Thrush Hermit

Among the Halifax outfits Sloan and the Super Friendz, Thrush Hermit stands alone as a hard rock act. Its weighty guitar textures, wailing yet pouty vocals, and clear devotion to 1970s album rock alongside punk distinguished the quartet from peers prized instead for melody and wistful introspection rather than aggression or unfiltered drive. Joel Plaskett (vocals/guitar), Rob Benvie (guitar/keyboards/vocals), Ian McGettigan (bass/vocals), and Cliff Gibb (drums) assembled the band in 1992. Several cassettes—Nobody Famous, John Boomer, and Ammo—plus a lone single preceded their signing to Murderecords, the label also home to Sloan, Super Friendz, and Eric's Trip. That association yielded the Smart Bomb EP in 1994. The follow-up EP, The Great Pacific Ocean, arrived the next year, and the band contributed to the Mallrats soundtrack. Elektra issued the debut full-length Sweet Homewrecker in 1997, only to part ways with the group shortly after the single “North Dakota” appeared. By 1999 Gibb had exited, Benn Ross had taken his place behind the drums, and the band had moved to Hamilton, Ontario’s Sonic Unyon imprint, which released Clayton Park that February. On September 21, 1999, Thrush Hermit declared an amicable breakup, yet still completed a fall tour alongside the Flashing Lights and the Local Rabbits before dissolving for good.