MEMORABLE MONDAYS: Hootie & The Blowfish

 In the midst of heartland rock and the alternative surge came a band combining the best of both worlds. Hootie & The Blowfish just has that southern charm modernized for new listeners. Any generation can enjoy though! This band actually has its roots in Columbia, South Carolina. The band has mostly consisted of Darius Rucker, Mark Bryan, Dean Felber, and Jim Sonefeld. They have had success in the US but also in Canada. 

Rucker and Bryan met when they were both freshman at the University of South Carolina. Bryan heard Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. They began playing cover tunes together as the Wolf Brothers. Eventually, Felber came into the mix as an old bandmate of Bryan, and Brantley Smith on drums. They adopted the name Hootie & The Blowfish as a conjunction of two nicknames of college friends. Rucker is often considered the Hootie in the bands name. Smith left the band after finishing college and pursued music ministry, but has still made scattered guest appearances in the band. Smith was replaced by Sonefield, who has been the drummer since. 

In 1991 and 1992, the band released independently cassette EP demos. In 1993, they pressed 50,000 copies of a self-released EP Kootchypop. Most of the songs from this was reworked into their major label release, and on anniversary releases. They grabbed the attention of Atlantic representative Tim Sommer, member of the art rock band Hugo Largo. Sommer recalled many being disinterested in the band because they were not at all like the grunge being released at the time. 

Their major label debut, Cracked Rear View, released in 1994 for to much acclaim. It is one of the highest selling albums in the US, and has sold 20 million units worldwide. It sold 7 million copies in 1995 alone! Many critics liked it and said their rootsy folk-rock has simple yet powerful hooks. Most of their major hits are from this album. The band and Bob Dylan had to reach an out of court settlement for the unauthorized usage of lyrics in their song Only Wanna Be With You. 

They contributed to the Encomium tribute to Led Zeppelin in 1995, along with a cover of I Go Blind released with the television series Friends. In 1996, on the eve of the release of their second album, they appeared on MTV Unplugged. The same year, Fairweather Johnson was released. It debut number one on the billboard chart while their previous album was still charting. Despite initial success, it tapered off quickly and the album obtained mixed reviews. Many concluded the album was less inspired than their first and they did not innovate enough.  1996 also brought the creation of record label Breaking Records. They did not have much success with it. 

Musical Chaires, released in 1998, received a little better acclaim. After the lesser success of their last release, Bryan wanted to push forward and innovate a bit. They built this album on pieces of country, bluegrass, and even jangle pop associated more with R.E.M. Many felt it more inspired and listenable than the last release.

In 2000, they released Scattered, Smothered, and Covered. Yes, this is in fact a reference to Waffle House. The album is entirely of covers, and critics certainly appreciated certain tracks. Many wished for a return to the heartfelt roots of the band. During this time, the label they had begun in 1996 folded. 

Their last album under Atlantic Records was their self-titled release. Dropped in 2003, they shifted into a soft rock vein instead of the country side of things. The album did not chart well and critics were even worse to it, for sounding bland and the material being dull and forgettable. 

Looking for Lucky, released in 2005, would be the last album released before the band took a long hiatus. The album received middling reviews. Some suggested it could give them the commercial relevance they had lost as they returned to a more vibrant sound - others reduced them to a band who could only excite some bar outside of a college campus. Rucker in 2008 announced the band was on hiatus while he pursued a country music solo career. 

Coming back together around 2015, they began to work and write new material. This would not come to full fruitation until 2019's release of Imperfect Circle. While it brought them the most commercial success they had seen in years, critics once more tore it up. Their own hometown paper called it utterly forgettable, while others said it is painfully blank. 

If you have ever had an interest in figuring out these heartland rockers, look no further. They captured hearts in an overbearing grunge movement.