Biography
Vertical Horizon originated in 1991 when Matt Scannell and Keith Kane, still undergraduates at Georgetown University, began performing as a folk-based acoustic duo. The pair refined their harmonized vocals through appearances at campus parties and local coffeehouses before moving to Boston after graduation to cut their debut LP, the 1992 release There and Back Again, then returning to their native Washington, D.C.
An encounter with fellow acoustic rock outfit Jackopierce sparked a multi-week package tour that broadened the duo’s exposure. Backup players were soon recruited to flesh out the group’s shifting style, and a run of dates opening for the Dave Matthews Band brought unexpected luck when drummer Carter Beauford, newly won over to the act, contributed percussion to the follow-up, Running on Ice.
The permanent quartet took shape in 1996 once bassist Sean Hurley and drummer Ed Toth joined, and the 1997 concert set Live Stages showcased their live chemistry. That momentum drew the attention of major labels, prompting RCA to sign the band as the decade closed.
The three earlier albums were reissued under the new deal, after which the major-label debut Everything You Want appeared in July 1999. Double-platinum sales followed, driven by the number-one title track plus three further singles, while the band logged extensive North American and European dates. Intended for late 2002, the next studio album faced delays amid friction with RCA, and the group ultimately parted ways with the label after Go arrived in September 2003.
A fresh agreement with Hybrid Recordings came in 2005, though Toth left that year to join the Doobie Brothers’ touring lineup. Recording continued without him, aided by several contributions from Rush drummer Neil Peart, and Burning the Days surfaced in 2009. Keith Kane stepped away the following year to concentrate on solo work. Vertical Horizon’s fifth studio album, Echoes from the Underground, arrived in 2013 and again included Peart on two tracks.
An encounter with fellow acoustic rock outfit Jackopierce sparked a multi-week package tour that broadened the duo’s exposure. Backup players were soon recruited to flesh out the group’s shifting style, and a run of dates opening for the Dave Matthews Band brought unexpected luck when drummer Carter Beauford, newly won over to the act, contributed percussion to the follow-up, Running on Ice.
The permanent quartet took shape in 1996 once bassist Sean Hurley and drummer Ed Toth joined, and the 1997 concert set Live Stages showcased their live chemistry. That momentum drew the attention of major labels, prompting RCA to sign the band as the decade closed.
The three earlier albums were reissued under the new deal, after which the major-label debut Everything You Want appeared in July 1999. Double-platinum sales followed, driven by the number-one title track plus three further singles, while the band logged extensive North American and European dates. Intended for late 2002, the next studio album faced delays amid friction with RCA, and the group ultimately parted ways with the label after Go arrived in September 2003.
A fresh agreement with Hybrid Recordings came in 2005, though Toth left that year to join the Doobie Brothers’ touring lineup. Recording continued without him, aided by several contributions from Rush drummer Neil Peart, and Burning the Days surfaced in 2009. Keith Kane stepped away the following year to concentrate on solo work. Vertical Horizon’s fifth studio album, Echoes from the Underground, arrived in 2013 and again included Peart on two tracks.
Albums
