Back Off Cupids

Back Off Cupids was the name of a solo musical project by the San Diego, California musician John Reis. The project took place in 1994, in between sessions with Reis' bands Drive Like Jehu and Rocket from the Crypt. Rocket from the Crypt horn players Jason Crane and Paul O'Beirne were also involved in the project, though the vast majority of the recording was conducted by Reis. Recording took place with friend and fellow musician Gar Wood in his garage. The music produced by Back Off Cupids was significantly different from Reis' other musical endeavors. While his previous groups had explored genres such as rock and roll, post punk, and post-hardcore in an aggressive fashion, Back Off Cupids was slower, mostly instrumental, and to a certain degree free-form. It most closely resembles Drive Like Jehu in its complexity and intricate song structures, but lacks the aggression and raspy vocals of that group. Recording of the Back Off Cupids material was completed in 1994, but with the exception of a few songs that appeared on compilations it remained mostly unreleased for several years.