Biography
The West Coast quartet Wire Train emerged in the early 1980s, merging atmospheric psychedelic production with jangling new wave songcraft on their 1983 debut, In a Chamber. That release launched a trajectory marked by repeated lineup shifts, disputes with record companies, and evolving musical directions that progressed from sophisticated pop on 1985's Between Two Words through folky classic rock on their self-titled 1990 album to danceable alternative rock on 1992's No Soul No Strain.
San Francisco State University students Kevin Hunter and Kurt Herr formed the band in early 1983 with scant prior experience performing in groups or creating music. Herr possessed only rudimentary guitar technique while Hunter had none at all. The pair devoted six months to developing their guitar work and songwriting before seeking a rhythm section. Following several unsuccessful attempts, they recruited Swedish bassist Anders Rundblad and Argentinian drummer Federico Gil-Sola, after which they began performing locally. Operating at the time under the name the Renegades, they produced a demo that reached San Francisco DJ Howie Klein, who was then launching the 415 record label. Klein signed the group, by then renamed Wire Train, and Columbia acquired the 415 label before any material appeared in order to secure the band.
Under producer David Kahne the quartet fashioned a striking debut that fused atmospheric psychedelia, interlocking jangling guitars, and memorable melodies. The 1984 album In a Chamber earned strong critical notice, generated several college-radio successes, and earned the band an opening slot with Big Country on a U.S. tour that year. The record also attracted one prominent admirer: U2's Bono named In a Chamber his favorite album of the year. Momentum proved short-lived, however, as personnel changes began. Gil-Sola departed first and was succeeded by Brian MacLeod.
The revised lineup traveled to Vienna to record the follow-up with producer Peter Maunu. Although the sessions yielded more than thirty songs, they were also marked by friction. By the 1985 release of the more polished Between Two Words, Herr had exited; guitarist Jeffrey Trott took his place, and the band toured in support. This configuration cut its next album in London in 1986, with Hunter serving as primary songwriter and lead vocalist. Ten Women emerged as their most radio-friendly effort to date, replacing psychedelic textures with a direct modern-rock style. After touring behind the record and supporting the Alarm in the U.K., the group entered a two-year hiatus.
Wire Train resurfaced in 1990 with a self-titled album that incorporated folk and classic-rock elements, employing slide guitar, fiddles, and pedal steel. The new approach led to an invitation to open for Bob Dylan on a tour of state fairs. Following the contribution of “I Will Not Fall” to the soundtrack of the 1991 film Point Break, the band issued No Soul No Strain on MCA in 1992; the harder-edged set reflected prevailing dance-rock currents, particularly on the single “Stone Me.”
An additional MCA album, Snug, was recorded yet rejected by the label, prompting the band's dissolution in 1993. The remaining members (excluding Rundblad) later collaborated with Sheryl Crow on her Tuesday Night Music Club album, after which Trott and MacLeod pursued active sideman careers while Hunter joined Warner Music as a staff songwriter. Wire Train reconvened on two occasions: first in 2003 for an unaired VH1 episode of Bands Reunited and again in 2009 for three performances in San Francisco. Snug finally appeared around the time of the second reunion.
San Francisco State University students Kevin Hunter and Kurt Herr formed the band in early 1983 with scant prior experience performing in groups or creating music. Herr possessed only rudimentary guitar technique while Hunter had none at all. The pair devoted six months to developing their guitar work and songwriting before seeking a rhythm section. Following several unsuccessful attempts, they recruited Swedish bassist Anders Rundblad and Argentinian drummer Federico Gil-Sola, after which they began performing locally. Operating at the time under the name the Renegades, they produced a demo that reached San Francisco DJ Howie Klein, who was then launching the 415 record label. Klein signed the group, by then renamed Wire Train, and Columbia acquired the 415 label before any material appeared in order to secure the band.
Under producer David Kahne the quartet fashioned a striking debut that fused atmospheric psychedelia, interlocking jangling guitars, and memorable melodies. The 1984 album In a Chamber earned strong critical notice, generated several college-radio successes, and earned the band an opening slot with Big Country on a U.S. tour that year. The record also attracted one prominent admirer: U2's Bono named In a Chamber his favorite album of the year. Momentum proved short-lived, however, as personnel changes began. Gil-Sola departed first and was succeeded by Brian MacLeod.
The revised lineup traveled to Vienna to record the follow-up with producer Peter Maunu. Although the sessions yielded more than thirty songs, they were also marked by friction. By the 1985 release of the more polished Between Two Words, Herr had exited; guitarist Jeffrey Trott took his place, and the band toured in support. This configuration cut its next album in London in 1986, with Hunter serving as primary songwriter and lead vocalist. Ten Women emerged as their most radio-friendly effort to date, replacing psychedelic textures with a direct modern-rock style. After touring behind the record and supporting the Alarm in the U.K., the group entered a two-year hiatus.
Wire Train resurfaced in 1990 with a self-titled album that incorporated folk and classic-rock elements, employing slide guitar, fiddles, and pedal steel. The new approach led to an invitation to open for Bob Dylan on a tour of state fairs. Following the contribution of “I Will Not Fall” to the soundtrack of the 1991 film Point Break, the band issued No Soul No Strain on MCA in 1992; the harder-edged set reflected prevailing dance-rock currents, particularly on the single “Stone Me.”
An additional MCA album, Snug, was recorded yet rejected by the label, prompting the band's dissolution in 1993. The remaining members (excluding Rundblad) later collaborated with Sheryl Crow on her Tuesday Night Music Club album, after which Trott and MacLeod pursued active sideman careers while Hunter joined Warner Music as a staff songwriter. Wire Train reconvened on two occasions: first in 2003 for an unaired VH1 episode of Bands Reunited and again in 2009 for three performances in San Francisco. Snug finally appeared around the time of the second reunion.
Albums
