Biography
Formed in Kelowna, British Columbia, during 1983, the jangly alternative folk-pop quartet The Grapes of Wrath began with brothers Chris Hooper on drums and Tom Hooper on vocals and bass, alongside Kevin Kane on vocals and guitar, before keyboardist Vincent Jones joined later. Nettwerk Records signed the band in 1984, leading to a relocation to Vancouver where they cut a four-song self-titled EP that generated modest early local attention. National recognition and critical praise followed with the full-length September Bowl of Green in 1985. Seeking a foothold in the United States, the group recruited Tom Cochrane, formerly of Red Rider, to produce Treehouse, an album that never broke through widely yet produced the Canadian hit single “Peace of Mind.” Additional singles and the albums Now and Again (1989) and These Days (1991) fared well domestically but registered little sales outside Canada. Kane exited in 1992, after which the remaining members regrouped as Ginger. The new project released Far Out on Nettwerk in 1994 (issued stateside the next year) and Suddenly I Came to My Senses in late 1996. Kevin Kane also issued the solo album Neighborhood Watch on On/Off Records in Canada that same year. After an eighteen-year absence, the original core members—Chris Hooper, Tom Hooper, and Kevin Kane—reconvened in summer 2010 to perform at the Surrey B.C. Fusion Festival. Encouraged by the show’s reception, they resumed touring across Canada and signed with Aporia Records to prepare a new album. Recorded in spring 2012 with co-producer Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, Blue Rodeo), High Road was slated for a March release. EMI-Canada issued Singles in October 2012, collecting all fifteen radio singles from the band’s catalog along with two new tracks. The first of those, “Good to See You,” reached the Top 40 on Canada’s Active Rock and Alternative Rock charts.
Albums
