How To Kill A Platinum Band In 5 Years
This week we’re talking about the Toadies — the band from Fort Worth, Texas that wrote one of the creepiest, most addictive rock songs of the 90s and then watched their own record label bury them alive. Vaden Todd Lewis and the guys ground it out in sweaty Texas bars until Interscope Records came calling, and for a minute there, everything worked. “Possum Kingdom” climbed to number four on the Modern Rock charts, Rubberneck went platinum, and they were touring with Bush and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. They were supposed to be the next big thing.
But then the label shelved their second album. Just refused to release it. Said there were no hits on it. And while the Toadies sat in limbo for five years, unable to record for anyone else, grunge died, boy bands took over, and the world forgot about them. The band fractured. Members left. Vaden quit music entirely and disappeared to Houston. For four years, the Toadies were just a memory — that band with the song about the vampire at the lake.
What happened next is one of the best comeback stories in rock. The fans in Texas kept Rubberneck alive like a holy text, and when the band finally reunited, they did it on their own terms — no major label, owning their own masters, running their own festival on the actual shore of Possum Kingdom Lake. They even re-recorded that shelved album from scratch after Interscope claimed they lost the master tapes. And they ended up making more money as an independent band than they ever did as Interscope’s afterthought.
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The Death of Grunge: What Went Terribly Wrong? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DS3wf45iiU
The Most Brutal Record Deal to Ever Ruin a Career https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0Aih8tXnBU
Steve Albini HATED Record Labels (but LOVED bands) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTZd7ovPhhQ
The Fake Indie Band That Conned the 90s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh1g61kLJ3U
He Got Dropped, Fired, And Went Platinum https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKOyzL9CiMc
The Most Stubborn Band Alive https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ykuxsyBGCY
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@nessieburgess
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
107.7 The End, the best Seattle radio station at the time.
@yojimborockford
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I remember the album release party at Mad Hatters. That was a blast
@user-ef7wk6gb4k
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
There really are so many good tracks on Rubberneck… Others here have mentioned Backslider and I Come From the Water etc. but Tyler was always the sleeper/best tune on the album imo….
@Ghostlydustup
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
You should do Failure next. Kind of a similar trajectory.
@Ghostlydustup
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Music labels will do everything they can to shoot themselves in the foot.
@IRDeady
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
What if i told you that if I told you what I told you I told you what if….also this is really sad. I loved this band and then they just vanished. Had no idea what happened. But it's good they figured it out in the end.
@jasoncampbell3955
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I remember that "Possum Kingdom" song vividly… I like the 7/4 time signature bar.
@RavnerRavner
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
The prelude of this video I was convinced was going to be about Pariah….
Pariah's story was made for Guitar Meets Science
@rb5519
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Music history and hot news in one video. Cool!
@junkheadINC
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
You are a very busy man.
@RonG40
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Great album. ‘I Come From the Water’ is an absolute jam. Pleasantly surprised to see them touring and kicking ass.
@tomkillsjerry
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
i was at that first Dia De Los Toadies festival it was insane the local cops were such dicks
@libseely
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
And the moral of the story is, own your masters.
@bevo65
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Texan here. We do indeed love us some Toadies. 🤠🤘
@raymondmasullo6686
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I never even heard of these guys but a great story and video, nevertheless. Keep 'em coming! 🤘
@Masterfilm15
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Great one!
@JCWillis-l6e
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Glad The Toadies got a second lease on life, but–damn–the world needs more Steve Albinis. Another great job covering these guys, GMS!
@AnimalMother1976
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I’d be doing work-study after school banging nails w my dad when this song was popular and my dad HATED it, I think because of the whole “dooooo youuuu wannna DYEEEEEEE?!??” part. My dad didn’t let much bother him so he was either staving off an existential crisis or he was misunderstanding the lyrics.
@xyshomavazax
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Happy ending. Nice!
@sentforth5
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I just can't handle the strings flopping around on that headstock…drives me nuts
@larryshepherd5380
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
I was listening to the toadies yesterday while fishing. Still love them.
@Hugh_Bleffner
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
watching this reminded me of band called Tadpole 🐸
@GrimbleGromble1689
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
The one thing I remember about my freshman high school orientation is that there was one guy that had the Rubberneck CD on him going on and on about how cool this band was. I don’t remember anything else about that day, not even which guy it was that introduced me to this band back in 95, but once I heard the opening licks of Mexican Hairless, I was captivated and never looked back.
@tp8271
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
That do you wanna die song came on while we were at work and unanimously, Every single person wanted to turn it off besides one guy. horrid fucking song, not because the lyrics, but just because it sucks.
@mikelshilling
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Love how The Toadies and Local H never gave up and are on tour right now.
@annemarieheller8771
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Wow! Such a triumphant story with an exceptional cast — including Paul Leary AND Steve Albini! The Toadies get mad props!
@jacal8428
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
So thank you.
@ericbelnades1257
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
A story with a happy ending? Expectations subverted.
Possum Kingdom was my fave on GH2, guess I need to dive into the band further.
@JJ-wi2uw
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Regarding bands being "loud" , I sometimes wonder how many of these bands and their members end up with hearing loss? Surely it's an occupational hazard of the industry and there are some quite famous cases of band members having to deal with Tinnitus e.g. Pete Townshend of The Who. As someone that has some hearing loss and has had to deal with the annoyance of Tinnitus, I encourage all to educate themselves on the issue and look after and protect their hearing by wearing suitable hearing protection when exposed. Particularly if it's on a regular basis.
@BeesWaxMinder
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Sad to say this isn’t the only story like this
this is why, largely, record companies killed themselves and destroyed the whole industry.
It’s more on them than anyone else.
@BeesWaxMinder
June 8, 2026 at 2:11 am
Never heard of’em
But I WILL 😂
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