Johnny Society

New York multi-instrumentalist Kenny Siegal inked a songwriting deal with Polygram Music upon turning 19. Shortly afterward, the group Hunk—formed with his longtime drumming partner Brian Geltner—secured a contract from Geffen Records and issued its self-titled debut in 1996. Industry disillusionment and minimal promotional support prompted the outfit to dissolve within months.

By then Siegal and Geltner had already begun informal writing sessions alongside Indian-trained musician Chris Rael under the name the Hand. The trio stockpiled material equivalent to five albums before committing anything to tape; their first proper release, Mule Me, appeared on the independent Messenger Records imprint. A follow-up was captured yet shelved once the Hand evolved into Johnny Society.

Opting to bypass another major-label entanglement, the new ensemble aligned once more with Messenger and established a Brooklyn workspace known as the Kennel alongside producer Bryce Goggin (the Breeders, Spacehog, Phish) and engineer Danny Kadar (Chris Whitley, Cheap Trick). Their inaugural effort, It Don't Matter, surfaced in 1997. Rael subsequently departed to concentrate on the revived Church of Betty.

The following year brought Wood, which incorporated additional input from Rael, former Hand keyboardist Jan Kotik, Goggin, and labelmate Chris Whitley. The New York Times placed the album on its “Top Ten List of Independent Records of 1998.” Extensive touring and the band’s stylistically wide-ranging catalog drew attention from admirers such as Ray Davies and Robin Zander while steadily accumulating critical praise.

In 1999 Johnny Society stabilized as a trio with the arrival of Gwen Snyder, who also performs as Blueberry. The expanded lineup cut the ambitious Clairvoyance, issued in early 2000.