The Wonder Years (band)
The Wonder Years |
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The Wonder Years is an American pop punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that began in June of 2005. Since then, they have released three full length albums, two EPs, and several splits/compilation contributions. The band is currently signed to Hopeless Records.[1]
History
Formation, the early years (2005-2006)
The Wonder Years were born in 2005 out of the remnants of an old Lansdale, PA band called The Premier. The Premier consisted of Soupy (Dan Campbell), Matt, Nick, and Dave. Dave was the only member of The Premier that didn't join The Wonder Years.
The Wonder Years' first two years of existence amounted to two relatively unknown split EP's with Lansdale bands that are no longer together. Their first split with Emergency and I was released in 2005 and featured two songs that would later be included on their first full length Get Stoked on It!. ("I Fell in Love with a Ninja Master" and "Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place").
The Wonder Years quickly followed up their 2005 release by putting out another split, this time with a band called Bangarang! In a similar fashion to their split with Emergency and I, The Wonder Years' split with Bangarang! featured two songs that would later be on Get Stoked on It!. ("My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware" and "Let's Moshercise!").
Get Stoked on It! (2007)
The Wonder Years' first full length album, Get Stoked on It! caused their then-small fan base to grow significantly. Get Stoked on It! was released on October 30, 2007 and featured 12 songs, all playfully titled.
The middle years (2008-2009)
After a very successful campaign with Get Stoked on It!, The Wonder Years signed to a record label known as, No Sleep Records. In the spring of 2008, The Wonder Years released an EP titled, Won't Be Pathetic Forever. In 2009, The Wonder Years' released a split EP titled Distances with U.K. pop-punk band All or Nothing. The split consisted of only two songs by The Wonder Years, and it was after this release that keyboardist/vocalist Mikey Kelly left the band to pursue other goals.
The Upsides (2010)
The Wonder Years' second full length album, The Upsides was released on January 26, 2010. The Upsides sold 1852 units in its first week, landing it on multiple Billboard charts: #5 on Alternative Artist, #9 on Top New Artist, #26 on Top Internet Album, and #43 on Indie Label Album.[2]
Also with the release of The Upsides was a 7" limited to only 500 copies and available with pre-order of "The Upsides" CD. Features a non album song titled Leavenhouse. 11:30. The song is about the early years of music for them an their local scene in Lansdale, PA.
A few months after the release of The Upsides, on May 27th, The Wonder Years announced that they had signed to Hopeless Records. Their first release after their signing was a split 7" with Fallen from the Sky, on which they covered "Zip Lock" by Lit.
The Wonder Years' spent much of the remainder of 2010 on an assortment of tours including the "Ship of Fools" tour with Streetlight Manifesto, a short tour with New Found Glory in between NFG's dates on the "Honda Civic Tour", an Australian tour with Heroes For Hire, Tonight Alive, and Skyway, the "Kimbo Wants a Pepsi" tour with Set Your Goals and Comeback Kid; and the "Tonight We Feel Alive" tour headlined by Four Year Strong.
The Wonder Years released a deluxe version of The Upsides on September 21, 2010. It included 4 new songs titled, "I Was Scared and I'm Sorry", "We Won't Bury You", "Dynamite Shovel (Campfire Version)", and "Logan Circle: A New Hope".
In October 2010, The Wonder Years released a music video for the song "Melrose Diner" set to the theme of BAW Wrestling and starring actor Charlie Saxton as the wrestler "Lone Wolf". [3]
Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing (2011)
The band confirmed that they are currently writing a new album to be released in 2011, which was named one of Alternative Press' most anticipated albums of the year. [4]
The Wonder Years toured Australia in May 2011 as part of the "Mix N Mash Tour"; playing alongside, Parkway Drive, Miss May I and Melbourne hardcore band Confession. The tour played in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
On April 11, 2011, the Wonder Years announced their new album to be entitled Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing. It is set to be released June 14, 2011 on Hopeless Records. The album is inspired by the poem America by Allen Ginsberg and the band's life following the release of The Upsides. The album is said to be part of the band's continuing cohesive "story", told through all of their albums (Get Stoked on It! notwithstanding). The first single off the album titled "Local Man Ruins Everything" was released on April 12, 2011 on iTunes. There will be guest vocals from Alan Day and Dan O'Connor from Four Year Strong on the album. The second single, Don't Let Me Cave In, was released on iTunes and Amazon on May 3, 2011, along with a music video. The album will be released on vinyl through No Sleep Records.
Discography
Studio albums
- 2007: Get Stoked on It!
- 2010: The Upsides (Deluxe re-release and B-Side 7")
- 2011: Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing
EPs and splits
- 2005: Split with Emergency and I
- 2006: Split with Bangarang
- 2007: Tour EP
- 2008: Won't Be Pathetic Forever 7
- 2009: Distances (split with All or Nothing)
- 2009: Carry the Torch (Kid Dynamite cover compilation)
- 2010: Under the Influence, Vol. 13 (split with Fallen from the Sky)
- 2011: VS The Earthquake (Benefit Compilation)
- 2011: Take Action! Vol. 10 (compilation)
Personnel
Current lineup
- Dan "Soupy" Campbell - vocals
- Matthew Brasch - guitar/ vocals
- Josh Martin - bass / vocals
- Casey Cavaliere - guitar
- Nick Steinborn - keys/guitar
- Mike Kennedy - drums
Past members
- Mikey Kelly - keyboard, vocals
- Jake Sulzey - drums(filled in on the 2010 tour with A Loss For Words)
References
- ^ "Artists - The Wonder Years". Hopeless Records. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
- ^ "Congrats on Outselling Heidi Montag". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2010-02-04.
- ^ YouTube - The Wonder Years - Melrose Diner - Official Video
- ^ Alt Press | Magazine | #270 - All Time Low