Diesel Boy
Diesel Boy is a punk rock band from Santa Rosa, California that formed in 1993. They built a reputation on tongue-in-cheek song titles, relentless touring, and a string of albums that balanced humor with fast punk hooks. After stepping away in 2002, they returned two decades later with new energy and their 2023 record Gets Old.
Starting Out
The band’s first release came in 1993 with the Fat Wreck Chords 7-inch Strap on Seven Inch, featuring the track “Titty Twister.” The pun-filled release set the tone for the band’s style. Their full-length debut, Cock Rock, arrived in 1996 on Honest Don’s Records, a Fat Wreck subsidiary. Ryan Greene produced the record, as well as the band’s next three albums on the label.
On the Road
Between 1995 and 2002, Diesel Boy toured constantly. They played shows across 40 U.S. states, every Canadian province, several European countries, and Australia. Canadian fans in particular embraced them. Along the way, they toured with No Use for a Name, NOFX, Good Riddance, The Vandals, Strung Out, SNFU, Gob, The Ataris, Satanic Surfers, and even The Sugar Hill Gang. Strung Out brought them along on their first major U.S./Canada tour following the buzz from “Titty Twister” on the Survival of the Fattest compilation.
Albums and Changes
Their second album, Venus Envy (1998), introduced drummer Geoff Arcuri, who replaced founding member Mike Schaus. In 1999 they followed up with Sofa King Cool, which included the single “She’s My Queen.” The band even showed up as themselves on the TV show Freaks and Geeks, performing songs from Cock Rock in the episode “Noshing and Moshing.”
Rode Hard and Put Away Wet arrived in 2001, but momentum slowed and the group quietly stepped back. Years later, vocalist Dave Lake reflected that “things just kind of wound down.”
Breaks and Side Projects
In 2011 the group teased new material online, though distance and family commitments made progress difficult. Dave later toured solo in Australia, wrote for Seattle Weekly and AMP Magazine, and started the project Dirty Outs in 2016 with a six-song EP.
Comeback
By 2022, the members regrouped between Seattle and the Bay Area. They teamed up with producer Matt Bayles to record Gets Old, their first new full-length in over twenty years. The album was released in 2023 on SBÄM Records.
Lineup
- Dave “Diesel Dave” Lake – vocals, guitar (1993-present)
- Greg Hensley – bass (1993-present)
- Christopher Thomas – drums (2021-present)
- Jack Miller – lead guitar (2023-present)
Former Members
- Chad Philipps – guitar (2022-2023)
- Justin Werth – guitar, vocal harmonies (1993-2021)
- Geoff Arcuri – drums (1999-2021)
- Mike Schaus – drums (1993-1999)
Records
Studio Albums
- Cock Rock (1996)
- Venus Envy (1998)
- Sofa King Cool (1999)
- Rode Hard and Put Away Wet (2001)
- Gets Old (2023)
EPs
- Strap on Seven Inch (1996)
- Double Letter Score (with Divit) (2001)
- Tapes / Punk Rock Minivan (2023)
Music Videos
- “She’s My Queen” (1999)
In Pop Culture
- “Endless Summer Days” appeared in the film Drive Me Crazy.
- “A Literary Love Song,” “She’s My Queen,” and “Shining Star” were featured in the video game Test Drive Off-Road 3 (1999).
- “She’s My Queen” was referenced in Paul Simon: A Life, though incorrectly titled as “She’s My Marilyn Monroe.”
- The song “True Drew” was noted in the book Rock and Roll Baby Names as connected to the name Drew.
