Cuppa Joe

UPDATES We've Finally Got A Website Http //www.Cuppajoeband.Com Our 1994 Album "Nurture" From Dromedary Records Is Now On ITunes Http //itunes.Apple.Com/us/album/broken-Arms/id352677399?i 352677406&ign-Mpt Uo=6 Cuppa Joe Has Signed To The Newly-Revitalized Dromedary Records Http //www.Dromedary-Records.Com/artists/cuppa-Joe Cuppa Joe Was Formed In 1991 At Trenton State College Now The College Of New Jersey By Doug Larkin Bob "Diz" Diszler And Steve Spatucci. Doug And Diz Friends Since Childhood Had Been Playing Music Together For Years When They Made The Decision To Form A Band. Doug Had Written A Number Of Songs Since The Breakup Of His Previous Band The Soil. Former Soil Guitarist Steve Playo Suggested His Housemate Steve Spatucci As A Candidate For The Newly Formed Band's Drummer Position. After Several Rehearsals The Band Formally Came Together As Cuppa Joe. Cuppa Joe Played Its First Show At Café Lion The Outdoor Evening Cafeteria At Trenton State On A Warm Spring Night In 1991. In The Following Year They Recorded 8 Songs With John Bailey At S.S. Sound Studios And Released Them As The "Demonstrations" Cassette. The Band Began Playing Shows At The Rat Trenton State's On-Campus Bar Tir Na Nog Stevie T's And Club 14 In Trenton And Various Other Venues Around New Jersey New York City And The Philadelphia Region. After Graduating From College Doug Steve And Diz Landed A Small Deal With New Jersey-Based Label Dromedary Records. Their First Dromedary Release Was The Song "Meanings" On The "...Nothing Smells Quite Like Elizabeth" Compilation CD In 1992. The Band Returned To S.S. Sound Studios In 1993 And Recorded Additional Songs Which Were First Issued On 1993's "Busy Work E.P." And Then On Their First Full-Length CD "Nurture" In 1994 - Both Dromedary Records Releases. In The Fall Of 1993 Diz Left The Band To Pursue A Career In Public Service. Doug's Younger Brother Rick Stepped In To Fill The Vacated Bass Position. For The Next Two Years Cuppa Joe Played Shows At The Fast Lane In Asbury Park The Bond Street Cafe And Under Acme In New York City The Chestnut Cabaret In Philadelphia Stevie T's Tir Na Nog And The Rat In Trenton Love Sexy And Live Tonight! In Hoboken Stockton State College And Other Bars And Clubs Book Stores Self-Created Firehouse Shows And In-Home Performances In Support Of "Nurture". The Band Also Did Radio Interviews And In-Studio Performances On WHTG In Long Branch NJ WMWM In Salem MA And WPRB In Princeton NJ During This Period. During This Time Doug Amassed A Series Of Solo Four-Track Recordings. Four Of These Songs Were Released In 1994 Under Doug's Solo Project Name "Passenger". Doug And Steve Started A Label Inkling Records Through Which They Released The Passenger 7" E.P. Doug Made A Decision In 1995 To Join The Peace Corps. Before Being Sent To Kenya For A Two-Year Tour The Band Recorded 16 New Songs And Performed A Few Local Shows Around Central New Jersey. After Doug Had Left The Country The Band Released Those Songs As "Casualties Of Explorations And Growth" A Full-Length Cassette Album. Cuppa Joe Then Went On Hiatus. During This Period Drive-In Records A Small Label From Grand Rapids Michigan Contacted The Band. Drive-In Selected Two Songs From "Casualties" Releasing Them As The "Archichipellago/Love Peace Anarchy Infinity" 7" Vinyl Single In 1995. While Doug Was In Kenya He Began Writing Songs Inspired By His Peace Corps Experiences. He Recorded 16 Songs On A Boombox In His One-Room African Home Singing And Playing Acoustic Guitar. These Low-Fi Recordings Were Sent To Steve In America Who Added Percussion And Backing Vocal Tracks. The Cross-Continental Effort Was Self-Released On Cassette As "The Short Rains" In Early 1997. Doug Returned From His Peace Corps Duty Later In 1997 Writing Another Batch Of New Songs. Doug's Brother Rick Was Now Off At College So Doug And Steve Found Craig Frame Whose Band Uncle Seymour Had Played With Cuppa Joe At Trenton State And Asked Craig To Join What Would Be The Last Phase Of The Band. With Craig Cuppa Joe Played Two Shows - One At Bryn Mawr University In Pennsylvania With Australian Band The Lucksmiths And Their Final Performance At The Rat At Trenton State In 1998. They Also Recorded Four New Songs At This Point - Two Songs Written By Doug And Two Written And Featuring Lead Vocals/guitar By Craig. Doug And His Wife Re-Joined The Peace Corps In 1998 And Left For Duty In Papua New Guinea. Before Leaving Doug And Steve Collected These News Songs As Well As A Few Live Tracks Unreleased Demos And Studio-Recorded Songs As Their Final Self-Released CD "Following Lights Into The Forest" In Early 1999. read less