Wheat Chiefs
The Wheat Chiefs was a Canadian melodic rock band with punk rock influence formed in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, and later relocated to Vancouver, British Columbia. The group featured several members of SNFU and one from Jr. Gone Wild. They released one album, 1996's Redeemer.
History
Early years (1990–1993)
Several months after the 1989 breakup of their influential skate punk band SNFU, guitarists and twin brothers Marc and Brent Belke formed the new band The Ship of Fools with SNFU bassist Curtis Creager and longtime acquaintance Dave Rees playing drums. With Marc Belke acting as lead vocalist, the band added melodic, alternative rock aesthetics to the punk rock sound of SNFU. After their initial string of performances, they renamed themselves the Wheat Chiefs.
Bassist Trent Buhler, a former member of Rees's group Broken Smiles, replaced Creager in mid-1990, and the group embarked on several Canadian tours. Their track "Redeem" was included on Thrasher Skate Rock Volume 10, issued by Thrasher magazine the following year. SNFU reformed this year as well, but the Belkes kept the Wheat Chiefs active as a side project. Rees and Buhler both departed the Wheat Chiefs early in 1992, and were replaced by drummer Ed Dobek (of Jr. Gone Wild and the pre-SNFU band Live Sex Shows) and bassist Rob Johnson, a future SNFU member. This lineup debuted with a short tour, and recorded several tracks with producers Marek Forysinski and Dave Ogilvie.