Rx Bandits

RX Bandits emerged from the vibrant ska-punk community in Orange County, earning early recognition for their readiness to embrace sonic experimentation and pointed lyrical perspectives, driven primarily by frontman Matt Embree. As the group expanded to a six-piece configuration, his compositions steadily shifted toward greater complexity. The ensemble originated in 1995 under the name Pharmaceutical Bandits, with Embree joined by bassist Franz J. Worth, drummer Chris Tsagakis, saxophonist Noah Gaffney, and trombonist Rich Balling. That lineup recorded the debut Those Damn Bandits in 1997. The following year brought an official rechristening as RX Bandits along with the more refined and expansive follow-up Halfway Between Here & There, issued by Drive-Thru Records.

The band soon shared bills with Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, and New Found Glory. Progress arrived in 2001, marking another conceptual and stylistic advance while introducing a revised roster: Worth, Gaffney, and Balling had departed, while keyboardist Steve Choi, bassist Joseph Troy, trombonist Chris Sheets, and saxophonist Steve Borth came aboard. Continued national growth came through Warped Tour appearances and independent club performances. In 2002 Embree launched the Mash Down Babylon label to underscore the group’s place within a broader musical network. Resignation, released in July 2003 via Drive-Thru’s MCA distribution deal, pushed the progressive aesthetic further by largely removing ska elements in favor of atmospheric reggae and visceral, near post-hardcore passages, while also serving as a vehicle for Embree’s social and political commentary. That September the band embarked on a two-month club run alongside Something Corporate.

Nationwide headline dates filled the summer of 2006 ahead of the autumn arrival of …And the Battle Begun on MDB, after which Borth left the lineup. Mandala followed in 2009, accompanied by extensive touring that encompassed multiple-night stands in New York and Los Angeles. In 2011 RX Bandits declared an indefinite hiatus and planned to conclude live activity after a final summer run, yet reversed course the next year to schedule shows in Brazil. The 2013 covers EP The Resignation preceded a North American tour. Reassembling as a four-piece after Sheets’s departure removed the horn section, the band recorded Gemini, Her Majesty in 2014 and released it through Pledge Music.