Hazmat Modine

Hazmat Modine

Hazmat Modine is a New York-based musical group formed in 1998 and led by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Wade Schuman. The group’s core sound is rooted in blues and also draws on folk, jazz and world music, while the verified genre listing for the act includes folk and jazz. Its name combines “hazmat”, from “hazardous material”, and “Modine”, the name of a heater brand.

Style and instrumentation

The group works with a wide instrumental range. In 2015, its lineup includes harmonica, tuba, trumpet, saxophone, drums and two guitars, alongside solo and harmony vocals. Schuman’s guitar, diatonic harmonica and vocals sit at the centre of the music, while the wider arrangement includes chromatic harmonica, flugelhorn, trombone, tenor and baritone saxophones, piccolo, duduk, mandocello and steel guitar. The band’s writing also draws on early American popular forms, including blues from the 1920s, 1930s, 1950s and early 1960s, plus hokum jug band music, swing, New Orleans R&B and Jamaican rocksteady.

Background

Schuman forms the group’s material and direction, writing and singing nearly all of its songs. Hazmat Modine also incorporates influences gathered through touring in more than 20 countries. The act is based in New York City in the United States, and the verified member list includes Erik Della Penna, Michaela Gomez and Joe Daley.