Sometimes called "the hardest working band in the 4600 block of Mission Blvd," the four musicians known as Pickford's Party form the history of a band whose music is as diverse as the background of its members. As a sophomore at the Naval Academy, frontman John "Skipper" Ruzicka first met bassist Rob Renovales in 1995. The pair would sit and learn songs together, but never thought of having a band. In the spring of 1998 during Skip's senior year, the two formed an ad-hoc group called D.D.O. (Double Decker Outhouse) for one month and took home first place at the Naval Academy talent show.
Reunited in San Diego in late 1998, Rob and Skip played on and off for the next few years. Starting in the fall of 2002, the pair found temporary help from various talented drummers and guitarists to continue their unique, acoustic-style classic rock performances under the moniker Skip's Garage at venues like Thruster's Lounge in Pacific Beach and the Arena Club at the San Diego Sports Arena.
In February of 2005, they found unmistakable chemistry with new drummer Nick Vincent-Maloney (Soup of the Day). Nick arrived in San Diego after a job change brought him from the Seattle area. With over 300 shows under his belt and 3 studio albums, Nick brought a new level of professionalism to this budding rock group. With a new outlook and a fresh attitude, the group changed their name to Pickford's Party in early 2005.
Finally, lead guitar virtuoso, Colin Farnell joined the band in the summer of 2005 after finishing a 36 month eastern European tour with his previous band Evil Petting Zoo. Due to creative differences he decided to embark on a completely new and different musical journey with Pickford’s Party. Colin, raised by a Buddhist monk who opposed all string instrumented music, decided to rebel against his upbringing after he first heard “Happy to be Stuck with You” by Huey Lewis and the News. From then on he knew electric guitar was in his blood. From there he played in numerous bands while trying to find his identity. Before Evil Petting Zoo he had a brief but successful stint with the agro-nu-metal band Cliffs of Insanity. Colin combines the soulful swing of a ring-tailed lemur with the animalistic instinct of a charging rhino. If you don’t believe it check out a show for yourself. But watch out, he might piss on you.
