1999–2001: Formation and first releases Ted Leo's previous band,
Chisel, had broken up in 1997 after internal struggles with both a direction to go and Leo's bounding depression. After the breakup, Ted spent time producing and working on albums for
the Spinanes, the Secret Stars, and
Jejune. He also fronted the Sin Eaters, a short-lived band featuring members of
the Van Pelt and
Native Nod. After these projects either finished or fizzled out, Leo started playing solo. In 1999, he recorded and released
tej leo(?), Rx / pharmacists, a solo effort which was highly experimental and mixed elements of punk rock,
reggae, dub, and audio experimentation. In 2000, Leo expanded the project to a full band including
James Canty on guitar, Jodi Buonanno on bass and
Amy Farina on drums. He named the backing band the Pharmacists, and the group released the
EP Treble in Trouble. The EP moved away from many of the experimental elements of
tej leo by relying on more traditional rock structures and instrumentation, though it still explored some non-traditional characteristics.
2001–2005: Lookout! Records, Hearts of Oak, and Shake the Sheets The band signed to
Lookout! Records in 2001 and experienced more lineup changes as Buonanno and Farina left the group. For the album
The Tyranny of Distance, Leo and Canty utilized a number of in-studio backing musicians. The album incorporated multiple styles including Celtic rock, acoustic
folk balladry and
pop rock. During the supporting tours for the album, bassist Dave Lerner, drummer Chris Wilson, and keyboardist Dorien Garry became permanent members. The group's next album, 2003's
Hearts of Oak, drew from punk rock and
new wave influences. The EP
Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead soon followed and featured a number of Leo's solo songs and covers. A video documentary of the band performing at the 2003 Siren Music Festival in
Coney Island,
Dirty Old Town, was released in early 2004 by
Plexifilm. Prior to the recording of 2004's
Shake the Sheets, Garry and Canty left the band, reducing the group to a trio. The album explored social and political topics and experienced some success with the single "Me and Mia". The
iTunes-exclusive EP
Sharkbite Sessions followed in 2005.
2006-present: Touch and Go Records, Living with the Living, and The Brutalist Bricks festival in
Seattle in 2007. In 2006, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists left Lookout! amidst financial crises within the label, and signed a new contract with
Chicago-based
Touch and Go Records. The band's popularity continued to expand through constant touring and performances at large festivals such as the
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and the
Pitchfork Music Festival. Their fourth full-band album,
Living with the Living, was released on March 20, 2007. First-run copies of the album also included the ''
Mo' Living EP. Canty rejoined them for touring in support of Living with the Living''. Bassist Lerner played his last show with the band at
McCarren Park Pool in Brooklyn, NY on August 12, 2007. Marty "Violence" Key, formerly of the
(Young) Pioneers, replaced him on tour,. In April 2008, the band recorded a performance for the
Beautiful Noise concert series in Toronto. They then performed as openers for six dates of
Pearl Jam's
2008 U.S. tour in June. They toured with
Against Me! and
Future of the Left in September and October 2008. On September 15, 2008, the band released a surprise digital EP,
Rapid Response, in response to the violence at the
2008 Republican National Convention in
St. Paul, Minnesota. The EP was made available on the Touch and Go website for a choice of prices with all proceeds going to
Democracy Now! and
Food Not Bombs of St. Paul. The Pharmacists' most recent album,
The Brutalist Bricks, was released on March 9, 2010, followed by a tour of the United States and Europe. In September 2011, Key left the band to open a record store. The band continued as a trio with Canty taking over on bass. In a 2012 interview, Leo alluded to a new album to be released that summer, which has yet to be issued. In 2017, Leo released
The Hanged Man under his own name after funding it through a
Kickstarter campaign. On March 4, 2022, Leo released an EP titled
Andy, Come Out on his Bandcamp, featuring two new songs and a cover of the song "Ping Pong" by
Stereolab that Leo had played live the night before. This was followed up by
The Old 200 EP a month later. He sporadically put out more EPs throughout the rest of the year, all credited under the Pharmacists name. On February 13, 2024, Leo announced the Pharmacists would be going on a US tour in celebration of the 20th anniversary of
Shake The Sheets with opening support from
Ekko Astral and
Diners. == Band members ==