1994-Doug RobbVocals, rhythm guitar
Dan EstrinLead guitar
Chris HesseDrums
Markku LappalainenBass1994-2005
Derek KwanSaxophone1997-1999
Jeremy WasserSaxophone1995-2000
Jesse CharlandBass, keyboards2009-
What does the name Hoobastank mean? The band has had some fun by throwing out all kinds of absurd explanations, including that it came
from a German word for a person with a shoe fetish. Frontman Doug Robb gave probably the most extensive explanation for the name's origin when
he claimed that it was a nonsense word his buddy yelled out during a pep rally at Agoura High School in California. He said the band were playing a backyard show and needed a name, so they threw out the ridiculous word and it just stuck.
The band planned to change their name to something more serious when they signed their first contract with Island Records. That changed when a record-label executive attended one of their shows at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. He heard fans chanting "Hoobastank" and insisted that the group keep the name, so they did.
Hoobastank were initially associated with nu metal, but they never adopted the sensationalist aspects of that genre. They always adhered to an "every man" image - no controversy or drama, just a bunch of chill guys who like to make music. As drummer
Chris Hesse said, "We don't have depressing lives, and I don't think that being in a rock band means you should be depressed and want to kill yourself. We don't have drug problems, we don't really fight; none of those typical rock-band problems you always hear about."
They had a ska sound powered by two saxophone players when they released their debut album, They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To, in 1998 on an independent label. One of those sax players, Jeremy Wasser, also recorded with Incubus.
Record labels ignored Hoobastank throughout 1999 when they
were totally focused on getting a contract. The guys decided to get back to touring and playing live music instead, and that's when the labels started calling.
Legend has it that the band formed when frontman Doug Robb met guitarist Dan Estrin during a high school Battle of the Bands in 1994, but drummer
Chris Hesse has stated that there's no substance to that story and he doesn't know where it came from. He says the guys just started hanging out and making music.
Hoobastank came up in the scene that spawned Incubus and Linkin Park. The three budding bands played some of the same venues, including The Cobalt Cafe in the San Fernando Valley. Open from 1991 to 2014, the Cobalt was a small but mighty cultural hotspot where Hoobastank and their peers cut their teeth.
Hoobastank were often derided as an Incubus rip-off. The band has addressed these accusations head on, explaining that they did indeed come out of the scene, were the same age, shared social circles, and just generally percolated in the same environment, so any similarities are due to proximity rather than undue imitation.
Lead singer Doug Robb also plays rhythm guitar in the band. Early on he wanted to be a lead guitarist, but when the band formed he made way for Dan Estrin to be lead because he recognized Estrin was better.
Their most popular song by a wide margin is "
The Reason" from 2003. It got a big boost originally when it was used in an episode of
Friends, and in 2021 it surged as part of the TikTok #NotAPerfectPerson trend.
Robb was inspired by Van Halen, especially their album Diver Down. They made him want to make music.
Before blowing up with their second studio album The Reason in 2003, Hoobastank recorded the song "Losing My Grip" for the soundtrack to the 2002 film The Scorpion King. The film was a huge hit that spun off several sequels.
Robb wrote and recorded the theme song for the 2017 video game Sonic Forces.
The raw energy of a live Nirvana performance showed Robb that passion and energy were more important than technical virtuosity. It was a defining moment in his musical evolution.
Robb is an avid motorcyclist.
During the peak of their popularity from 2003 to 2009 the band recorded with Island Records. They went independent in 2012 with their album Fight or Flight. They had only good things to say about their time with Island but were happy for a fresh start and the opportunity to focus on making their own artistic fulfillment the primary goal again.
Chris Chaney of Jane's Addiction played bass on the band's 2006 album Every Man For Himself because the band's regular bassist, Markku Lappalainen, left to focus on his family and try some new artistic experiments.
