Old Skull

In the sphere of hardcore punk, Old Skull emerged as an oddball counterpart to the Shaggs—or perhaps Jordy—a novelty sensation whose original lineup consisted of three nine-year-olds who more or less performed on their own instruments while delivering profanities and social critiques with impudent flair. Although their playing showed little early promise, certain lyrical subjects proved unexpectedly mature, sparking speculation that producer Vern Toulon, father of two band members, had authored much or all of the material himself. Capitalizing on their curiosity value, the group secured a contract with Restless Records and lasted through two albums, the first recorded at age nine and the second at age twelve after a personnel overhaul.

Brothers J.P. and Jamie Toulon founded Old Skull in Madison, Wisconsin, at the urging of their father Vern, a longtime punk participant and Madison native who had lived briefly in New York City and maintained a short association with industrial noisemakers Missing Foundation. The initial trio placed J.P. on guitar and vocals, Jamie on keyboards, and nine-year-old Jesse Collins-Davies on drums; Collins-Davies, whose background mirrored the Toulons’, was the son of Robin Davies from the Madison punk-funk band the Tar Babies, an SST act of the late ’80s. Restless Records noticed the boys and released their debut album, Get Outta School, in 1989. The record juxtaposed youthful perspectives on adult issues (“AIDS,” the anti-Reagan “Homeless”) with insolent outbursts (“Kill a Dead Eagle,” “Kick Ass,” “Let’s Go Kill That Man”). Reviews alternated between “hilarious” and “unlistenable,” yet most conceded the results were respectable for nine-year-olds.

Old Skull regrouped in 1992 under a revised configuration. J.P. Toulon moved to drums, while Jamie adopted the name Spike and took up bass plus some lead vocals; the brothers were joined by siblings Chris Scott on vocals and Josh Scott on guitar. This four-piece recorded C.I.A. Drug Fest, again produced by Vern Toulon. Alongside updated versions of “Kick Ass” and “Homeless,” the album featured threats against the “Pizza Man,” the query “D’Yall Know Where the Herb Is,” and an R-rated rendition of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” The band undertook a brief Japanese tour and received modest MTV exposure, yet these activities marked the end of their recording career. Vern later appeared in the Madison documentary Streets Without Cars; he died on May 31, 2001, at age 46.