Soul Coughing

All four Soul Coughing members were regulars at The Knitting Factory, a New York City nightclub and performance venue that was part of the 1980s and 1990s experimental downtown scene. Doughty was a doorman known for his improvised comedic quasi-raps, while the others appeared at the Knitting Factory in various bands.^[1][6] Doughty, Degli Antoni, and Steinberg all performed in versions of John Zorn's composition Cobra, appearing on John Zorn's Cobra: Live at the Knitting Factory (recorded 1992, released 1995).^[7] The four-piece performed for the first time as "M. Doughty's Soul Coughing" on June 15, 1992 at the Knitting Factory.

Within a year of its formation, the band was signed to Slash Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records.^[1] The group released three albums: Ruby Vroom (1994), Irresistible Bliss (1996) and El Oso (1998), with the latter showing a marked drum and bass influence.^[8] Irresistible Bliss and El Oso both reached the Billboard 200 albums chart.^[9] The band enjoyed minor hit singles with "Soundtrack to Mary" and "Super Bon Bon".^[10]

In 1996, Soul Coughing contributed to the AIDS benefit album Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip, produced by the Red Hot Organization. The same year they released an EP on the subscription-only label Hello CD of the Month Club. Also in 1996, one of the group's songs, "Unmarked Helicopters", was included in the Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files. The band also placed songs in the soundtracks to the films Batman & Robin ("The Bug"), Tommy Boy ("Is Chicago, Is Not Chicago") and Spawn ("A Plane Scraped Its Belly On A Sooty Yellow Moon", featuring Roni Size). Their song "Super Bon Bon" was included on the soundtrack for the video game Gran Turismo 2 in 1999.

The 1998 song "Circles" from El Oso reached No. 8 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart,^[10] and was used as the soundtrack to a Cartoon Network extended commercial that poked fun at repeating cartoon backgrounds.^[11][12]

Soul Coughing broke up in 2000.^[1][3] Mark Degli Antoni moved on to a career as a film score composer,^[1] while Mike Doughty began a prolific solo career, occasionally revisiting Soul Coughing songs in new styles.^[13]

Lust in Phaze, a greatest hits compilation including a few B-sides, was released in 2002. Rhino Records reissued Soul Coughing's three studio albums on 180-gram black vinyl in 2015, marking the first time Ruby Vroom had been pressed to vinyl.^[14] In 2017, Swedish record label Woah Dad! acquired Soul Coughing's back catalog from Slash Records.^[15]

Soul Coughing was honored with a star on the outside mural of Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue,^[16] which recognizes performers who have played sold-out shows or otherwise made major cultural contributions to the iconic venue.^[17] Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis", according to journalist Steve Marsh.^[18] Soul Coughing was especially popular in Minneapolis, thanks to airplay on alternative radio station Rev 105, and regularly performed there to audiences five to ten times larger than in other cities.^[19]

In February 2022, Doughty and Steinberg performed together in Los Angeles during Steinberg's set for Watkins Family Hour. The duo performed Soul Coughing songs "Super Bon Bon" and "True Dreams of Wichita", which marked the first occasion members of Soul Coughing appeared on stage together since the split in 2000.^[20]

At the end of June 2024, Soul Coughing reformed with all the original members and announced that there would be a short tour with limited shows throughout September and October 2024.^[21] On September 12th, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Ruby Vroom, the band performed "Super Bon Bon" live on Jimmy Kimmel Live.^[22]