The band was formed in 1982 as the Renegades by two students from San Francisco State University, Kevin Hunter and Kurt Herr. Their rhythm section eventually stabilized with fellow students Federico Gil Solá (from Argentina) and Anders Rundblad (from Sweden). When they had to change their name, the band became Wire Train in 1983. [1][2] The band's first album features Anders Rundblad (bass guitar, vocals), Federico Gil Solá (drums), Kevin Hunter (vocals, guitar), and Kurt Herr (vocals, guitar). Rundblad had previously played with the Swedish bands Motvind and Gary T'To Band.[3]
Wire Train's debut, In a Chamber, produced by David Kahne at The Automatt in San Francisco, was released late in 1983. It achieved success on the U.S. college charts during 1984, and the band toured as openers for Big Country.
Brian MacLeod replaced Gil Solá prior to their second album, Between Two Words, and Herr left during its recording, replaced by Jeff Trott (ex-the Lifers). The album, produced in Vienna by Peter Maunu, was released in 1985. The band's third album, Ten Women, was recorded by Tim Palmer at Utopia studios in London and released in 1987. Ten Women featured a guest appearance by the Alarm guitarist Dave Sharp on "Breakwater Days" and had its first single "She Comes On" banned by the BBC.[5]
After a 1987 European tour, the band went on a two-year hiatus, extricating themselves from their contract with Columbia. Trott played with World Party.[6] and McLeod with Toy Matinee.
In 1993, MCA rejected their next effort, Snug, as "too weird".[7] It was released digitally in April 2009.
In 1996, Columbia released a compilation CD, Last Perfect Thing... A Retrospective. The first pressings mistakenly included an uncredited "Half a Lifetime", substituted on later pressings with the correct track, "Last Perfect Thing".[8]
In 2003, the band reunited for an episode of VH1's Band Reunited, but it was never aired.[9]
In 2009, Hunter, MacLeod, Trott and Rundblad reunited again for a three-gig tour in California, in part, to commemorate the digital release of Snug. According to Hunter another collection of songs was recorded concurrently with Snug under the working title of Electric. No new album has been released at this time.[10]
Band Members
Most recent members
Kevin Hunter – vocals, guitar (1983–1993, 2003, 2009)
Anders Rundblad – bass guitar, vocals (1983–1993, 2003, 2009)
Jeff Trott – guitar, backing vocals (1985–1993, 2003, 2009)
Brian MacLeod – drums (1985–1992, 2003, 2009)
Former members
Kurt Herr – vocals, guitar (1983–1985)
Federico Gil Solá – drums (1983–1985)
Timeline
Other projects
McLeod, Trott and Rundblad all later played with Sheryl Crow.[11]
After leaving Wire Train, Gil Solá returned to his native Argentina, where he was a member of Divididos from 1990 to 1995.
In popular culture
"I Will Not Fall" appeared on the soundtrack for the film Point Break (1991), "I'll Do You" appeared in the game Scarface: The World Is Yours (2006) and "Chamber of Hellos" appeared in the episode "Limbo" (2015) of Halt and Catch Fire.
The band the Action Design covered two Wire Train songs ("I'll Do You" and "Chamber of Hellos") for the soundtrack to Endless Bummer (2009).
