Five Foot Thick

History

Five Foot Thick got their start in Spokane, Washington, in the spring of 1997. Kirt Whittle and George Silva came up with the idea after returning from the Vans Warped Tour. Both were into hip-hop and rock and wanted a band that blended those styles. By late 1997, they had added Bryan Dilling and Cale Bartlett from the local band Morning Breath, plus turntablist DJ J-ster Jazz. Their first show was opening for Hed PE and a local act called Felix Shmitt; in the audience were future members Matt Gonzales and Kris DeMers. Cale Bartlett stayed until late 1998, when he was fired during recording sessions at Dark Sessions Studios with producer Donn Larsen. Kris DeMers took over on bass and played his first show with the band on New Year’s Eve 1998. DJ J-ster Jazz left soon after, replaced by Matt Van Steenwyck. With the lineup set, the band kept writing and working on a debut album.

Around that time, local entrepreneur Shane Nowka, who owned two skate and snowboard shops called Local 77, became a fan. He invited the band to play a boat cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene, which became a career highlight. After the cruise, Whittle was let go from the band he had co-founded, and Silas McQuain stepped in on drums. That completed the lineup for their debut album, Circles. Local 77 started sponsoring the band, providing merchandise for shows and promoting them in the stores. This partnership helped Five Foot Thick achieve local success on a level only seen before with bands like Black Happy. In the winter of 1999/2000, with financing from Local 77, they recorded Circles at Sack Lunch recording studio. Released in May 2000, it became one of the best-selling local albums in Spokane history. The single “All in My Head” got airplay on Rock 94.5, a rare feat for a local band at the time. Shortly after the album came out, Matt Van Steenwyck left and was replaced by Matt Gonzales. The recording industry started paying attention to the band during this period.