The Humpers

Formed in Long Beach, California, the Humpers originated when Scott "Deluxe" Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse—both previously serving as guitarists in the Suicide Kings—decided to launch the project. Drake stepped away from guitar entirely to focus solely on delivering the band's screaming lead vocals. Recognition arrived first outside their home state, taking root instead in Yugoslavia, where the group's debut and exceptionally scarce album My Machine appeared.

The Suicide Kings had drawn extensively from 1970s influences such as the Heartbreakers, the Rolling Stones, the New York Dolls, and the Ramones, yet the Humpers sharpened the approach into something more immediate and abrasive, echoing the Cleveland outfits the Dead Boys and the Pagans. After bassist Jaybird Blake tracked only half the material on the 1994 release Journey to the Center of Your Wallet, Mitch Cartwright stepped in as a capable replacement. Guitarist Jeff Fieldhouse also departed, shifting all guitar responsibilities to Billy Burks. Following a pair of LPs on the independent label Sympathy for the Record Industry, the Humpers secured a deal with Caroline.