Urge Overkill

Best remembered for their loungey, crooning cover of Neil Diamond’s “Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon,” which was used in the iconic movie Pulp Fiction, 1990s alternative rock outfit Urge Overkill mixed the grungy, distorted guitars of the era with a love of kitsch Las Vegas glitz and swinging 1970s pop to create their unique sound. Formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1985 by front man Nash Kato (real name: Nathan Kaatrud) and guitarist Eddie ‘King’ Roeser whilst studying at Northwestern University in Chicago. With the first in a revolving line of drummers, the group enlisted the services of Kato's roommate Steve Albini to record their first EP Strange, I… (1986). The underground popularity of albums Jesus Urge Superstar (1989), Americruiser (1990), The Supersonic Storybook (1991), and the Stull EP (1992) led to a major label deal with Geffen and support slots with Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Dressed in velvet suits and gold medallions they didn't quite fit in with the grunge crowd and the album Saturation (1993) didn't land the rock stardom enjoyed by so many of their peers. However, when Quentin Tarantino heard their version of Neil Diamond's 1967 hit, they were soon thrust to wider attention when he used it for his film Pulp Fiction. Used in a memorable scene in which Uma Thurman's character overdoses, “Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon” became the band's commercial breakthrough and the video received heavy rotation on MTV and in bars across the world. The band's other cult, college radio favorite was single “Sister Havana,” a strutting slice of spiky alt-pop. After the heavier, darker fifth album Exit the Dragon (1995), they split in 1997. A decade later, they returned to action but didn’t release an album until 2011’s Rock & Roll Submarine. The group has been the recipient of several compilations including The Urge Overkill Story (1992), which focused on their pre-major label recordings, and Icon (2012). After an 11-year break, Urge Overkill returned with their album Oui in 2022. Former drummer Johnny ‘Blackie Onassis’ Rowan – who played with the band on the albums The Supersonic Storybook, Saturation, and Exit the Dragon – died on June 13, 2023, at the age of 57.