Severin's songs, at once melodic and chaotic, reflected the eclectic nature of a thriving, independent music scene yet unspoiled by mainstream and corporate attention.
The band was founded in 1989 by longtime friends Alec Bourgeois and Eugene Bogan. The two had been original members of the “B-town thrashers” crew, which came together in 1981 when kids from Bethesda, Maryland’s Walt Whitman and BCC high schools realized they weren’t the only ones venturing downtown to explore Washington, DC’s art and punk scenes. This micro-scene initially produced a number of short-lived bands —both real and imagined— such as Capitol Punishment, Common Cause, The Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, Disband, Scary 1s, Fungus of Terror, Hate From Ignorance Cereal Killer, and more. It would later give rise to scene anchors like Gray Matter, Dag Nasty, Bells Of, Fire Party, Madhouse, Swiz, and Autoclave.
Severin came together when Alec and Eugene, living in DC after college stints, found themselves bandless but energized by the growing interconnectivity of local and regional punk scenes. After experimenting with several collaborators (Joe Lally, Christina Billotte, Elio Mariani) the band solidified its permanent line-up when Mark Haggerty (Gray Matter) and Alex Daniels (Swiz) joined in 1990. Severin became a fixture at DC Space and the 9:30 Club, often bridging the gap between DC’s punk and indie-pop scenes and providing solid local support to fledgling touring bands who might otherwise have to skip town. They also hit the road for several regional tours between 1990 and 1992.
The band’s rise coincided with the increased prominence of the vinyl 7-inch as a way for bands to introduce themselves to this emerging underground network with a cheap, innovative package. Alec and Eugene created Superbad Records as a vehicle to self-release Severin singles in conjunction with Dischord Records. The first single, Fire and Sand b/w People Are Wrong, was released in 1991. In total, Severin released four singles —three on Superbad and one on Sub Pop.
In 1992, the band released its only full-length, Acid to Ashes, Rust to Dust, on Dischord Records followed by regional and national tours. Severin’s final release was a four-song double 7-inch, Upside Down, issued on Superbad in 1993 as a farewell, as the band was in the process of calling it quits.
Fun Fact: Severin was not named after Steve Severin :)
Member Updates
- Alec Bourgeois fronted The Capitol City Dusters from 1995-2003. He still lives in Washington, DC with his family and is currently playing in DIAMINE, who released their debut album in May 2025.
- Mark Haggery continues to play with his childhood pals in Gray Matter when they gather, usually to celebrate drummer Dante Ferrando's Black Cat anniversaries. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland with his partner, Kristin.
- Eugene Bogan lives in Ontario, Canada and has two daughetrs in college.
- Alex Daniels is a journalist who lives with his family just outside Washington, DC. He recently reunited with his SWIZ bandmates to play the Positive Force 40th Anniversary in Washington, DC.