Slow Gherkin

Drawing from the hyperactive third-wave ska-punk pioneered by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Operation Ivy, Slow Gherkin set out to establish their own lighthearted take on the style in their hometown of Santa Cruz, California. Like countless other ska-punk outfits whose oversized rosters sometimes exceeded the size of their crowds, the band endured constant personnel shifts from the time of their 1994 debut, a period when membership once reached ten players. Even so, they issued a split CD EP alongside Jeffries Fan Club in 1996 and followed it later that year with the seven-inch single “Death of A Salesman.” After inking a contract with Asian Man Records, the label put out Slow Gherkin’s debut full-length, Double Happiness, in 1997. A cross-country tour in support of these recordings allowed the roster to stabilize around James Rickman (vocals/guitar), AJ Marquez (vocals/guitar), Zack Kent (bass), Zack Olson (drums), Phil Boutelle (alto sax), Ross Peard (tenor sax), Matt Porter (trombone), and Peter Cowan (keyboards). Maintaining ties with Asian Man Records, the group delivered its sophomore effort, Shed Some Skin, in 1998, then issued Roman Holiday in early 2001.