Snail is the brainchild of guitarist, singer, songwriter Bob O’Neill and drummer Ron Fillmore circa 1967. Soon joined by bassist Dave Kibler, Snail was a power-trio along the lines of England’s Cream. In 1968, Ken Kraft, guitarist, singer, songwriter, joined the band and he and Bob became lifetime musical partners.
Over the years, Snail toured the U.S. extensively while undergoing several line-up changes. Signed to CREAM Records in 1977, Snail recorded two well received LPs: Snail and Flow. It was at this time that Snail appeared on American Bandstand performing their signature song “The Joker”.
After landing the opening act for Styx on a nation wide tour in 1980, Snail hit the club circuit in the San Francisco bay area until 1981. In 2009, Renissance Records re-released both Snail and Flow albums together on one CD.
In the Fall of 2009, Bob and Ken recruited bassist/vocalist extraordinaire, Craig Owens, and renowned drummer/percussionist, Gary “Killer” Andrijasevich, to record a brand new Snail CD. The result is a blend of the old, the new and the unexpected. Together, the band release Snail Now ! in 2020 and Snail Rocks ! in 2022. They continue writing and recording new material, releasing well produced, high energy, soulful music to their fans via the web, online streaming services and USPS mail.