Home Grown (2)

American pop punk band from Orange, California, active from 1993 to 2005. Released three albums and five EPs. Singer/guitarist John Tran (stage name Johnee Trash/John E. Trash), singer/guitarist Ian "Slur" Cone, and drummer Bob "Stress" Herco met while classmates at El Modena High School in Orange, and formed Home Grown shortly after graduating. Adding singer/bassist Adam "Adumb" Lohrbach (who had attended Estancia High School in nearby Costa Mesa), they released their debut 7" EP Smoking Is Cool in 1994 on Insta-Noise Records. Their first full-length album, That's Business, was released in 1995 on local label Liberation Records. It was given an overseas release in Europe and Sweden in 1996 by Burning Heart Records, who also released their EP Wusappaning?! the same year (a U.S. release of the EP came in 1998 on Cargo Music/Grilled Cheese). The band's early sound was heavily influenced by ska-punk, leading to their inclusion on a number of punk- and ska-themed compilations. Home Grown signed to major label Outpost Recordings, who released their second album, Act Your Age (1998). A new recording of the That's Business song "Surfer Girl" was released as the album's single. Cone left the band after the album's release, and was replaced by Justin Poyser. That December, Herco had surgery to remove a brain tumor. He underwent rehabilitation, was able to tour, and played on the 1999 EP EP Phone Home, released on Fueled By Ramen. However, he did not play on Home Grown's 2000 split EP with Limbeck on Utility Records, titled Connection (Tran played drums on one track, while Poyser played on the other two). He left the band that September, citing complications from his surgery. Darren Reynolds of Longfellow was recruited to fill in for a tour that began the following month. A few dates into the tour, Poyser quit the group over personal differences, reducing them to a trio. Reynolds' membership became permanent by early 2001, but Outpost Recordings folded, leaving the band without a recording contract. In June 2001 Home Grown signed with Drive Thru Records, who released their 2002 album Kings Of Pop, which found them leaning fully into a pop punk sound. Shortly after its release, guitarist Dan Hammond (of This Camero) joined the band to play on that summer's Warped Tour, eventually becoming a full time member. Kings Of Pop was supported by a single and music video for "You're Not Alone" and additional videos for "Kiss Me, Diss Me" and "I Love You, Not". The EP When It All Comes Down followed in 2004, showing the band maturing musically and lyrically. Lohrbach left Home Grown in April 2005, going on to co-found New Years Day. Home Grown continued as a live act, bringing in bassist Ted Vega, but went on indefinite hiatus in 2006. Tran started a new band called Red Panda, while Reynolds started a band called Defender and Hammond joined Paper Models.