Bobby Burns & Joshua Toomey Reflect on Primer 55 - Ep001

This week Scott is joined by former Primer 55 members Bobby Burns and Joshua Toomey. In this detailed discussion, the guys look back on the history of the band. Primer 55 dealt with severe highs and lows. From the highs of Bobby and Jason "J-Sin" Luttrell forming the band in Memphis, obtaining a record deal, and touring on Ozzfest to the lows of addiction, drama, band member exits, and the death of Luttrell in 2018.

In this discussion, Burns and Toomey reflect on many of these moments as well as behind the scenes stories of the band and its inner-workikngs. It's an interesting fly-on-the-wall experience to listen to the stories between these two. Additionally, Bobby and Joshua shed light on their thoughts of a possible reunion in 2020 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the debut lp, 'Introduction to Mayhem.'

You can hear Joshua Toomey weekly on his podcast Talk Toomey. Full information and links can be found at http://www.talktoomeypod.com/

 Primer 55 was formed in 1997 after years of suffering through the stale music scene in Memphis, TN, dominated by death metal and cover bands. Rather than sit back and complain, the group decided to do something about it. Guitarist Bobby Burns, led by his heavy metal past, co-founded the band with vocalist J-Sin, who added a more hip-hop flavor to the mix. The two enlisted the help of friends Mike "Jr." Christopher on bass and Josh McLane on drums. They soon gained an underground following from their intense live performances and in 1999 released their self-titled debut album on the independent label Propellant Transmissions. Shortly after this release, the group was offered a contract with Island Def Jam. After they graciously accepted the offer, the group continued with their hybrid heavy metal/hip-hop style on their 2000 release Introduction to Mayhem. The album is a trip into the depths of extreme passion and music authority. With the help of Incubus DJ Chris Kilmore, (hed) p.e. frontman MCUD, and Relative Ash vocalist Mark Harrington, the album solidified Primer 55 as a musical force to be reckoned with. Following the release, the band toured almost nonstop and found themselves amongst the elite of hard rock. In 2001, the band replaced drummer Josh McLane, who left for personal reasons, with John Kamoosi to continue work on new material.

On August 14, 2001, Primer 55 released their second studio album, (the) New Release. It went to number 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart and No. 102 on the Billboard 200. The album's single, "This Life" peaked at No. 37 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart. After the album's initial success, it was suddenly shelved by Island Records. Burns told PureGrainAudio, "The album was out 2 months then 9/11 happened and we got lost in that shuffle that was going on in NY at that time."

Despite having their album shelved, the band embarked on "The $12 Riot Tour" on October 31 with Dope, Skinlab and Society 1. The next year, Primer 55 performed as the opening act at the 2002