by Matt Carlson
Long Beach, CAs Humpers were formed by Scott Deluxe Drake and Jeff Fieldhouse, guitarists for the Suicide Kings. Drake gave up the guitar for the group and concentrated on screaming lead vocals. The Humpers were first revered not in the groups native California but, oddly, in Yugoslavia, where its first and extremely rare LP My Machine was released.

Whereas the Suicide Kings sound borrowed heavily from the 1970s (Heartbreakers, Rolling Stones, New York Dolls, Ramones), the Humpers punked the mix up a bit with a more direct and sonic edge reminiscent of Cleveland groups the Dead Boys and the Pagans.

Bassist Jaybird Blake left the group after recording half of the tracks for 1994s Journey to the Center of Your Wallet, and was more than capably replaced by Mitch Cartwright. Guitarist Jeff Fieldhouse also left the group, leaving sole guitar duties to Billy Burks. After two LPs for indie Sympathy for the Record Industry, the Humpers were signed to Caroline.