The Forgotten ’90s Emo Album Featuring Warrant’s Jani Lane
A rarely discussed emo album from the late ’90s that features Warrant‘s Jani Lane is finally receiving some much-needed attention nearly 30 years after its release. Yes, the same Jani Lane who fronted the glam metal icons responsible for the massive hit “Cherry Pie.”
How Jani Lane Ended Up on an Emo Album
It is safe to say that the Venn diagram for glam metal and emo would typically remain two side-by-side circles that never connect. There is simply not much common ground between the two genres. Yet, in 1998, Lane found himself contributing to an emo project.
By this time, Warrant’s commercial dominance had waned. While “Cherry Pie” remained a staple of rock radio, the band struggled to replicate that success with subsequent releases. Lane was navigating a period of transition, balancing his time with Warrant and various solo endeavors. One of these outside projects involved recording background vocals for the San Francisco-based alternative rock band, Crumb.
Who Are Crumb?
Though Crumb was only active for a few years in the late 90s, they left a distinct mark on the scene. The band toured extensively with Jimmy Eat World in 1996 and 1998 and even secured a spot on the Indie Stage at Lollapalooza in 1996.
During this era, they released their standout album, Seconds>Minutes>Hours. The record masterfully balanced late-90s emo sensibilities with the alternative rock foundations that defined the decade. Crumb utilized a diverse cast of contributors for the recording, including Lane, whose backing vocals appear on three of the album’s 11 tracks.
Notable Contributions
Lane was not the only recognizable name to appear in the liner notes. Current Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese is credited with playing drums on nine tracks, while Jimmy Eat World guitarist Jim Adkins contributed guitar work to six songs. Additionally, Rachel and Petra Haden of the indie rock band that dog. provided backing vocals.
Social Media Sparks Renewed Interest
For years, Crumb maintained a modest following, but recent social media activity has brought their work back into the spotlight. Brett Detar and Joshua Fiedler of the emo-pop act The Juliana Theory recently shared an Instagram video praising the band, which quickly garnered over 43,000 views.
“They made an amazingly catchy record in the late ’90s that you’ve probably never heard before,” Detar told his followers.
Fiedler echoed this sentiment, calling Seconds>Minutes>Hours “the most underrated record of our scene.” As fans rediscover this hidden gem, it serves as a reminder of the unexpected collaborations that defined the eclectic musical landscape of the late 20th century.