Biography
The Bootheels amounted to a supergroup that arrived ahead of its time. Four teenagers still in high school, they remained virtually invisible beyond their immediate surroundings throughout their short run in the late 1980s, yet each member would later collaborate with the Wallflowers, Moby, Lana Del Rey, the Freewheelers, and Those Pretty Wrongs. Their scrappy garage rock, shaped by the Replacements, drew power from teenage turmoil and restless drive, yet the group already possessed real songwriting ability, a gift audible even in the unpolished state of their extant recordings. Although they issued nothing while active, a set of rehearsal tapes finally surfaced decades afterward as the 2021 collection 1988: The Original Demos.
Luther Russell grew up in Los Angeles and took up drums at age five. Songwriting began for him by seven, and he had mastered guitar and bass by the time he started his earliest groups as a teenager. Guitarist Tobi Miller, also known as Tobias Miller, had been performing rock & roll since seventh grade; in 1988 his latest band required a bassist. Russell encountered Miller while purchasing bass strings at a music store; upon learning that Russell played the instrument and admired the Replacements, Miller invited him into a new project alongside another guitarist. Russell soon met Jakob Dylan, a gifted guitarist whose father had already achieved notable success in the music industry. Drummer Aaron A. Brooks completed the quartet, which chose the name the Bootheels and installed a rehearsal space inside the garage at Miller’s mother’s house. Having left school with a GED while Dylan attended a private institution tolerant of absences, the group maintained an intense rehearsal routine; Miller’s bandmates quickly recognized that both Russell and Dylan wrote strong material. Weekday practices gave way to weekend performances for neighborhood teenagers, building a devoted following among peers even as local residents and police registered complaints about the volume.
Inside their rehearsal space the Bootheels assembled a makeshift four-track recorder and documented their originals as their abilities improved, though their sole session in a professional studio was ruined by faulty gear. Because three members were still under eighteen, securing paid shows proved nearly impossible; aside from two opening slots at Hollywood clubs, their appearances stayed confined to parties and the public rehearsals. Late in 1988 Dylan chose to leave California for art school in New York City, bringing the Bootheels to a close. Russell and Miller launched a short-lived group called the 45s; after Dylan’s return they formed the Apples, initially with Brooks on drums. That project evolved into the Wallflowers, whose first album appeared in 1992 and whose 1996 release Bringing Down the Horse became a multi-platinum success. Russell meanwhile started the Freewheelers, whose debut arrived in 1991 as the first of three albums; he later pursued a solo career and, in 2016, introduced Those Pretty Wrongs alongside Big Star drummer Jody Stephens. Aaron A. Brooks built a steady career as a session and touring musician with Moby, Lana Del Rey, Duff McKagan, Janelle Monae, Leisure Cruise, and others. Russell’s 2018 anthology Selective Memories: An Anthology contained two previously unheard Bootheels demos, constituting the first official release of the band’s music. Omnivore Recordings later supplied a fuller portrait with 2021’s 1988: The Original Demos, which offered thirteen tracks on vinyl and three additional tracks on the CD and digital versions.
Luther Russell grew up in Los Angeles and took up drums at age five. Songwriting began for him by seven, and he had mastered guitar and bass by the time he started his earliest groups as a teenager. Guitarist Tobi Miller, also known as Tobias Miller, had been performing rock & roll since seventh grade; in 1988 his latest band required a bassist. Russell encountered Miller while purchasing bass strings at a music store; upon learning that Russell played the instrument and admired the Replacements, Miller invited him into a new project alongside another guitarist. Russell soon met Jakob Dylan, a gifted guitarist whose father had already achieved notable success in the music industry. Drummer Aaron A. Brooks completed the quartet, which chose the name the Bootheels and installed a rehearsal space inside the garage at Miller’s mother’s house. Having left school with a GED while Dylan attended a private institution tolerant of absences, the group maintained an intense rehearsal routine; Miller’s bandmates quickly recognized that both Russell and Dylan wrote strong material. Weekday practices gave way to weekend performances for neighborhood teenagers, building a devoted following among peers even as local residents and police registered complaints about the volume.
Inside their rehearsal space the Bootheels assembled a makeshift four-track recorder and documented their originals as their abilities improved, though their sole session in a professional studio was ruined by faulty gear. Because three members were still under eighteen, securing paid shows proved nearly impossible; aside from two opening slots at Hollywood clubs, their appearances stayed confined to parties and the public rehearsals. Late in 1988 Dylan chose to leave California for art school in New York City, bringing the Bootheels to a close. Russell and Miller launched a short-lived group called the 45s; after Dylan’s return they formed the Apples, initially with Brooks on drums. That project evolved into the Wallflowers, whose first album appeared in 1992 and whose 1996 release Bringing Down the Horse became a multi-platinum success. Russell meanwhile started the Freewheelers, whose debut arrived in 1991 as the first of three albums; he later pursued a solo career and, in 2016, introduced Those Pretty Wrongs alongside Big Star drummer Jody Stephens. Aaron A. Brooks built a steady career as a session and touring musician with Moby, Lana Del Rey, Duff McKagan, Janelle Monae, Leisure Cruise, and others. Russell’s 2018 anthology Selective Memories: An Anthology contained two previously unheard Bootheels demos, constituting the first official release of the band’s music. Omnivore Recordings later supplied a fuller portrait with 2021’s 1988: The Original Demos, which offered thirteen tracks on vinyl and three additional tracks on the CD and digital versions.
Albums
Singles