BIOGRAPHY:
Arizona local legends, Generiks, formed in 1986 when a group of high school friends decided to start a punk band and write and perform their own unique style of music. Guitarist, Tim Sorensen, and bassist, James Brown, teamed up with vocalist, Phil Click, and soon found a drummer, Eric Dahl, to complete the band. Shortly after forming, The Generiks decided to polish their sound by adding a second guitarist, Jeff Wolford, and the band started performing shows throughout their home state of Arizona.
It didn't take long for The Generiks to develop a strong and loyal local following, and the band was soon compared to other successful local punk bands at the time, like JFA, Malignous Youth, and Junior Achievement. In 1991 the band released their first full length album, Constipation of Thought, on Cut Throat Records.
After releasing their debut album, The Generiks started touring frequently across the U.S., and the band eventually became a staple in the local music scene, often drawing hundreds, and even sometimes thousands of fans to their live performances.
As the Generiks recorded their follow up to their album, Constipation of Thought, bassist, James Brown, found it becoming much more difficult to tour with the band. After completing the recording process, Brown departed the band on good terms, and was replaced by Cean Colcord.
In 1995 The Generiks released Cactus Jelly Jive, the long awaited follow up to their debut album. Cactus Jelly Jive showed the diversity that The Generiks had in their songwriting, and the songs blended their trademark punk sound, with funk and alternative rock. The album helped solidify the bands presence in the local scene, and landed then a record contract with Retrograde Records.
The Generiks toured extensively over the next two years, and when they weren't on the road, the band was in the studio recording their next full length release. In 1997, the band released their third full length, Revenge of the Dung Beetle. The album featured the same raw punk sound from their debut, but was polished with a pop punk drive that made the songs melodic and catchy. The album was the bands most successful release, and was highly praised by fans and critics alike.
The Generiks toured all across the U.S. promoting the album, performing at iconic venues ranging from CBGB's in New York, to The Whiskey in LA. While members weren't touring, they were recording their next full length album, and by 1999, The Generiks seemed to be running on fumes.
Years of constant touring had a huge effect on everyone in the band, and in 2000, after finishing recording their new untitled and unreleased album, the band chose to go their separate ways. Lead vocalist, Phil Click retired from music, and guitarist, Jeff Wolford formed a new project called Blame it on the Letter. The remaining members formed a pop punk group called, The Liar's Club, and a few years later all of the former band members also retired from music.
In 2004, The Generiks performed a special reunion performance in Phoenix, Arizona for their many fans. The band recorded the live performance, but never released the recordings. Throughout the years, many local musicians have stated that The Generiks greatly influenced them, and the band left a huge mark on Arizona's local music scene. Even the late Chester Bennington has stated that The Generiks was one of his biggest influences and said that he felt as though the band contributed greatly to Arizona's music scene during the span of their career.
In 2022, The Generiks signed to Bad Stain Records in order to release their entire catalog of music on the label, including their unreleased final album, and the live recordings of their reunion performance. Bad Stain made The Generiks the first band in the labels Arizona Local Legends Collection, a series of releases from iconic local bands from Arizona that never achieved commercial success, despite having overwhelming talent and promising careers. Arizona Local Legends Collection: Volume #1 - Generiks, was released on Bad Stain Records in October of 2022, and since the release, the band members have stated that they all stay in close touch, and won't rule out reforming the band at some point in the future.
