Dope

Dope Bio

Edsel Dope, the band's principal singer and songwriter, started the group in 1997. When their parents divorced, Edsel and his brother, Simon Dope, were separated as children. They rejoined as adults, and Simon became a member of Edsel's band, playing keyboards. Tripp Eisen, Preston Nash, and Acey Slade were brought in as bassists, drummers, and guitarists, respectively.

Dope's sound was influenced by hard rock bands and blended with the sound of industrial rock performers like Ministry and industrial music outfit Skinny Puppy, which had made waves earlier in the decade.

The band had to sell narcotics to make ends meet and buy instruments in the beginning. Furthermore, as evidenced by their early T-shirt designs, which prominently featured hypodermic needles, the word "Dope" relates to narcotics and drug culture.

In the early 1990s, the band shared an apartment in Las Vegas with fellow rockers Marilyn Manson; drummer Ginger Fish and Edsel Dope were both in their bands. In addition, guitarist Zim Zum permitted the band to state on the cover of their promotional discs that they were "currently being produced by Zim Zum" to help them land a record deal. Zum was supposed to produce their debut, but he was preoccupied with producing the album Mechanical Animals at the time. Edsel, the band's lead singer, has remained friends with Daisy Berkowitz, the ex-Manson guitarist.