As music fans, we hear time after time about a band calling it quits. Ego, personality conflicts and “creative differences” drive band members apart, and the music stops. While the story of For Squirrels ends ultimately with a break up, their tale is filled with much more tragedy and sorrow.

Formed in Gainesville, Florida in 1992, For Squirrels had a pop sound influenced by the likes of the Lemonheads mixed with driving guitars of the popular alt-rock bands of the time such as R.E.M. The band, Jack Vigliatura on vocals, guitarist Travis Tooke, Bill White on bass and drummer Jack Griego self-released their debut album Baypath Rd. in 1994.

Baypath Rd. received little attention (in fact, as a fan of the band, I didn’t even know this album existed until I started to write this piece), despite it being a very solid and cheerful record. The album opens with “Flagboy”, which has a harmonica intro mixed with sunny rhythms that would have fit in perfectly on any indie or college radio stations rotation without a hitch. This debut record highlighted For Squirrels’ potential to construct excellent songs that could reach a broader audience if given the chance. What set For Squirrels apart from the mainstream of the day was the juxtaposition of their catchy, bright sounds and Vigliatura’s unique, gritty voice.

The band was able to take this sound to the next level with their amazing follow-up, Example. After touring and releasing their EP Plymouth, which was a re-release of five tunes from Baypath Rd., the band was signed to Sony/550 Music for the release of Example. Released in October of 1995, Example features the sound started on their first record, but expands it by leaps and bounds. From the sonic sounds of the opener “8:02 PM” to the poppiness of “Orangeworker” and “Under Smithville”, every facet of the band’s sound improved with this new record. What is so gripping about this record is how Vigliatura grows as a singer. There is an aggression deep under the surface in his voice that you feel is waiting to explode to the surface like a volcano on the brink of eruption.

Example was anchored by the single “Mighty K.C”, a song about the untimely death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. “Mighty K.C.”, clocking in at 5:39, is the most dynamic song on the record and is able to encapsulate For Squirrels’ full range. Beautifully wavering between Vigliatura’s coarse, intense vocals and smooth, polished pop, “Mighty K.C.” was a minor radio hit, but received a lot of airtime from MTV’s 120 Minutes.

For Squirrels – Mighty K.C. (Official Music Video)

The tragedy that surrounds Example is that half of the band would never get to see their major-label debut see the light of day. On the afternoon of September 8, 1995, just three weeks before Example was to be released, For Squirrels was headed back to Florida after playing at the CMJ Music Marathon at CBGB’s. 50 miles South of Savannah GA, the van’s tire blew out causing their out of control vehicle to overturn. Vigliatura (age 21), White (age 23) and tour manager Tim Bender (also 23) all died at the scene. With the drastically premature deaths of these three young men, For Squirrels as we knew it was gone in an instant.

Surviving members Tooke and Griego, who suffered serious injuries in the crash, regrouped to play For Squirrels songs and other covers under the band name Revolver. They even reclaimed the name For Squirrels for a short while before going in a different direction. In the summer of 1997, the band that was Revolver renamed themselves Subrosa and began to write and record new music, releasing Never Bet The Devil Your Head later that year. They remained active until 2001, even opening for mainstream rock band Creed.

But in my eyes, For Squirrels disbanded on that fateful Autumn day in 1995. Not as the result of conflict among band members or differing aspirations, but rather the horrific deaths of Vigliatura, White and Bender. We should remember them through the songs that they loved and ultimately gave their lives to make.