Moist is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1992. It consists of
David Usher as lead vocalist, Mark Makoway on lead guitars,
Jonathan Gallivan on guitars, Kevin Young on keyboards, Francis Fillion on drums, and Jeff Pearce on bass. Drummer Paul Wilcox left the band just before its hiatus in 2000.
Moist was signed by
EMI Music in 1994 and released three studio albums in the 1990s, becoming a staple of
Canadian rock music. Shortly after releasing a compilation album in 2001, the band underwent an unplanned hiatus for over a decade, and then became officially re-established in June 2013.
Shortly after reuniting, the band began work on their fourth studio album, entitled ''
Glory Under Dangerous Skies
''Glory Under Dangerous Skies'', originally titled ''Moist IV'', is a 2014 studio album released by the Canadian alternative rock band Moist on October 7, 2014 through Universal Music Canada. The album is Moist's first studio offering since thei ...
'', which was released in 2014. Their fifth album, ''
End of the Ocean
''End of the Ocean'' is the fifth studio album from Canadian alternative rock band Moist. Originally set to be released on October 1, 2021, it was released on January 14, 2022. The album and its title track are centered around themes of human co ...
'', is scheduled to be released in January 2022.
The band has been nominated for ten
Juno Awards, winning two. Between 1996 and 2016, Moist was among the top 50 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 20 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.
History
Founding and mainstream success (1992–2001)
Mark Makoway, Jeff Pearce,
David Usher and Kevin Young, all from
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, all individually moved to
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. Th ...
over eight years. The group came together in 1992 where they formed the first version of Moist, which included drummer Jamie Kaufmann. The band began writing songs in November 1992 and played their first gig two months later. Drummer Paul Wilcox replaced Kaufmann in early 1993. In 1993, the band recorded a 9-song demo tape at the 8th Avenue Sound Studio with engineer Kevin Hamilton. Their sound was influenced by contemporary
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...
acts such as
Soundgarden
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (both of whom are the only members to appear in every incarnation of the band), and bassist Hiro Ya ...
,
Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. The band's lineup consists of founding members Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), Mike McCready (lead guitar), and Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, ...
,
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lamp Richard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo. ...
,
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains (often abbreviated as AIC) is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who later recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne ...
.
The two-day recording session cost $500 Canadian dollars. The band had 500 copies of the untitled cassette pressed. The band found support from the staff at the flagship
Sam the Record Man store in Vancouver. The cassette reached No. 1 on Sam the Record Man's local independent chart. The release was distributed to other stores in the national chain and entered the top 10 on Sam the Record Man's national independent chart. In 1993, Moist signed to
EMI Music Publishing Canada. Moist spent much of 1993 touring Canada and writing material for an expanded release. In January 1994, they completed their first full-length album, which cost $3,000 Canadian dollars. The album was titled ''
Silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
'' and released independently on February 8, 1994. After
MuchMusic began playing the music video for Moist's lead single "
Push
Push may refer to:
Music
* Mike Dierickx (born 1973), a Belgian producer also known as Push
Albums
* ''Push'' (Bros album), 1988
* ''Push'' (Gruntruck album), 1992
* ''Push'' (Jacky Terrasson album), 2010
Songs
* "Push" (Enrique Iglesias ...
" in medium rotation, the album sold almost 6,000 records within six weeks. By March 1994, the band signed with
EMI Music Canada. The ''Silver'' album went on to sell 400,000 copies in Canada on the strength of the singles "Push", "Silver", "Believe Me" and "Machine Punch Through". The band was also successful internationally in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Thailand.
That year the band continued to tour around Canada. In 1995, the band won the
Juno Award
The Juno Awards, more popularly known as the JUNOS, are awards presented annually to Canadian musical artists and bands to acknowledge their artistic and technical achievements in all aspects of music. New members of the Canadian Music Hall o ...
for "
Best New Group".

In late 1996, Moist released their second album, ''
Creature
Creature often refers to:
* An animal, monster, or alien
Creature or creatures may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Creature'' (1985 film), a 1985 science fiction film by William Malone
* ''Creature'' (miniseries), a 1998 TV movie abou ...
'', to favourable reviews and sales in excess of 300,000 units. The album included the hits "
Leave It Alone", "
Resurrection
Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, whic ...
", "Tangerine", and "Gasoline", all of which were placed on high rotation on
MuchMusic. In addition to these, a remixed version of "Tangerine" became a hit on radio and MuchMusic.
Following the band's second record, David Usher released his first solo album, ''
Little Songs''.
In early 1999, the band regrouped to record their third full-length album, the melancholic and soft-toned ''
Mercedes 5 and Dime
''Mercedes 5 and Dime'' is the third studio album released by the Canadian alternative rock band Moist. Released in Canada on June 29, 1999, and in the United States a year later, it includes the hits "Breathe" and "Underground". The album debute ...
''. The album was released in the summer of 1999 in Canada and later in 2000 in the United States. Singles included "
Breathe", "Underground", and "Comes and Goes". While touring in support of the album, drummer Paul Wilcox injured his back, causing him to miss the band's final performances. In December 2000, it was revealed that Wilcox had decided to take a "potential permanent leave from the band." Wilcox never returned to the band and retired from music. The band released a compilation album and DVD in 2001, titled ''
Machine Punch Through
''Machine Punch Through: The Singles Collection'' is an album by the Canadian alternative rock band Moist, released in 2001. The album featured one new song, "Sunday Comes," previously issued on the "Breathe" remix single. The remainder of the ...
'', and thereafter unofficially entered a hiatus period that would last 12 years.
Hiatus (2001–2013)
During the band's hiatus, David Usher continued to record solo, releasing ''
Morning Orbit'' in 2001, ''
Hallucinations
A hallucination is a perception in the absence of an external stimulus that has the qualities of a real perception. Hallucinations are vivid, substantial, and are perceived to be located in external objective space. Hallucination is a combinati ...
'' in 2003, ''
If God Had Curves
''If God Had Curves'' is the fourth album by David Usher, released in 2005. The album includes the first single, "Love Will Save the Day", as well as 10 other new songs. Guest musicians on the album include Bruce Cockburn and Tegan Quin. The albu ...
'' in 2005, ''
Strange Birds
''Strange Birds'' is the fifth studio album by David Usher, released on March 20, 2007 via MapleMusic Recordings and Universal Music Canada labels. Four singles were released from the album: "The Music", "Ugly Is Beautiful", "Some People Say" and ...
'' in 2007, ''
Wake Up and Say Goodbye'' in 2008, ''
The Mile End Sessions
''The Mile End Sessions'' is the seventh album by solo artist David Usher. It was released on September 14, 2010 and is composed mostly of previously released songs re-recorded in acoustic arrangements. There were two singles released off the reco ...
'' in 2010, and ''
Songs from the Last Day on Earth
''Songs from the Last Day on Earth'' is the eighth studio album by Canadian solo artist David Usher. It was released on October 2, 2012 via MapleMusic Recordings label.
Track listing
Review
—CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC F ...
'' in 2012. Mark Makoway published a guide to the music industry, called The Indie Band Bible, and continued to produce and mix records. Jeff Pearce formed the band RYE, and released the album "Wolves" through Maple Nationwide in 2004. Kevin Young toured with David and worked as a freelance writer.
Reunion, new albums (2013–present)
In June, 2013, the band got back together, with Francis Fillion on drums. The first new Moist recording in 13 years, a cover of Greg Lake's "I Believe in Father Christmas", was released through
CBC Music
CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards ...
in December 2013. Moist toured around Canada in November and December that year, calling their tour "Moist - The Resurrection", a reference to their 1996 single "Resurrection".
The tour began in
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximat ...
and ended in
Calgary
Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...
,
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
.
In January 2014, the band, now including Jonathan Gallivan, who had accompanied Moist as a second guitarist on the 2013 tour, reconvened in
Montréal to continue work on material for a new album. Although he would still be featured on some of the new record, bassist Jeff Pearce left to focus on being a father. Recording of the new songs began in January, 2014. The band signed a new deal with
Universal Music Canada, and released a single, "Mechanical", to radio on May 23, 2014 and to
iTunes on May 27. The band's fourth full-length album, ''
Glory Under Dangerous Skies
''Glory Under Dangerous Skies'', originally titled ''Moist IV'', is a 2014 studio album released by the Canadian alternative rock band Moist on October 7, 2014 through Universal Music Canada. The album is Moist's first studio offering since thei ...
'', was released on October 7, 2014.
On May 9, 2019, it was announced that Jeff Pearce had reunited with the band. 2019 also marked the 25th anniversary of Moist's debut hit album ''Silver''. Moist took to the road for the ''Silver'' 25th Anniversary Tour through Canada. The group performed ''Silver'' in its entirety, as well as favourites from their career. In November 2019, Moist released a 2CD/digital remastered edition of ''Silver'' and a 180g 3LP deluxe edition out in December. Both versions include demos, acoustic versions, and previously unreleased live tracks recorded in Los Angeles in 1994.
Also in November 2019, Moist released remasters of their albums, ''Silver'', ''Creature'', and ''Mercedes Five and Dime'', for the first time on 180g vinyl.
In January 2021, Moist released a single "Tarantino", their first new song since 2014.
In April 2021, Moist announced that they would be releasing a new studio album, ''
End of the Ocean
''End of the Ocean'' is the fifth studio album from Canadian alternative rock band Moist. Originally set to be released on October 1, 2021, it was released on January 14, 2022. The album and its title track are centered around themes of human co ...
'', on October 1, 2021.
The title track single of the same name was simultaneously released. The release date of the album has since changed to January 14, 2022.
Discography
Studio albums
Independent albums
Compilation albums
Singles
*Note: The ''RPM'' Rock/Alternative chart was not created until June 1995, hence no ranking for ''Silver'' singles.
Music videos
Band members
Current members
*
David Usher – lead vocals (1992–2001, 2013–present)
*Mark Makoway – guitars (1992–2001, 2013–present)
*Kevin Young – keyboards, backing vocals (1992–2001, 2013–present)
*Jeff Pearce – bass, mandolin, backing vocals (1992–2001, 2013–2014, 2019–present)
*Francis Fillion – drums (2013–present)
*
Jonathan Gallivan - guitars, backing vocals (2014–present)
Former members
*Jamie Kaufmann – drums (1992-1993)
*Paul Wilcox – drums (1993–2000)
*Louis Lalancette - bass (2014–2018)
Timeline
Awards and recognition
*Won Juno for Best New Group at the 1995 Juno Awards.
*Won Juno for best video (Gasoline) at the 1997 Juno Awards.
*Won "Q107 Canada's Rock Award" for best album (Silver) in 1995.
*Won "Q107 Canada's Rock Award" for best group in 1995.
*David Usher won "Q107 Canada's Rock Award" for best singer in 1995.
*Kevin Young won "Q107 Canada's Rock Award" for best keyboard player in 1995.
*Won an MMVA (
MuchMusic Video Award) for Favorite Canadian Group in 1995.
*The video for the song ''Tangerine'' won Best Video, and Best Director at the (
MuchMusic Video Awards) in 1997.
*Jon Benedictson Drummer from 1990 - 1993*
References
External links
Moist entryat JAM! Canadian Pop Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moist (Canadian Band)
Canadian post-grunge groups
Canadian alternative rock groups
Juno Award for Breakthrough Group of the Year winners
Musical groups from Vancouver
Musical groups established in 1992
Musical groups disestablished in 2001
Musical groups reestablished in 2013
1992 establishments in British Columbia
2001 disestablishments in British Columbia
2013 establishments in British Columbia