The Distillers

Living in Melbourne, Australia, guitarist/vocalist Brody Armstrong paid her dues on the local punk rock circuit with an obscure band, Sourpuss, before relocating to America in 1998. Shortly after arriving, Brody found a kindred spirit in Detroit, Michigan-based guitarist Rose Casper. Soon thereafter, the other pieces to the Distillers puzzle neatly fell into place, as Kim Chi (bass) and Matt Young (drums) signed on. A recording contract with the Epitaph Records imprint Hellcat followed shortly thereafter (a label run by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong, who later married Brody), resulting in the release of the band’s debut album in 2000. Despite the disc becoming a favourite among punk revivalists, the entire Distillers line-up then split-up, with two previous members (Chi and Young) signing on with former X singer Exene Cervenka’s new band, the Original Sinners. With new members Ryan Sinn (bass) and Andy Outbreak (drums) in place, the Distillers issued a follow-up, Sing Sing Death House, in 2002. The album featured the live favourite “Seneca Falls”.