The Spits

The Spits channel vintage punk energy through a contemporary filter of insolence and caustic wit, sustaining an impressively durable run by cranking out lean, high-voltage rock numbers saturated with defiance, manic quirkiness, and sheer force. Siblings Sean Wood on guitar and vocals and Erin Wood on bass and vocals launched the project after growing up in Allegan, Michigan, where they first played together in 1987 under the name the Riot Midgets. Deeming the Allegan environment too inert, the pair moved to Seattle, Washington in 1990, forming the original Spits lineup the next year with drummer Wayne Draves. They spent several years navigating the Northwest circuit through ad-hoc shows before issuing their initial single, "Tired and Lonely," in 1997. Nickel & Dime Records issued the group’s untitled debut album in 2000, after which the Spits embarked on extensive road work that earned them notice for their unruly live antics, nonstop touring regimen, and habit of appearing in outlandish attire such as monks robes, homemade mummy outfits, or Ronald Reagan masks. The drum stool proved unstable over time, although Draves ranks among the few players to exit and later rejoin; when the band grew to a quartet by adding a keyboardist—partly to pursue their Devo influence—the synthesizer role likewise rotated frequently. None of this turnover slowed the Wood brothers’ drive to operate as a “band of the people,” evident in their brisk touring pace, regular single output, and periodic album releases—most of them self-titled—on imprints including Dirtnap Records, Slovenly Records, and their own Thriftstore label. A 2011 pact with garage-punk specialists In the Red Records yielded the fifth self-titled album that same year, while 2014 brought a notable step when the band supplied a genuine title to a studio effort, releasing their second In the Red LP, Kill the Kool.