Cake

Formed in Sacramento, California, in August 1991, Cake’s initial lineup included John McCrea (lead vocals, acoustic guitar), Vince DiFiore (trumpet), Greg Brown (guitar), Frank French (drums), and Shon Meckfessel (bass), with Gabe Nelson replacing Meckfessel early on. The band independently released their debut album, “Motorcade of Generosity,” in 1994, which garnered critical acclaim and led to a record deal with Capricorn Records in 1995. This re-release saw their single “Rock ‘n’ Roll Lifestyle” reach number 35 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and the album was nominated for a Bammy Award for “Outstanding Debut Album.” Following this success, French and Nelson departed, replaced by Todd Roper and Victor Damiani, respectively.

The band’s second album, “Fashion Nugget,” released in 1996, propelled them to platinum status, largely due to the hit single “The Distance,” which peaked at number 5 on the RPM Alternative 30 and in the Modern Rock Tracks top 5. Another notable single from this album was their cover of “I Will Survive.” After extensive touring in the US and Europe, Brown and Damiani left, prompting McCrea to recruit Xan McCurdy as guitarist and persuade Gabe Nelson to return on bass. Their third album, “Prolonging the Magic,” released in 1998, went platinum, featuring the number 1 Modern Rock Tracks single “Never There,” and they embarked on further tours across the US and Europe.

Cake signed with Columbia Records for their fourth album, “Comfort Eagle” (2001), which debuted at number 13 on the Billboard 200, with its first single “Short Skirt/Long Jacket” reaching number 7 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Following this, Todd Roper left and was replaced by Pete McNeal, later replaced by Paulo Baldi, and then Roper rejoining in 2016. In 2004, they released “Pressure Chief,” their final album with Columbia. Establishing their own label, Upbeat Records, in 2011, Cake released “Showroom of Compassion,” which marked their first album to debut at number 1 on the Billboard charts, selling 44,000 copies in its first week. Their recent activity includes the single “Sinking Ship” in 2018, contributing to a Roger Miller tribute album, and teasing a new song, “Hold You (Responsible),” in 2021, with an upcoming album hinted for 2025.