Originally titled LOUD FAST RULES by vocalist Dave Pirner, guitarist Dan Murphy, bassist Karl Mueller and drummer Pat Morley in 1981. LOUD FAST RULES had formed when former AT LAST guitarist Murphy had enticed Pirner away from his Punk act THE SHITS to create a new act together with bassist Mueller. Initial rehearsals had Pirner on both vocals and drums.

initial incarnation of the band dealt in almost Hardcore Pop. Switching the band name to SOUL ASYLUM signed with Twin Tone Records, their 1984 debut 'Say What You Will' being produced by HÜSKER DÜ's Bob Mould.

Grant Young took over on drums for the follow up in 1986 'Made To Be Broken', produced once again by Mould. After a 1988 set 'While You Were Out' SOUL ASYLUM's parting shot to Twin Tone was an album of irreverant covers titled 'Clam Dip And Other Delights'. Included were FOREIGNER's 'Jukebox Hero' GLEN CAMPBELL's 'Rhinestone Cowboy', JANIS JOPLIN's 'Move Over' and even BARRY MANILOW's 'Mandy'!

ASYLUM actually folded in 1988 but reformed within a few months to secure an album deal with major label A&M Records. Pirner's perceptive lyrics and their overall increasing radio friendly, almost Country influenced, sound began to garner for the band universal critical acclaim. However, the band's next two albums 1988's 'Hang Time' and 1990's 'Soul Asylum And The Horse They Rode In On' failed to chart and A&M duly dropped the band.

SOUL ASYLUM were quickly snapped by another major Columbia. The band finally broke through with the 'Grave Dancer's Union', fuelled by the enormous radio hit 'Runaway Train', not only charting but going multi-platinum.

Dealing with the sensitive matter of runaway children 'Runaway Train' hit a nerve with thAmerican public and the song deservedly gained a number 5 position in the Billboard charts. All the profits from the song went to the National Missing Persons Charity and the video struck a chord by utilizing photographs of runaway teenagers.

In the full blitz of a media storm SOUL ASYLUM performed live on David Letterman show, again on the MTV awards to over 400 million viewers and put in another public performance at the invitation of President Clinton playing on the lawn of the White House. Pirner further increased interest in the band by appearing in the movie 'Generation X' alongside girlfriend Winona Ryder.

'Runaway Train' was such a big hit for the band collectively they felt it had become their personal millstone and dropped it from the live set and delved back into their Punk roots.

Prior to recording of the Butch Vig produced 1995 album 'Let Your Dim Light Shine' Sterling Campbell, whose credits include DURAN DURAN and DAVID BOWIE, took over the drum stool.

Along with members of THE JAYHAWKS both Pirner and Murphy operate in side act GOLDEN SMOG issuing an EP in 1992 and a 1996 album 'Down By The Old Mainstream'. The 1998 album had SOUL ASYLUM suffering another switch in drummers, the latest beneficiary of the position being Chris Quintana.

Longstanding bassist Karl Mueller died in June 2005 after fighting throat cancer for more than a year. Live work that October saw the inclusion of GUNS N' ROSES bassist Tommy Stinson.