Toenut

Toenut crafts an idiosyncratic strain of rhythmically intricate, experimental alternative rock, distinguished by the otherworldly vocals of Katie Walters. The seeds of the band were planted in 1991 by Atlanta natives Skipper Hartley and Richie Edelson. In 1993 Toenut cut their first single, Heyward/Information, for Half Baked Records. The release attracted the attention of renowned indie producer Kramer, who granted the group access to his Noise New Jersey studio for a demo session. Kramer also introduced them to producer Steve Watson, who went on to play a key role in their work. Mute Records signed Toenut in 1994, though the lineup continued to shift, most notably behind the drum kit. Frequent collaborator Jeff Sullivan of Drivin' n' Cryin' had sat in often, yet the band ultimately recruited Colin English—its sixth drummer—to provide greater stability. The demo tracked at Kramer’s facility was refined and issued in 1995 as the debut album Information. Two years later the follow-up, Two in the Pinata, appeared. Tragedy struck the same year when, on April 5, bassist Chris Collins was killed in a car accident en route to a performance in Athens, GA.