They also experienced success with their 2001 cover version of Erasure's "A Little Respect", and their self-titled album was certified platinum in the United Kingdom.

Wheatus was formed by Brendan Bernard Brown[1] in 1995, who plays guitar and sings, on the Lower East Side of New York City.

[2] Brown began by writing a few songs and subsequently enlisted the help of his brother Peter on drums, Rich Liegey on bass and backing vocals, and Philip A. Jimenez on various percussion instruments, keyboards, harmonica, samples, and special effects.

Their self-titled debut album was released on August 15, 2000, and spawned their first and largest hit, "Teenage Dirtbag", a song that charted at No.

[citation needed] Wheatus began work on their second album in 2002, with Brendan enlisting the help of his sister, Liz Brown, and the band's merchandiser, Kathryn Froggatt, as backing vocalists.

Bassist Mike McCabe left the band in March 2005, shortly after the release of Suck Fony; he was replaced by Nicolas diPierro.

A second single, The London Sun, was released in February 2006. diPierro departed the band and was replaced by 19-year-old rookie bassist Matt Milligan.

In early 2009, Brown composed music for April Showers, a film that deals with the Columbine High School massacre.

[8] Following a re-release of the single "Lemonade", supported by the first of three Lego videos created by Oliver Broadbent, Wheatus released their fifth studio album, The Valentine LP, in 2013.

Brown described it as a set of "post-apocalyptic love songs",[9] adding that he delved into the concept of "reconstituting society, fighting zombies, and trying to maintain some kind of romantic relationship at the same time".

[12] The digital version of the album includes a PDF entitled "Valentine Comic", with concept art depicting a zombie apocalypse love story, designed by graphic artist Ecol (Eric Collins).

[citation needed] Following the album's release, Wheatus recorded a new single, "Only You", a collaboration with two members of One Direction's band, bassist Sandy Beales and drummer Josh Devine.

[14] The Valentine LP was released on CD through Blacktop Records in the UK in 2014, with three bonus tracks: "Only You", a single mix of "Holiday", and an acoustic version of "Only You".

Tentatively titled Beasts of the Unknown, Brown has stated that the direction of the record will be "80's metal", inspired by the bands that he grew up listening to as a teenager.

Recording was due to take place in late 2015, until plans for a tour celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of their debut album were announced.

Karlie Bruce returned on backing vocals after a three-year absence, joining Gabrielle Sterbenz and Joey Slater.

[19] In early 2019, Wheatus announced plans for their first world tour since 2000, playing in the US and South Africa as well as 48 dates across Germany, the Netherlands, and the UK.