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Taproot

Taproot rose to commercial glory in 2002 with the release of their sophomore long-player, Welcome, which housed the massive hit "Poem" and cemented the Ann Arbor, Michigan group's status at the forefront of the 2000s mainstream rock scene. The band continued to sharpen their introspective blend of nu-metal and post-grunge-leaning alternative rock on 2005's Billboard-charting Blue-Sky Research, but Atlantic dropped the group the following year. Undeterred by label woes and personnel changes, Taproot issued three more moderately successful albums before going on a studio hiatus after the release of 2012's The Episodes. Continuing as a live entity, the band returned to the recording studio in 2023 and released their first album in 11 years, SC\SSRS. Taproot was founded in 1997 by vocalist Stephen Richards, guitarist Mike DeWolf, bassist Phil Lipscomb, and drummer Jarrod Montague. The group sent their demo to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst in 1998, not ever thinking Durst would call them back personally. To the band's surprise, Durst replied, promising the budding active rock quartet a deal with Interscope. Durst took too long to deliver the goods, though, and Taproot inked a deal with Atlantic Records instead. Durst felt betrayed and vented his frustration to various media outlets, but an unfazed Taproot focused on their debut album, Gift, which arrived in 2000. Thanks to support from Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack, Taproot scored a spot on the second stage of the 2000 Ozzfest tour, which they followed with shows alongside Deftones, Incubus, Papa Roach, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Disturbed, and Linkin Park. Taproot spent seven months in Los Angeles recording their sophomore album with Toby Wright (Alice in Chains, Korn). Released in 2002, the resulting Welcome reached number 5 on the mainstream rock chart, peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200, and provided the group with their biggest hit, "Poem." The band re-enlisted Wright to helm their next effort, Blue-Sky Research, which included three songs co-written with Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan. Despite the album reaching the upper echelons of the mainstream rock charts, Atlantic elected to part ways with Taproot, who chose to go the independent route with their next outing. Our Long Road Home arrived in 2008, recorded in the band's native Ann Arbor with producer Tim Patalan. The album debuted at number 65 on the Billboard 200 and yielded the mainstream rock hit "Wherever I Stand." Drummer Jarrod Montague left the group shortly after the LP's release and was replaced by Nick Fredell, who made his studio debut on 2010's hard-hitting Plead the Fifth, the band's first outing with Victory Records. The Episodes appeared two years later and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard Hard Rock charts. More lineup changes followed, with Fredell departing in 2013 and longtime guitarist Mike DeWolf leaving in 2015, resulting in a recording hiatus and an infrequent touring schedule. Taproot regrouped in 2023 around a lineup consisting of original members Richards, Lipscomb, and Montague with the addition of Taylor Roberts on guitar. Produced and recorded entirely by frontman Stephen Richards, SC\SSRS, the band's seventh full-length effort, was almost released as a solo album before Phil Lipscomb convinced him otherwise -- the return of Montague behind the kit helped seal the deal.
© James Christopher Monger /TiVo
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Discography

18 album(s) • Sorted by Bestseller

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