The Mother Hips

Since the early 1990s, the Mother Hips have demonstrated lasting resilience as West Coast rock stalwarts, moving through label transitions, personnel shifts, and periods of inactivity while cultivating a devoted independent audience and refining their distinctive blend of California boogie, power pop, psych, Americana, and jam rock across multiple well-received recordings. Beginning with their initial association on Rick Rubin's American Recordings and slots on the H.O.R.D.E. tour, the band issued self-directed highlights such as 2001's Green Hills of Earth and 2009's Pacific Dust, maintaining momentum and creative momentum even after frontman Tim Bluhm's life-threatening 2015 speed-flying incident, which led to the 2018 return album Chorus and the self-produced Glowing Lantern in 2021.

The original configuration formed near 1990 as singer/guitarist Bluhm, guitarist/singer Greg Loiacono, bassist Isaac Parsons, and drummer Mike Wofchuck studied at California State University in Chico. After sharpening their skills on covers at campus gatherings, the group shifted emphasis to original songs and advanced to club performances, establishing a regional following ahead of the self-released 1993 debut Back to the Grotto. Co-produced by Bay Area musician Paul Hoaglin, that album positioned the Hips as emerging talents generating genuine interest, soon resulting in a major-label agreement with Rick Rubin's American Recordings imprint. A revised edition of the debut, incorporating fresh material, surfaced on American in March 1995 and paved the way for the follow-up Part-Timer Goes Full, issued that August. National touring and H.O.R.D.E. appearances expanded their reach, allowing quick completion of the third album Shootout, released in 1996. Despite favorable reviews, sales on American fell short of expectations, prompting the label to drop them. After relocating from Chico to the Bay Area, the Hips experienced their first personnel adjustment when John Hofer took over drums from Mike Wofchuck. This change aligned with a leaner country-rock direction explored on the self-released Later Days in 1998. The band concentrated activity within California for several years, playing occasional coastal dates and delivering the power-pop-focused Green Hills of Earth in February 2001. Bassist Parsons exited in March 2002 and was succeeded by Paul Hoaglin, who had co-produced the first two albums. By September, however, Loiacono sought time away, and after two final shows at San Francisco's Slim's in February 2003 the group entered an open-ended hiatus.

While members explored side endeavors, two 2004 documentaries—Stories We Could Tell and This Is the Sound—chronicled the band's history to that stage. The break ended sooner than anticipated, with live activity resuming by late 2004 and the Red Tandy EP appearing in 2005, its title track later included in the video game Rock Band. The subsequent full-length Kiss the Crystal Flake in 2007 placed two additional tracks in the same game, increasing exposure. Pacific Dust in 2009 came with a seven-song bonus EP of identical title for direct website purchasers. Over the following two years bassist Hoaglin's growing unreliability tied to mental-health challenges led to his dismissal in February 2011. That September the band issued the archival four-disc box set Days of Sun and Grass to mark their twentieth anniversary. Recording for the eighth album Behind Beyond had already started, and despite his exit Hoaglin was invited to finish his contributions, with replacement Scott Thunes—previously of Frank Zappa and Fear—joining as the touring bassist. The album appeared independently in May 2013. The next year a set of unreleased mid-1990s American Recordings outtakes and rarities emerged as Chronicle Man.

Bluhm sustained a severe speed-flying accident in September 2015, curtailing the group's schedule for the next couple of years. Once recovered, the band tracked Chorus, their first new material in five years, released in 2018. Post-release touring resumed at the usual pace until early 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic closed venues and confined the members at home. Bluhm and Loiacono developed song ideas during regular hikes and note exchanges, eventually amassing enough for a new album. They entered an Oakland studio to record, with Bluhm and Loiacono producing and new bassist Brian Rashap participating, resulting in Glowing Lantern issued by Blue Rose Records in December 2021. When We Disappear arrived in 2023.