my bio

I was raised Canadian and grew up in Southern Ontario, near Belleville, where my mom still resides. Not a lot of good music ever made it to that part of the world... had to go looking for it. Bands like Devo and the Buttthole Surfers truely saved my life. They helped me realize there was something worth persuing beyond the limitations of my surroundings. I moved to Toronto (slightly better artistically), but ended up in Central America at the age of 22. After 6 months of travelling, wound up in New Orleans and decided to quit rock and roll completely. The plan was to take upright jazz bass lessons from a guru like of George Porter Jr., Walter Payton or James Singleton. In the meantime I realized something I never expected to discover in New Orleans; a spectacular alternative music scene beyond anything I'd ever imagined. Bands like Evil Nurse Shiela!, Blackula, Burn Version, Inbred Bipeds, Quintron and Miss Pussycat, Weedeater, Universal Chrome, Nut, I could go on and on...

...and then I met Dave Catching.

From that moment on, my life exploded with music. Dave and I have been involved in many projects together. Legendary Gnarltones shows in New Orleans... U.S. and European tours with Mondo Generator and earthlings?... and now Yellow #5. (Dave and I have also recorded together on Mark Lanegan's "Bubblegum", an Eagles of Death Metal split single and Brant Bjork's "Local Angel".)

In 2001 I followed Dave out to L.A. after being invited to join earthlings?. I also ended up playing with Mondo Generator and subsequently met Brant Bjork who offered to accompany us in Yellow #5 after hearing an impromptu gig at the El Matador in New Orleans (we played during Hurricane Isodore). Brant did the record with us about a month later at Rancho De La Luna, engineered and partially produced by my brother Brenndan McGuire (producer of Sloan, Sam Roberts and many more). Final production and mixes were completed by Greg Biribauer (of the Spores).
Gene Trautmann (Miracle Workers/ QOTSA) is now the current drummer of Yellow #5.

I've been living in Los Angeles for three years now. I'm in Joshua Tree constantly, either recording at Rancho de la Luna or playing shows in the area with earthlings? Yellow #5 and my most recent development, The Spores.

I also have a puppet show called "ARÜGÜLA", a death-glam-core puppet band "from Germany" that auditions human drummers. It's like karaoke for drummers and it's all performed live completely ad-lib. Dave Catching and Mario Lalli of Fatso Jetson/Yawning Man puppeteer along with me. Video of this can be seen on the  r e j e c t  compilation DVD available at the spores.com.

discography

2005

Jesse "The Devil" Hughes

& Biblical Proof of UFOs Split 7"

2004

Mondo Generator Live at the Troubadour
The Spores What Gives?
Yellow #5 Demon Crossing [Scat]
earthlings? E3

2003

Mondo Generator A Drug Problem That Never Existed [Ipecac]
Burning Brides Leave No Ashes (with Mike Watt & Keith Morris) [V2]

The Spores Lo Batt
Mark Lanegan Band Bubblegum [Beggars Banquet]
Twilight Singers She Loves You [One Little Indian]
Goatsnake [Souther Lord]
Brant Bjork Local Angel (unreleased version) [Duna]

2002

Queens of the Stone Age: Songs for the Deaf [Interscope]

1999

The Intermissions Intermission
Rhudabega Gas Money
Inbred Bipeds The Coonass Strikes Back

1997

Mike West Redneck Riviera

1995

Myshkin Impossible Dr. Plague and Other Lullabies
Gnarltones I Wanna Die In New Orleans