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For the last 30 years Bryan Small led The Hangmen through more shit than you can imagine –
from big money major label record deals to debilitating drug addiction and well... too many other
demons to mention. Through it all, Small’s commitment to musical honesty and integrity never
waned.
Born in Montana, raised in Boise, ID, Small moved to Los Angeles and formed The Hangmen in
1986, where they immediately caught the eye of Black Flag/Circle Jerks singer Keith Morris.
Morris produced the original Hangmen demos and came on as manager. They signed a deal with
Capitol Records and released their self-titled debut (produced by Vic Maile, Motorhead), but things
soon came crashing down. A switch to DGC Records (the newly formed subsidiary of Geffen
who’s roster included The Nymphs, Nirvana, etc) seemed like the perfect landing spot for the band.
Unfortunately the Rob Younger (Radio Birdman) produced album Suicide Doors was never
released and the band dissolved into addiction.
Not one to be down for long, a newly sober Small started writing again, the result was 2000’s
Metallic I.O.U. Tours with longtime fans Social Distortion and the Supersuckers followed. Ness
would later produce The Hangmen’s 2007 release In the City. “I totally feel like we're kindred
spirits,” Small says looking back, adding that both bands emphasize “simplicity, and doing what
you do and staying true to that.”
In 2010, Hype Records, the popular Finnish record label, released Lost Rocks, an 18-song
Hangmen retrospective. Shortly thereafter, former Supersucker, “Rontrose” Heathmen joined the
band for 2012’s critically acclaimed East Of Western followed Cactusville in 2019, who’s tour
included a performance on the legendary live music showcase, Rockpalast.
2023 will mark the release of Stories To Tell and another chapter of The Hangmen legend
continues. Small has taken his brand of songwriting to another level, putting him in an artistic class
with the likes of Tom Petty and Neil Young as purveyors of the honest and simple.