Toadies Kick Off 2021 With 'A Dark Secret' And 'Jigsaw Girls'
The band also partnered with local coffee roaster Full City Rooster in 2019 for the release of Toadies Texas Pecan Coffee.
By: Sarah Jae Leiber Jan. 27, 2021
Toadies have two new non-musical releases planned for early 2021. The band partnered with local coffee roaster Full City Rooster in 2019 for the release of Toadies Texas Pecan Coffee. That partnership has lead to a new brew, Dark Secret. Toadies bassist Doni Blair says "After the success of our collaboration with Full City Rooster on the Toadies Pecan Coffee we wanted to go simpler on the next roast. We wanted to let Michael from Full City Rooster roasting skills and talents shine through and decided on an amazing Ethiopian dark roast that we are calling 'Dark Secrets'. No fanfare with packaging, we're letting the coffee speak for itself. But just in case we decided to wrap it in ninja black." Full City Roosters Michael Wyatt adds "Full City Rooster (est. 2013) always starts with the finest single origin coffees from micro-lot growers and socially responsible farms in the best coffee growing regions of the world. From there, we work hard to roast carefully to make individual qualities sing from each coffee origin. 'Dark Secret"' is a collaboration with The Toadies-a dark roast of the finest beans from around the world. Dark Secret goes beyond smokey and intense not unlike the band itself."
The coffee will be available via mailorder starting February 1st.
Fueled by all that coffee, Toadies singer Vaden Todd Lewis has just released the first in series of lyric comics in a collaboration with illustrator Lee Davis. Vaden says "I've wanted to see the stories behind our songs realized in a visual/printed format. Its very exciting and fulfilling to see these characters come to life. Lee's illustrations really bring out the macabre dark humor that's been a big part of my writing style my whole career."
Davis comments "When I heard Toadies on the radio or MTV I enjoyed their infectious music, and the line "Do you wanna die?" is one of those moments that was imprinted on my mind and years later sounded just as clear in my head as the first time I heard it. So it was surreal when I got word that my illustration work was desired by the band for a comic run. It was and is a thrill and an honor to take on this task. The lyrics proved uniquely ambiguous, as I discovered a truly unsuspected vision behind the words: I'd started reading the script expecting to go outside of my love for the weird and horrific to explore a tamer realm, yet suddenly I realized just how bloody and gleefully bizarre this vision of Vaden's really was."
The band has been laying low during the pandemic but convened last summer to release a cover of 'You Are Not Alone'. The track was written by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy for Mavis Staples' 2010 album of the same title. Vaden Todd Lewis talks about the track: " It was a live performance of Tweedy with Mavis Staples, and it felt like it had been written for this very moment, when we can't hug our friends or even some of our family. I immediately wanted to cover this song so I could help deliver the message that you are not alone."
Drummer Mark Reznicek adds: "We would like to extend some small measure of hope and solidarity with this song. We're all in this together, and you are not alone."
Guitarist and award winning editor Clark Vogeler captured the session, showing the band recording from their homes in Texas to California.
They also released a mask with a portion of each sale benefitting Music Cares. Buy here.
Toadies have more than 25 years, countless shows and seven studio albums behind them. They have played Lollapalooza, ACL, graced the cover of Marvel Comics, released five signature beers with Martin House Brewing, a signature coffee with Full City Rooster, have had a "Toadies Day" declared by their hometown of Fort Worth and have hosted ten Dia De Los Toadies, their festival that launched in 2008 honoring Texas musicians and beyond. In 2019 they celebrated the 25th anniversary of their platinum-selling Rubberneck with a series of sold-out shows. The album spawned the hit singles 'Tyler' and 'Possum Kingdom' and reached #1 on Billboard's Heatseakers chart and spent 49 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 chart. Toadies broke up shortly after the release of the follow up full length Hell Below/Stars Above. A one-off gig in 2006 become a full-fledged reunion with their devoted following growing stronger each year since.
Toadies encourage everyone to wear a mask and be safe. They are hopeful to announce a 2021 tour soon.
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