I think it might have been Isaac Newton or possibly Rene Descartes who once theorized that if a band forms, then eventually it must break up regardless of style or level of success. But, despite the inevitable split, the sonic energy and momentum already formed is not destroyed but merely transfers on.
Undoubtedly, it is disappointing when a good band breaks up, especially for bands where each player contributes ideas to build something greater than any single member. But unlike defunct bands, creative passion and mortgage payments do not disappear. Like any other form of unemployment, the occupational void must be filled.
In the wake of calling it quits, lead singers oftentimes will strike out on their own as a solo artist with carte blanche over studio and touring musicians. So is the case with acts like Morrissey, Harry Styles, David Byrne, Karin Dreijer and Robert Plant. But what’s the next step for the other band members, specifically the rhythm section?
Recently the former drummer and the second guitarist of The Smiths announced several tour dates, accompanied by an orchestra in place of Morrissey, Johnny Marr and bassist Andy Rourke. Although a solid proposition, the majority of out-of-work musicians — who can’t afford to hire an orchestra — look to form a new band. And, in some cases, that band overshadows the original.
At this point, Queens of the Stone Age is a household name, headlining major music festivals in the U.S. and Europe. But before forming Queens, frontman Josh Homme played guitar in a musically superior, yet less well-known band called Kyuss. Despite Kyuss’ stoner metal packing a harder punch than Queens, both bands exist in the same sphere of rock music — they share the same energy. The second band emerged almost as a personal reimagining of the first.
Around the same time in the late 1990s, Pat Smear, a guitarist who played in Germs and Nirvana, would join Dave Grohl in Foo Fighters. Although Foo Fighters will never touch upon the draw of Nirvana, the group has toured far more extensively and produced nine albums. It’s one of the most prominent examples of a band rising from the ashes of another. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic even played on a track from Foo Fighters’ seventh album Wasting Light.
In other cases, upon the departure or death of a lead singer, bands will rally around themselves and create music simply under a new name with the same members. After Zack de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, the remaining players brought in the late Chris Cornell to form Audioslave, a good band in its own right. And when Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980, the remaining members of Joy Division formed New Order, which put out several high-charting and well-remembered singles. It’s funny to think a song like “Age of Consent” could emerge from a group who initially played such depressive music.
In the most rare of cases, a band will split up to form two new bands. Jay Farrar of the pioneering alt country band Uncle Tupelo, went on to found Son Volt in 1994 after Uncle Tupelo’s breakup, while Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the group formed the better-known band Wilco. Since I mentioned alt country, I should also note that rocker Ryan Adams’ solo career eclipsed that of his former band Whiskeytown. Caitlin Cary, the fiddle player for Whiskeytown, also founded another alt country/folk band called Tres Chicas, as well as a solo career.
Although offshoot bands might never match the energy — or want to — of original bands like Kyuss, Nirvana and Uncle Tupelo. The experience and maturity that musicians take into a second, third or fourth project often produces a much cleaner and concise result as long as the songwriting and playing is up to par with past ambitions. Everything a musicians considers sacred makes the transfer.
And who can blame musicians for wanting to move on from the old. It’s analogous to any other professional accepting a job at a new company. After all, even bass players and drummers have stomachs to feed.
Luke Furman is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. How do you see musicians carry their momentum? Let Luke know by tweeting him @LukeFurmanLog or emailing him at lf491413@ohio.edu.
