The four founding members of Small Brown Bike grew up together in the small town of Marshall, Michigan. When brothers Mike and Ben Reed, and friends, Travis Dopp, and Dan Jaquint were looking for a band name in 1996, they ultimately decided on Small Brown Bike, after an old bike they had pieced together from spare parts in their younger days.

Small Brown Bike self-recorded and released their first demo tape in 1997. The tape included four songs recorded in the house they rented in East Lansing, Michigan. Small Brown Bike played shows around the Midwest and shared the stage with bands like At the Drive In, Jimmy Eat World, The Get Up Kids, Hot Water Music, Alkaline Trio, Cursive, and more.

After self-releasing their No Place Like You 7″ in 1997 and (And Don’t Forget Me) 7″ in 1998, the band attracted the attention of Gainesville, Florida’s No Idea Records. In 1999, No Idea released Own Own Wars CD/LP and the band began to receive national attention. The band also released Collection CD/LP (a collection of their demo tape and first two 7″s) in 1999. Later that year, Travis Dopp stepped down from guitar and Scott Flaster took over. In 2000, the band landed an opening spot on tour with Hot Water Music and Saves the Day and played in front of their biggest audiences yet.

“We had no idea what we were doing. Six of us crammed into an old conversion van with all of our gear stuffed under a loft. It was our first time to cities like NYC, Boston, and Philly. The shows were huge. Some kids from Boston made us a cake and gave it to us while we were on stage. Amazing.” – Mike Reed

“At that point, I hadn’t seen Small Brown Bike outside of Florida before. They were really staking their claim and I saw them turning heads. I’d never seen anything like that.” – Var Thelin, No Idea Records

In between tours in 2000, Small Brown Bike entered the studio with Ed Rose (The Get Up Kids, Coalesce) to record their second CD/LP, Dead Reckoning for No Idea Records. Later that year, Dopp returned to the band and in 2001, the band embarked on a co-headlining tour with Cursive and later released a split 7″ with them. In March 2001, Jeff Gensterblum replaced Dan Jaquint on drums and the band immediately hit the road for a five-week U.S. tour with Hot Water Music and Leatherface.

In 2002, the band returned to the studio to work with Ed Rose on a collaborative split EP with The Casket Lottery on Second Nature Recordings. The culmination of the project was a three-week tour featuring Small Brown Bike, The Casket Lottery, and Rocky Votolato in 2003.

It was during this time that Small Brown Bike caught the attention of Berkeley, California-based Lookout! Records. The band entered the studio with Dave Feeny (The White Stripes, Thunderbirds are Now) and began working on new music. After releasing the Nail Yourself to the Ground EP on No Idea and playing a sold-out show at Gilman Street in 2003, the band signed with Lookout! to release their next CD/LP, The River Bed, in September 2003.

“Small Brown Bike caught my ear with their unique blend of aggressive and intelligent punk rock, with an honest sweetness thrown in. They’re a smart, witty group of guys who simply work hard and love music.” – Cathy Bauer, Lookout! Records General Manager

But the years of touring were beginning to take their toll. Small Brown Bike announced their break-up at the end of 2003 and played their last show at the Fireside Bowl in Chicago in January 2004.

“No one hated each other. It was just getting to the point where it was taking a toll on our personal lives and we needed a break from it. We all met at a bar during the Red Sox/Yankees series and decided to break up. It was difficult, but it was also a relief.” – Mike Reed

In 2006, Small Brown Bike reunited to play four benefit shows to raise money for a close friend who was diagnosed with leukemia. All six former members played on their respective songs. The band did one more show in 2006 at The Fest 6 in Gainesville to reunite with their old label and play in front of a sold-out crowd of over 1,000.

In the summer of 2009, emails circulated between the founding members. With no formal plan, they traded MP3’s and scheduled a practice. The chemistry was evident as they charged through the new songs. The musical connection between them was still strong. The band booked a few shows for the second half of 2009 including a return to The Fest 8 in Gainesville.

“The bottom line for us is to have fun, write music, and play a few shows here and there. Just like we did when we started the band. Keep it simple.” – Mike Reed

In the fall of 2009, the band released their first new music in six years. “Composite Volume One” 7″ was self-recorded by the band, mixed with Dave Feeny at Tempermill, and released on No Idea Records.

Small Brown Bike is working on new songs and playing weekend dates and festivals. The band plans to schedule more shows in the future and enter the studio in 2010 to record an album.

Press Quotes

“Combining sheer bloody-minded intensity, raw energy and an unrivalled depth of emotion, Small Brown Bike have a sound all their own and provide a welcome break from an increasingly uniform post-hardcore/emo sound. Simply, this has everything: real emotion, real musicianship, real creativity, real depth and real passion. People often find it hard to categorize this band, but it’s fair to say that if you like your music heavy, your feelings on show and your lyrics intelligent then you’re going to like Small Brown Bike.” – Kerrang / June 2001 (5 out of 5 K’s.)

“I can’t praise this record enough, it just blows me away every single time I put it on. A future classic for generations of kids to look back on, for sure.” – Fracture (UK) / May 2001

“SBB never turns off the distortion, never falters with their song structures, and never sings anything that isn’t worth screaming about.” – Real Detroit Weekly / May 2001