Hagfish were an American rock band originated in Sherman, Texas that rose to notoriety via performances in the Deep Ellum district of Dallas, Texas, drawing influences from both punk rock and alternative rock. The lineup included lead vocalist George Stroud Reagan III, guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Doni Blair and drummer Tony Barsotti for the majority of the band's career, including nearly all of their recorded work. Formed by the Blair brothers in 1991, Hagfish emerged with contemporaries Tripping Daisy and Toadies as part of the 1990s Dallas/Fort Worth alternative rock scene and were also heavily influenced by the Descendents/All, whose members recorded and produced two of the band's studio albums. After officially disbanding in 2001, Hagfish have reunited occasionally for live performances.
With a permanent lineup in place, Hagfish signed to London Records and entered The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado to record their next album with producers Bill Stevenson and Stephen Egerton (members of the Descendents and All), who also engineered and mixed the sessions. In addition to six brand new tracks, many songs from Buick Men were re-recorded with much sleeker production to create the album Rocks Your Lame Ass, released June 27, 1995.
To promote the release, Hagfish embarked on their first major tour with Bad Brains. Immediately following the release of Rocks Your Lame Ass, a long year of constant touring ensued supporting the likes of Bad Brains, ALL, ZEKE, Everclear, NOFX, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Offspring, Face to Face, Die Artze, The Reverend Horton Heat and the Supersuckers. The band made an infamous appearance on KROQ's Loveline on August 16, 1995, after the suggestion of host Riki Rachtman.[2] Rocks Your Lame Ass would go on to become the most successful Hagfish release, with singles for "Stamp" and "Happiness" both issued along with accompanying music videos that appeared on MTV's 120 Minutes. In 1996, Hagfish was voted best Alternative Rock/Pop act by the Dallas Observer.[3]
However, the momentum never translated into album sales and after numerous arguments with the band's label, the follow-up album was rejected by London Records, who subsequently dropped the group. "Unidentified" would be the only song from these sessions to transpire when it was made available as a free download on the band's official website.[4] The album would eventually be reworked, re-recorded and released independently. In 1997, Hagfish issued their second 7" vinyl EP, this time on Go-Kart Records.