The Prozacs

The Prozacs are an American pop punk band formed in 2001 by Jay Gauvin (aka J Prozac).^[1] The band has toured nationally and internationally and has appeared at events such as Insubordination Fest^[2] and Vans Warped Tour,^[3] Germany's Puke Fest and has released five studio albums and several splits and EP'S on various independent labels.

History[]

The band formed in September 2001 as a side project of Jay Gauvin of The GrandPrixx. Original line up of Jay Gauvin (AKA J Prozac) on guitar and vocals, Kevin Bouvier on guitar, Matt Santos on drums and Dave Nocrasz on bass and vocals, lasted only three months. This line up wrote nine songs together and played three shows. By spring of 2002, Dave moved to guitar, Colin Vicalvi joined on bass and Justin Cohen on drums. This lasted until July, when The band recorded 16 demos in Ohio with Ralf Vermin on drums, then Marty Beach joining on drums in September 2002.

The band's first album, Thanks For Nothing, was recorded in the fall of 2002 and released on May 16, 2003.^[4] September 2003, Marty and Dave left the band, shortly after completing an East Coast tour with The Vents and several high profile shows, including New England's Skate Fest. Glenn Robinson and Pete Camera of label mate band The Paranoids joined on drums and guitar. In April 2004 the “Monsters Night Out” CDEP was recorded, followed by Glenn and Pete's departure, and released in August 2004 on Cheapskate Records, following a North East USA tour with Darlington and Johnie 3 in the bands first incarnation as a three piece, with Mike Allan on drums.^[5] The band released a split 7-Inch with Johnie 3 in early 2005 entitled “Turntable Not Included”, featuring Justin Cohen on drums.^[6] In January 2005, Matty Prozac joined on drums, Karl Ourand on guitar and sometimes bass, and that spring, a live album was recorded at CBGB in New York City.^[7]

Sean Watson replaced Colin on bass in mid 2005. The band released the "Odds N' Ends" 7", "Summer Sounds" four-way split and a split CD with Johnie 3 entitled “We Should Split”.^[8] The band toured and played constantly through 2005 and 2006, including playing the Ernie Ball stage at Vans Warped Tour in Northampton, Massachusetts, the first Insubordination Fest in Baltimore in 2006 ^[9] tours with The Apers and Johnie 3. Matty Prozac was hospitalized with a ruptured spleen, due to drinking too much after Insub 2006. This was Karl's last show with the band, being briefly replaced by Andrew Strikeout and then Jed Dion respectively, on guitar, before going on as a three piece band again.^[7]

By March 2007 the "Pieces" 7" and the band's sophomore album Questions, Answers, And Things Never Found was released,^[10] followed by the release of “Stickin' With It”, a split with New Hampshire punk band The Guts.^[11] Sean left the band, being replaced by Bernie Lyons for the band's third album, Playing The Chords We Love, which was released on CD by Cheapskate Records in 2008 and LP by Knowhere and No Breaks Records in 2009. Matty Prozac and Bernie left the band prior to its completion and release in mid 2008.^[12]

Jimmy Craig and Adam Taylor joined on drums and bass in mid 2008 and the trio supported the release of "Playing The Chords We Love" and recorded a split 7" with the McRackins called “Somebody Out There Loves Us”. Adam briefly left the band, being replaced by Pete Martone on bass, before returning a few months later, with the addition of Rob Sarno on guitar. Sporadic weekend tours and shows were played in 2009 throughout 2011 with this line up, and occasionally Matty filling in on drums. The band did a week long tour in the fall of 2009 with Las Vegas band Murder Majesty, including shows in Vegas, Arizon and New Mexico, as a 3 piece, with Matty Prozac on drums and touring fill in bassist Bill Crumpton. During this era, the band released ^[13] a split CD with Italian punk band Super White Garlic, entitled “Broken Smiles”, a split 7" with No Intention called "Another Bright Idea" and the Cleaning Out The Closet collection album. Rob Sarno left the band in 2011, leaving the trio of J Prozac, Jimmy Craig and Adam Taylor.^[14]

In the summer of 2012, J Prozac was in the process of recording his debut solo album Here is My Heart, as well as writing new material, outside of The Prozacs, with ex-drummer Matty Prozac, initially called "J Prozac and The Other Guys" and only lasting five practices. Jon Kane was added on guitar with The Prozacs that summer. Adam Taylor left The Prozacs that fall, adding John Novak on bass. Jimmy left on drums by the end of 2012, with Matty joining back on drums officially for the first time since 2008. Going into 2013, the new line up of J Prozac, with Matty, Jon and John, lasted only five months and yielded a split 7" with Chicago band The Kobanes. J Prozac was also working at this time with Bil McRackin of Vancouver, Canada band McRackins, on what would become the album Doubtfire. Jimmy and Adam returned to The Prozacs in June 2013, with Adam leaving for good in November.

In January 2014, J Prozac and Jimmy started "J Prozac & The Stilettos" with Jeff/Scott Blood and Jays wife Andy Nihilate, which became Stiletto Bomb. The idea was moving on from The Prozacs, so Jimmy and J contributed songs that were headed for the next Prozacs album. The band performed live a mix of Prozacs, J Prozac and new Stiletto Bomb songs. The Prozacs collection CD "Is This How It Ends?" was released in 2014 to serve as a closure release of the band. During this time, J was began playing again with Matty Prozac on drums as "J Prozac" and joined by Paul Basile on bass until August, then Nic Cross on bass thru December, with the idea of rebranding as "The Sonic Diffusers" which never stuck.

In 2015, the band did another split, this time with Darlington.^[15] In 2016, The Prozacs released a six-song EP titled "A Little Something" on Outloud & Pop-A-Pill Records.^[16] The band broke up again in January 2017, but got together later that year to release the album Exist.^[1]

Band members[]

Jay Prozac (current)
Jimmy Craig (current
Adam Taylor
Matty Prozac
Jon Kane
John Novak
Rob Sarno
Dave Nocrasz
Kevin Bouvier
Matt Santos
Coliano Prozac
Justin Accident
Ralf Vermin (drums on demos 2002)
Marty Beach
Glenn Robinson
Pete Camera
Mike Allen
Karl Ourand
Sean Chin-nuts
Andrew Strikeout
Jed Intention (current)
Bernie Nobody
Paul Basile
Nic Cross
Pete Martone
Kyle Carnage (current)

Discography[]

Studio albums[]

• Thanks For Nothing CD (2003)
• Questions, Answers, And Things Never Found CD (2007)
• Playing The Chords We Love CD/LP(2008)
• Exist CD (2017)
• Ambivalence CD/LP (2019)

EPs[]

• Monsters Night Out CDEP (2004)
• Odds N' Ends 7" (2006)
• Pieces 7" (2007)
• A Little Something CDEP (2016)

Live albums[]

• Live At CBGB (2005) Cheapskate Records

Compilation albums[]

• Cleaning Out The Closet (2010)
• Is This How It Ends? (2014)

Splits[]

• Prozacs/Johnie 3 7" (2005)
• Summer Sounds 4 Band Split CD (2005)
• Prozacs/Johnie 3 CD (2006)
• Prozacs/The Guts 7" (2007)
• McRackins/Prozacs 7" (2009)
• Prozacs/Super White Garlic CD (2010)
• Prozacs/ No Intention 7" (2011)
• Prozacs/Kobanes 7" (2013)
• Prozacs/Darlington 7" (2015)
• Prozacs/Marko and the Bruisers 7" (2018)

References[]

External links[]

• http://www.interpunk.com/band.cfm?BandID=4273&
• http://www.myspace.com/theprozacs
• http://www.reverbnation.com/theprozacs
• http://www.theprozacs.com