Biography
Comparable to blink-182 and Fenix TX, the Rome, GA, trio Sloppy Meateaters—also known as SME—delivered alternative rock marked by pronounced punk-pop tendencies. Their material blended raw angst with witty humor, often channeling everyday frustrations through amusing complaints. Early on the band operated under the motto “No lives, friends, or jobs.”
Formed as a duo in July 1999, the project began when singer-guitarist Josh Chambers, whose bratty, sneering delivery earned him the nickname Sloppy Josh, teamed with drummer Kevin Highfield, known as Sloppy Kevin. That October the pair tracked their debut album, Shameless Self-Promotion, which they issued independently in December 1999 without label support; Chambers also handled bass on the recording. In early 2000 the two met bassist Travis Gerke at a Georgia shopping mall, completing the lineup and solidifying the group’s identity as a trio.
Later that year Orange Peal Records, a small independent imprint based in Fremont, CA, discovered the band. The label reissued Shameless Self-Promotion in May 2000, improving its reach, though Gerke’s image appeared on the artwork without his having performed on the original sessions. By the time Sloppy Meateaters recorded their follow-up, Forbidden Meat, Gerke had departed and John Elwell—dubbed Sloppy John—had taken over bass.
Chambers handled lead vocals and guitar, Elwell played electric bass and supplied background vocals, and Highfield remained on drums for the sessions, which took place during the winter of 2000/2001. Orange Peal released Forbidden Meat in June 2001. The following spring bassist Chris Frisby joined, shifting Elwell to second guitar. Heavy touring, including several Warped Tour dates, helped spread word of the band, yet when Highfield exited in late 2002 Chambers chose to retire the Sloppy Meateaters name rather than continue without him.
Chambers and Elwell then performed together as Under the Weather, issuing a self-titled EP through Orange Peal in fall 2003. A change of heart arrived in late 2004, prompting a reunion under the original moniker with bassist Seth Smith and drummer Lee Howell—both formerly of the pop-punk outfit Punch Drunk. The group’s sound moved away from its earlier pop-punk emphasis, a shift first heard on the summer 2005 album Conditioned by the Laugh Track.
Formed as a duo in July 1999, the project began when singer-guitarist Josh Chambers, whose bratty, sneering delivery earned him the nickname Sloppy Josh, teamed with drummer Kevin Highfield, known as Sloppy Kevin. That October the pair tracked their debut album, Shameless Self-Promotion, which they issued independently in December 1999 without label support; Chambers also handled bass on the recording. In early 2000 the two met bassist Travis Gerke at a Georgia shopping mall, completing the lineup and solidifying the group’s identity as a trio.
Later that year Orange Peal Records, a small independent imprint based in Fremont, CA, discovered the band. The label reissued Shameless Self-Promotion in May 2000, improving its reach, though Gerke’s image appeared on the artwork without his having performed on the original sessions. By the time Sloppy Meateaters recorded their follow-up, Forbidden Meat, Gerke had departed and John Elwell—dubbed Sloppy John—had taken over bass.
Chambers handled lead vocals and guitar, Elwell played electric bass and supplied background vocals, and Highfield remained on drums for the sessions, which took place during the winter of 2000/2001. Orange Peal released Forbidden Meat in June 2001. The following spring bassist Chris Frisby joined, shifting Elwell to second guitar. Heavy touring, including several Warped Tour dates, helped spread word of the band, yet when Highfield exited in late 2002 Chambers chose to retire the Sloppy Meateaters name rather than continue without him.
Chambers and Elwell then performed together as Under the Weather, issuing a self-titled EP through Orange Peal in fall 2003. A change of heart arrived in late 2004, prompting a reunion under the original moniker with bassist Seth Smith and drummer Lee Howell—both formerly of the pop-punk outfit Punch Drunk. The group’s sound moved away from its earlier pop-punk emphasis, a shift first heard on the summer 2005 album Conditioned by the Laugh Track.
Albums
