The Mother Hips
The Mother Hips are an American rock band from the Chico and San Francisco Bay Area in California. They formed in 1990 when Tim Bluhm (vocals/guitar), Greg Loiacono (guitar/vocals), Isaac Parsons (bass) and Mike Wofchuck (drums) met at California State University-Chico. They played parties and small gigs, then got serious as a band in early 1991. They released their first album, Back to the Grotto, in 1993, which helped them land a deal with American Recordings through Rick Rubin.
Their next albums, Part-Timer Goes Full (1995) and Shootout (1996), put them on the road and in bigger venues, but American Recordings eventually dropped them. In 1997 they began writing shorter, more radio-friendly songs and started exploring country influences. Drummer Mike Wofchuck was replaced by John Hofer. The band moved from Chico to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1996 and kept touring mainly in California.
The Mother Hips self-released Later Days (1998) and then Green Hills of Earth, which was picked up by the indie label Future Farmer. Bassist Isaac Parsons left in 2002 and was replaced by Paul Hoaglin. In 2003 the band went on hiatus after a couple of shows, while Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono kept making music with other projects. They regrouped later in 2004, released the EP Red Tandy and the full album Kiss the Crystal Flake (2007), and saw their songs reach the video game Rock Band.
Their 2009 album Pacific Dust was well received. Bassist Paul Hoaglin faced health issues and left the band in early 2011, with Scott Thunes briefly filling in before Hoaglin’s permanent retirement from music. The band released a 4-CD archival set, Days of Sun and Grass, in 2011 and followed with the studio album Behind Beyond in 2013. Chronicle Man appeared in 2014, featuring older material.
In 2017 they signed with Blue Rose Music and, in 2018, released their first full-length original studio album in five years, featuring new bass player Brian Rashap and contributions from Jackie Greene. They released Glowing Lantern in 2021 and When We Disappear in 2023. In 2024, The Mother Hips released their 13th studio album, California Current, continuing their West Coast sound with thoughtful lyrics and harmonies.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 07:07 (CET).