Slow Gherkin

Slow Gherkin

Slow Gherkin is a ska and ska punk group from Santa Cruz, United States. Formed in 1993, the band starts out with teenage members AJ Marquez, Zack “ZK” Kent, Phil Boutelle and James Rickman. The group’s line-up also includes Achilles Poloynis.

Releases

The band releases its first album, Double Happiness, in 1996, with distribution through Asian Man Records. It follows with Shed Some Skin in 1998 and Run Screaming in 2002, which is its final album.

Activity and reunions

Slow Gherkin plays its last performance in 2002, but later returns for a reunion concert at the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz in 2011. The band then plays in New York City in 2014, reunites again in 2016 for Asian Man Records’ 20th anniversary show, and issues two new singles on Lives. It also plays several shows in California in 2018 and performs again in its hometown of Santa Cruz in 2025, followed by a set at the Supernova Ska Festival in Hampton, Virginia.