Oddfellows Local

Alternative rock quartet from Trinidad and Tobago, formed in 1990 by Gary Hector (vocals, guitar), Bruce Bressler (guitar), Corey Wallace (bass), and Bernard Abreu (drums). In 1991, the band released their debut single "Arrest Arrest" b/w "Red House," pressing several hundred vinyl and cassette copies using their own money. With the advent of Radio Tempo, a station specializing in home-grown recordings, "Arrest Arrest" received steady radio play. It was eventually accompanied by a nationally televised music video for the song, directed by close friend and fellow collaborator Walt Lovelace, which was a milestone at the time for the country's seldom acknowledged, yet budding underground rock scene. Two years later, following steady gigging in the local club circuit, the band caught the attention of United States-based Nerve Records, an indie label from San Francisco, California who previously had moderate success with R&B singer Tara Kemp, and proceeded to sign with them. For the band's next single release, "Bright And Early Monday Morning," its A-side would be recorded in San Francisco as a solo acoustic performance by Hector, while its B-side, "Little Miss Popular," was recorded by the whole band back in Trinidad. In 1994, they released their debut mini-album, Localize It, which compiled the music from their initial single releases alongside new songs taken from several studio sessions at Nerve Records, including a full-band recording of "Bright And Early Monday Morning." Despite the album being positively received on college radio in the United States, all the while the music video for "Little Miss Popular" was aired back home, the label was unable to provide the band any additional funding for touring or promotion, thus bringing an end to their partnership. By 1995, Oddfellows Local soldiered on in Trinidad's club circuit. However, they’d grow increasingly disenchanted once corporate interests hampered the scene's expansion at a festival level. The band would break up amicably the same year, and by 1996, frontman Gary Hector formed a new band, Jointpop, alongside Oddfellows Local bassist Corey Wallace, with guitarist Damon Homer and drummer Gerard Rajkumar rounding out the initial lineup. Throughout Jointpop's existence, Hector and Homer would be its two constant members until the band's breakup in 2019.