The Screaming Trees were formed in 1985 in Ellensburg, Washington, by lead singer Mark Lanegan, brothers Gary Lee Conner (guitar) and Van Conner (bass), and drummer Mark Pickerel. Emerging from the American underground scene, the band developed a sound that combined 1960s psychedelia with distorted guitars and Lanegan’s deep vocals. In the early 1990s, it gained international recognition as part of the grunge movement.
Their debut album, Clairvoyance, was released in 1986 by Velvetone Records. Subsequently, the group signed with SST Records, which released Even If and Especially When (1987), Invisible Lantern (1988) and Buzz Factory (1989). These works solidified the band’s identity and expanded its presence in the U.S. indie rock scene. In 1990, the band released the EP Change Has Come on Sub Pop.
Also in 1990, Mark Lanegan began his solo career with The Winding Sheet, released by Sub Pop. Produced by Lanegan, Mike Johnson, and Jack Endino, the album featured guest appearances by Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic of Nirvana.
Screaming Trees made their major-label debut in 1991 with Uncle Anesthesia, released by Epic and produced by Terry Date and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden. After this album, Mark Pickerel left the band and was replaced by Barrett Martin.
Their biggest commercial success came in 1992 with Sweet Oblivion. The album featured some of the band’s best-known songs, such as “Nearly Lost You,” “Dollar Bill,” “Shadow of the Season,” and “Winter Song.” The inclusion of “Nearly Lost You” on the soundtrack for Singles, a film by Cameron Crowe, helped introduce the band to a wider audience at the height of Seattle rock’s international popularity.
In 1996, the band released Dust, produced by George Drakoulias. With tracks like “All I Know,” “Dying Days,” and “Sworn and Broken,” the album expanded the arrangements and melodic scope of their music while preserving the heaviness of the guitars. It was the last album released during the band’s active years; the group disbanded in 2000.
In 2011, Barrett Martin unearthed the final recordings by Screaming Trees and released Last Words: The Final Recordings through his label, Sunyata Records. Recorded between 1998 and 1999 at Studio Litho (owned by Stone Gossard, guitarist for Pearl Jam), the sessions were produced by Martin himself and featured guest appearances by Peter Buck of R.E.M., and Josh Homme, who also accompanied the band as a touring guitarist.
Mark Lanegan died on February 22, 2022, at the age of 57, leaving behind an extensive solo career and collaborations with artists such as Queens of the Stone Age, Isobel Campbell and Greg Dulli. Van Conner died shortly thereafter, on January 17, 2023, at the age of 55.
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