Biography
Eleven-year-old identical twins Hugo Boothby on guitar and Jebb Boothby on bass first encountered vocalist and drummer Sam Marsh at a swimming competition, where all three were sporting heavy metal T-shirts. The trio quickly formed a band, moving beyond early Status Quo covers to compose original songs whose chief inspiration came from the noisier artists featured on UK disc jockey John Peel’s radio programme. Peel himself later championed their career and settled as a close neighbour in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England. Their moniker, drawn from a cousin’s pet and far from evocative of their ferocious sound, debuted on the 7-inch EP The Dot, issued by the Liverish label in January 1991. Named Single Of The Week by the soon-to-be-defunct Sounds magazine, the release secured support slots alongside Nirvana, Carter USM, Senseless Things and others. Still unsigned, the band issued No Fish Shop Parking—its title taken from a local road sign—on the Blithering Idiot label operated by the father of their manager, Sam Marsh. The record earned praise from UK disc jockeys John Peel and Mark Goodier, prompting the group to sign with Wiija Records, whose Gary Walker had initially rejected them. Following a tour with Babes In Toyland, they released the Ton Up EP in September 1992 and secured a US deal with Frontier Records for broader distribution. I’m Scared attracted substantial press coverage for its lo-fi hardcore sound layered in feedback and metal riffs. The band also proved highly playful, steering their music into diverse and unexpected directions in a manner reminiscent of Captain Beefheart. Onstage they stood out equally, with Marsh treating guttural, non-linear vocals chiefly as an instrument—the band humbly stated that, as they were so young, they would feel daft trying to impart wisdom to others—while the identical twins positioned themselves on either side of the drum kit and flailed in unison. In autumn 1993 they issued two further EPs, Good and Group Of Seven, before taking a break ahead of the third album Rubber Room.
Albums
Singles
