BoDeans

The BoDeans arose from the 1980s roots rock scene, achieving commercial success through the 1993 single "Closer to Free" while preserving their heartland character across subsequent decades. Tension between Sam Llanas' raw tenor and acoustic strumming and Kurt Neumann's more polished vocals alongside his incisive electric lines defined the band's 1986 debut, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams. Although 1989's Home and 1993's Go Slow Down incorporated broader pop elements, the emotional intensity at the heart of their material stayed intact. During the 2000s the BoDeans left major-label affiliation behind and proceeded independently, issuing recordings such as 2010's Mr. Sad Clown. After Llanas exited, the group persisted, delivering mature takes on their longstanding motifs via 2015's I Can't Stop and 2022's 4 the Last Time.

High-school friends Sam Llanas and Kurt Neumann established the BoDeans in Waukesha, Wisconsin. They first crossed paths in 1977; discovering a mutual passion for music, they began composing together. Neumann initially handled drums while Llanas learned guitar, yet the style crystallized once Neumann switched to electric guitar, prompting them to form a band in 1980 under the name Da BoDeans. Following several years of struggle, they secured Milwaukee bookings and cycled through bassists and drummers until Guy Hoffman joined permanently in 1984 and Bob Griffin took the bass chair in 1985. By then Da BoDeans had already placed tracks on local compilations, and Wisconsin popularity drew label interest. They signed with Slash Records, which shortened the name to BoDeans, and recorded their first album with T-Bone Burnett. Critics praised 1986's Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, sales proved solid, and Rolling Stone readers voted the BoDeans Best New American Band. After Mike Campbell's sessions proved unproductive, the band enlisted Talking Heads keyboardist Jerry Harrison for the glossier 1987 follow-up Outside Looking In. Extensive touring included support slots on U2's Joshua Tree dates, and Llanas and Neumann added backing vocals to Robbie Robertson's 1987 solo debut.

In 1988 the BoDeans began their third album under Jim Scott's guidance. With Hoffman departed, John Mellencamp drummer Kenny Aronoff participated, and keyboardist Michael Ramos joined as well. Cut inside a converted shoe factory that served as their rehearsal space, 1989's Home reflected guitar techniques absorbed from U2 shows and reached the national Top 100. Former Prince associate David Z oversaw 1991's Black and White, which leaned further toward pop through prominent electronic keyboards. Disappointed by its reception, the band returned to organic textures for 1993's Go Slow Down, self-produced with T-Bone Burnett's assistance. Neumann handled most instrumentation, and while the album initially stayed within their core audience, the leadoff track "Closer to Free" became the theme for the television series Party of Five eleven months later. As the show succeeded, the song climbed to number 16 on the U.S. chart and number one in Canada during 1996. By then the BoDeans had already released the 1995 live set Joe Dirt Car and were preparing new studio material. Produced by the band alongside Greg Goldman, 1996's Blend included a guest turn from E Street Band keyboardist Danny Federici.

Disputes with management and a deliberate hiatus kept the BoDeans out of the studio for several years. They signed with Zoe/Rounder in 2004 and delivered the buoyant Resolution. A Milwaukee New Year's Eve performance yielded the second live album, 2005's Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst, which introduced replacement keyboardist Bukka Allen. Llanas and Neumann launched the He & He imprint for 2008's Still, again produced by T-Bone Burnett, and Eric Holden assumed bass duties from Griffin. He & He partnered with 429 Records for 2010's Mr. Sad Clown and 2011's Indigo Dreams. The latter proved Llanas' final BoDeans outing; he departed a month after release over creative differences. The remaining members continued, with guitar tech Jake Owen filling Llanas' stage role.

The band's eleventh studio album, American Made, appeared in 2012 on their Free & Alive label and marked Neumann's first project as sole leader. Extensive touring followed, and work on the next record began in 2014. Released in 2015, I Can't Stop presented a refreshed lineup of Neumann, Holden, Aronoff, and guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley. In June 2016 the BoDeans issued the benefit single "My Hometown" for the Milwaukee County Historical Society; the song previewed the eleven-track Thirteen, issued in April 2017. Pandemic restrictions halted all activity in early 2020, prompting Neumann to write and record alone at home. Those sessions became 2020 Vision, issued by year's end. Preferring the solitary approach, Neumann wrote, produced, and performed every instrument on 2022's 4 the Last Time.