The Morlocks
Biography
THE MORLOCKS began performing together in late August 1984 when the already assembled core band of Jeff Lucas, Tom Clarke and Mark Mullen were able to entice former Gravedigger V members Leighton Koizumi and Ted Friedman into joining the band. The newly-formed Morlocks’ first performance came in September 84 at the Rave-Up in Los Angeles. That night, the band met Midnight Records of New York City and, after a time, they signed a deal. In December The Morlocks recorded the first mini-LP Emerge, produced by Jordan Tarlow (pseudonym of Nadroj Wolrat). The label released it in the Spring of 1985.
The band relocated from San Diego to San Francisco where they released the second LP Submerged Alive (1988 Epitaph), which featured a performance that the band recorded in Berkeley, California, in 1986. They began to fall apart when bassist Jeff Lucas quit the band in Summer of 1987. The rest of members held out long enough to record a handful of tracks under the production of Ron Rimsite, just before the entire group disbanded.
Four years after the band’s breakup, a live LP called Wake Me When I’m Dead (1991 Listen Loudest) was released in Croatia. This one was followed by an officially-released live CD, provided by guitarist Ted Friedman, titled Uglier Than You’ll Ever Be! (1997 Voxx Records).
In 1999, Spin Magazine printed an article that claimed that lead singer Leighton Koizumi had died, however this turned out to be a fake news. The reason for Koizumi’s vanishing act from music-making was because of some troubles with the justice in 1990.
At the dawn of the new millennium, the Italian rock band Tito And Thee Brainsuckers was able to get in touch with him, bringing him to Italy to record When The Night Falls (2003 Ammonia Records) at David Lenci’s studio. The record features 13 more or less popular covers.
Leighton came back to San Diego galvanized and reborn enough to revamp The Morlocks without any of the original members. The new line-up was formed by Koizumi on vocals, Bobby Bones (Flesh Eaters) on guitar & backup vocals, Lenny Pops on guitar, Nick Jodoin on bass, Marky on drums. In addition to reuniting, the band was also touring newly-written songs, which are included in the following album Easy Listening For The Underachiever released by Italy’s Go Down Records on LP and CD in 2008 and quickly sold-out. In 2010 The Morlocks revisited some Chess Records classics in the album The Morlocks Play Chess, released by French Fargo Records. During the promo tour, the band broke up again and charismatic frontman Leighton moved to Europe.
He settled down in Spain where he briefly reformed Gravedigger V with some European musicians.
In 2014 he moved to Düsseldorf, Germany, where he enlisted a who’s who of European fuzz masters: Rob Louwers (Q-65, Link Wray, The Fuzztones) on drums, Oliver Pilsner (The Cheeks, Montesas, Magnificent Brotherhood, The Fuzztones) on bass, Bernadette Pitchi (Gee Strings, Sonny Vincent, Humpers) and Marcello Salis (Gravedigger V, Hangee V) on guitars. In 2018 this revamped version of The Morlocks recorded Bring on the Mesmeric Condition with Alaska Winter, effectively the sixth Morlocks. Recording sessions took place in various locations such as the Black Forest of Freiburg, the Rhineland and Berlin. Mixed and mastered by world sound guru Jim Diamond, the record features 10 original tracks, with the cover art by Kiryk Drewinski and it was released on Hound Gawd Records.
In 2023 The Morlocks are preparing for a very ambitious 6-week EU tour with some minor personnel changes. The Morlocks have recruited Roméo Lachasseigne (Les Lullies, Les Grys-Grys) to join Bernadette on guitar, for duo sonic slap to your face! Last but not least, they are pleased to acquire the services of the notorious “Raper of the snare” the infamous Buanax. Moreover vinyl reissues of the two long-out-of-print albums Easy Listening For The Underachiever and The Morlocks Play Chess are going to be released on the Italian labels Go Down Records and Improved Sequence in Spring.
The Morlocks have a real, authentic garage attitude and spirit. Unlike many modern garage bands, they know that speed isn’t enough to make garage. Speed has its place, just like fuzz. These guys have recaptured the feel of primal Stones, Watchband and Pretty Things, with Leighton’s fiery vocals completely in command. The Morlocks have a killer sound that can’t be beat. They mean business.
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HOLLYWOOD LINE-UP
Leighton Koizumi | vocals
Bobby Bones | guitar, backing vocals
Lenny Pops | guitar
Nick Jodoin | bass
Mark Arnold | drums
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