     from:01/01/1985       till:end      color:v width:3
 bar:Carla      from:start       till:06/01/1985      color:d
 bar:Carolyn      from:06/01/1985       till:05/01/1992      color:d
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Discography

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details
Title Album details
Plus, Also, Too
He's Drunk
Smallmouth
  • Released: February 1990Template:Sfn
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
Velvet Hammer
  • Released: November 8, 1993Template:Sfn
  • Label: Simple Machines
  • Format: CD, CS, LP
Travel On, Rider
Nature Film
  • Released: May 19, 1998[14]
  • Label: Elektra
  • Format: CD, CS

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details
Title Split details
He's Drunk/Plus, Also, Too
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Format: CD

Extended plays

List of extended plays, with selected details
Title Split details
Bloodsucker
  • Released: October 1991[2]
  • Label: Feel Good All Over
  • Format: CD, CS, LP

Split releases

List of split releases, with selected details
Title Split details
January / Working Holiday

(Scrawl and Versus)

  • Released: March 1993Template:Sfn
  • Label: Simple Machines
  • Format: 7-inch
I'm Going Out Of My Way / Breaker Breaker

(Stereolab and Scrawl)

  • Released: 1994
  • Label: Radiopaque
  • Format: 7-inch

Singles

List of singles
Title Year Album
"Misery (Someone is Winning) / Just Plain Bad"[2] 1992 Non-album single
"Your Mother Wants to Know"[2] 1993 Velvet Hammer
"Good Under Pressure"[2]Template:Sfn 1995 Travel On, Rider

References

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Further reading

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External links

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  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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