Maryland’s Greenberry Woods, a power-pop outfit, looked poised for a breakthrough thanks to strong songcraft, instrumental skill, a rapid major-label signing, and warm approval from fans of the genre, yet the group collapsed after issuing just two albums. Ira Katz and Matt Huseman, both singer-songwriter-guitarists, launched the band while attending the University of Maryland, where the pair crossed paths as sophomores in 1988 and began writing together. The roster was rounded out by Matt’s twin brother Brandt Huseman on bass and drummer Miles Rosen. Once Katz and Matt earned their degrees, they returned to Baltimore and quickly generated excitement on the city’s club circuit. Manager John Lay, who had previously represented Squeeze and Robyn Hitchcock, leveraged his industry ties to land the Greenberry Woods a Sire contract in February 1993 following a New York showcase. Their first long-player, Rapple Dapple, arrived in 1994, and the track “Trampoline” received noticeable radio exposure. The band then opened shows for Deborah Harry and the Proclaimers, although their stage chemistry remained underdeveloped because they had signed before honing live cohesion. After Sire shifted from Reprise to Elektra, label support faded, and friction grew inside the group when the Huseman brothers began the side project Splitsville alongside former Greenberry Woods guitar technician Paul Krysiak. Conditions deteriorated further while tracking the 1995 follow-up Big Money Item, as three songwriters each pushing personal goals eroded band unity. Sire dropped the act in 1996, freeing the Husemans to focus on Splitsville; Katz started the new group Wonderfool, and Rosen left music entirely for a career as a mortgage banker.
