buttercup released fifty-nine original songs on five full-length albums on the Spirit of Orr label between 1994 and 2000. The label worked the records within the emerging Americana scene with coverage in Alternative Press, The Guardian, Mojo, No Depression,  and others. A compilation of the band's work was released in 2014 on the Swedish label Sound Asleep. In 1994 Jim Buni started the band buttercup with engineer and guitarist Hugh O'Donovan, drummer Dan Lech, bassist and Vocalist Colleen MacDonald. The band's name was the idea of friend Tom Devlin, bassist in the band Prickly. Their first album Gold was recorded on 1/2" 8 track tape in Hugh's South Boston recording studio. Gold was originally released as a cassette tape to be given away or sold at shows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The art work was done by comic artist Tony Fitzgerald who also designed flyers for our paper mailing list. Tom wrote the liner notes. Buttercup's first was at the Black Rose in Harvard Square as an opening act for Brian Middleton's Band the Rafters. Other early gigs took place at Pranzare in the former Brookline Ave HoJos and the Plough and Stars. Practices were first held at Hugh's place and later room 7 in the now demolished and turned into a high rise rehearsal studio complex which housed New Alliance and Capertown Sound, now Woolly Mammoth. At some point in 1995 Ron Schneiderman of Surefire distribution got ahold of the tape and offered to release it as a CD on his new label Spirit of Orr. A simple contract was drawn up and Andrew Smiles designed the album art. Ron and his team were ambitious, idealistic, and connected and the bands association with them raised their profile in Boston but also among their international network independent music people. The second body of work was recorded at Hugh O'Donovan's post Southie Studio the Cold Room in the Boston's South End. This was an excellent sounding 16 track studio. Several of the tracks from the second album Love were recorded there. Tose were the first recordings to feature Tim Obetz on Pedal Steel. Being in high demand, and having his own creative goals, Hugh left the band and was replaced by friend Mike Leahy, a veteran guitarist and Fort Apache affiliate. This was 1996-1997. At that point recording shifted to Fort Apache where the majority of the second album was recorded by Brian Dunton with help from Carl Plaster. Some tracks were recorded at Zippah with Carl who mixed a Zippah track at Dave Minehan's Capertown/Wooly Mammoth studio, with Carl's introduction to Dave, the band would record their third album buttercup and final album Terminal E.