Burden Brothers

The Toadies ranked among the more promising acts amid the major-label grunge conflicts of the early and mid-1990s, yet protracted gaps between releases and internal friction ultimately dissolved the group following their 2001 album. Todd Lewis, an ex-member, initiated the split and found himself despondent over the outcome. While keeping a low profile as he sought to close that chapter, Taz Bentley—formerly the drummer for Izzy Stradlin—approached Lewis with the idea of launching a new endeavor. The two musicians considered their options and settled on bypassing major labels in favor of forming an independent duo. As a result, the Burden Brothers signed with Last Beat Records under terms that permitted them to record tracks at their own pace, with the label then making the material available through the Burden Brothers’ website. A self-titled EP that gathered the initial four songs in that sequence surfaced in early 2002. Buried in Your Black Heart appeared the following year.