Pop Punk / Alternative Rock
About :
We've all heard the story before. It starts with a young band who has just released their debut album on a relatively new indie label. After a few months, that album becomes an unexpected hit thanks in large part to countless miles logged in a crummy tourvan, and a whole lot of word-of-mouth publicity. This then causes the band to sign to a bigger label and, for the next year, they slave over their second record, only to watch the major that they signed to during their ascent, totally blow it when the album is released a few months later.
For most music fans, this is well-covered territory and, by now, they are no doubt aware of what happens next. Usually, after their new corporate handlers fumble the record, said band is further neglected, and either breaks up or disappears completely. Sure, they might get back together for an episode of Behind The Music, but for the most part, that's where this particular story comes to its tragic, but typical end. Thankfully, modern rockers the Starting Line have learned that it doesn't always have to turn out this way.
Following the lead of one their musical heroes, Jimmy Eat World, the suburban Pennsylvania quartet have survived such a music industry foul up to record Direction, the most triumphant album of their career. "This new record is definitely something we are all very proud of," says bassist and lead singer Kenny Vasoli, who originally formed the Starting Line, along with guitarists Matt Watts, Mike Golla, and drummer Tom Gryskewicz, some eight years ago. "Just the thought of what could happen with this is making us really excited. We really hope that it can reach all sorts of new people."
With infectious songs like "What You Want" and instantly memorable tracks like "Island," Direction unquestionably sounds like the type of record that could introduce the Starting Line to a whole new audience. But, as Vasoli and his bandmates will readily admit, getting to this place has hardly been easy. The road that has lead the Starting Line to Direction has rarely been a smooth one, as it stretches back to the spring of 2005, a rocky period in which the band were preparing to release their second album, Based On A True Story.
At that point, the band had already enjoyed a rather enviable amount of success. They had sold nearly 300,000 copies of their 2002 debut, Say It Like You Mean It, and had even scored a surprise hit with "The Best Of Me," a pop-punk anthem that was embraced by MTV. After spending a year on the road in support of the album, the Starting Line had made a sizeable name for themselves and it wasn't before long that they made the move from their first home, indie label Drive-Thru Records, to the bigger budgets of major label Geffen Records.
But that switch didn't quite go as planned. At the time, the Starting Line's career was beginning to arch: In the months following Based On A True Story's release, they were asked to headline the 2005 Warped Tour and, when that rapped, they went on to play the biggest headlining shows of their career. You'd think the band's increased popularity would result in a larger push from their label. It didn't. Instead, Geffen somewhat cluelessly de-prioritized the album and, perhaps worst of all, never even serviced its anthemic first single, "Bedroom Talk," to commercial radio.
"After the record came out, the label didn't even murmur a word about it," Vasoli says. "I think that sent us into a little bit of a depression. It just didn't feel like we had a lot of people on our side." Yet, where other bands might wallow in this or, worse yet, split up, the Starting Line began to think up a way out. First, instead of waiting for Geffen to come to their senses, they begged the label to let them out of their contract. Upon agreeing to do so, the Starting Line quickly signed to Virgin, after president Jason Flom took in one of their live shows, and stood stunned at the sight of 10,000 kids singing along with the band.
A few months later, the Starting Line began work on Direction, an album that they all agreed could be nothing short of their strongest work to date. For inspiration, Vasoli began looking to classic artists like Bob Dylan and James Brown. "I know that our album doesn't sound like that," the singer says, "but those guys would write songs that didn't have a whole lot going on, but they still worked really well. I guess that I tried to adopt that mindset while writing these songs. I wanted to give people something that was three or four minutes long, and got to the point."
That distinct approach can be heard throughout Direction, whether it's in the wistful power-pop of "I Could Be Wrong" or the strutting hard rock on the album's title track. Just as they did for a few tracks on Based On A True Story, the Starting Line decamped to Los Angeles to record the album with Howard Benson, a Grammy nominated producer who's worked with everyone from My Chemical Romance to the All-American Rejects.
"I was really stoked when I heard the first batch of songs," Benson says, now. "It was a huge leap in maturity and form for the band, and that's what you look for in an artist, is that artistic growth. I knew we would make a great record."
While out west, the band also brought in Saosin vocalist Cove Reber, who duets with Vasoli on "Something Left To Give," as well as famed percussionist Luis Conti, who, on "Island," bangs out one of the most inspired percussion lines you're likely to hear in a rock song this year. They have also added keyboardist and backing vocalist Brian Schmutz, who has recently become part of the band's touring line-up and contributes to some of the songwriting. The end result is an album that still maintains the energy of the band's early material, but that also shows just how far they have grown as songwriters. Perhaps more importantly, though, Direction suggests that this particular story doesn't always end up the way you might think.
Just like their logical forefathers in Jimmy Eat World, the members of the Starting Line seem ready to put the situation with their former label aside and release an album that will break them to a larger audience. And they seem prepared to do so, with a bright new outlook in tact. "Over the past two years, we've been through a lot," Watts says, looking back. "But I think that this album is what made it worth it, and I think you can hear in these songs. We're embracing the positive things we have been through, as well."
So then, tell the people at Behind The Music to find another band. Because at the moment, the Starting Line have nothing but a bright future ahead of them.
History :
In 1999, the band that would become The Starting Line was initiated in Churchville, Pennsylvania via an e-mail from guitarist Matt Watts tovocalist/bassist Kenny Vasoli. It asked if the then fourteen-year-old Vasoli, who was at that time in a band called Smash Adams, was interested in "Jamming and shit", as the message title read. Only a few weeks later, Vasoli found himself rehearsing with his future bandmates Watts, guitarist Mike Golla and drummer Tom Gryskewicz. That year, Smash Adams released a tape, Batteries Not Included. It had 7 songs, of which only 4 were mastered. One song from that tape was incorporated into another bands work, 5 Days Ahead. They used a Smash Adams song, Kathleen, in an intro that was set inside of a car with two people talking. It was playing faintly in the background. Soon, the band started touring under the name Sunday Drive, selling out home-made merchandise and a self-recorded demo cassette titled Four Songs. Their first official release was a three-way split with The Jimmy Tuesday Band and The Commercials contributing three songs each, released on KickStart Audio in 2000.
Sunday Drive was soon approached by We the People Records and asked to produce a recording session (the infamous We the People Records Sessions). Set for a release in December 2000, the twelve songs were initially planned to become the band's debut full-length With Hopes of Starting Over on We the People Records, but they ended up serving only as demos for tracks on future releases, as the band signed with Drive-Thru Records in April 2001. On Drive-Thru, they soon released their debut EP With Hopes of Starting Over. They later found out, the name Sunday Drive was already taken by a Christian rock band, so they changed their band name to The Starting Line. The band has said there is no significance behind the name, it was the only name they all could agree upon.
On July 16, 2002, almost exactly one year after the release of their EP, the full-length Say It Like You Mean It followed. The songs ranged from energetic and fast-paced to melancholy and calm, dealing with performing on stage ("Given the Chance"), feeling homesick ("Left Coast Envy") and getting even with Vasoli's ex-girlfriend Karina ("Up & Go", "Hello Houston", among others). The hit single "Best of Me" and its two music videos, as well as the second single "Leaving", received heavy radio and TV airplay, securing The Starting Line a spot on the Warped Tour. A clip of "Up & Go" was played during an episode of the short-lived television series from Fox, John Doe. The episode aired December 13 2002, and was entitled 'The Mourner.'
Due to their desire to put out new material, the band decided to release an all-unplugged EP, recorded in three sessions over the following year. The first three songs (recorded in The Prize Fight's Bob Jones' bedroom in August 2002), the second session (recorded in Vasoli's basement in March 2003) and the last track (recorded on the band's touring bus in April 2003) became The Make Yourself at Home EP, released on November 25, 2003. The CD and the DVD version issued simultaneously, featuring an acoustic set performed live at Skate & Surf 2003 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, would be their last releases put out solely on Drive-Thru Records, as The Starting Line was signed by Geffen Records soon afterwards.
Their major label debut, Based on a True Story, came out in May 2005. Lyrically, the band dissociated themselves from the post-relationship formula that was predominant on their previous records. The otherwise very positive and cheerful album was overshadowed by several rather angry songs, written to spite the band's record label. Songs like "Inspired by the $" featured lyrics that are unmistakably directed at Geffen: "Get to the point/Get it across/To the boys at the top of the ladder I'm climbing up/I have my doubts". Another section of the song refers to a meeting the band had with the label's executives, where The Starting Line was asked to write more radio-friendly songs in the vein of New Found Glory's Catalyst (2004) and recreate "Best of Me" ("Just stay the same way/Do it like you did it before/Remain the same shape", followed by "If I did it again, then Lord stop me, then/God help me now, Lord help me out").The album was far more successful than the band's 2002 effort and sold 42,000 copies within its first week, as opposed to its predecessor's 11,000 The release was followed by the semi-headlining Nintendo Fusion Tour with Fall Out Boy, kicking off in September 2005. The band brought with them a new addition to their live performances, keyboardist Brian Schmutz. A friend of Vasoli's, the two had short lived side-project called Statue in 2004. A few dates into the tour, The Starting Line were — at their request — released from their record deal with Geffen, and became free agents. Vasoli describes their time with Geffen: " It was kind of like having a sort of hot girlfriend that never talks to you. You say, "Oh yeah, I 'm dating this supermodel, but she's been in France for three years and doesn't really call me... but she promises that when she gets back we're REALLY gonna start to get serious. It was always an imaginary relationship."
In early January 2006, the band signed with Virgin Records. The band released their third full-length album "Direction" on July 31, 2007, containing the single "Island" which was written about and for Vasoli's girlfriend of the last four years, Michelle. "Island" was the group's lone charting single, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Modern Rock charts. The album peaked at #30 on the Billboard 200 chart, but fell off the chart four weeks later. To date, the band's highest ranking on the chart was #18 with their second album "Based on a True Story". The band completed the 2007 Warped Tour and began their nationwide headlining tour the following September.
On November 10, 2009, The Starting Line released their first Live CD/DVD entitled "Somebody's Gonna Miss Us." The Live CD/DVD documents the band's formation and growth through their last tour and final show at Bamboozle 2008.
Break
On March 5, 2008 the band announced in an e-mail and on Absolutepunk.net they would be going on a break in order for Ken and Brian to explore Person L, Matt and Tom to explore The Seventy Six, and Mike to spend time with his two daughters and explore The Traded Series. The band has been playing with the idea of coming back in 2011, but no one knows if there is any truth behind the claims. Matt Watts is currently a band manager for Red Light Management, managing the bands Fake Problems, Like Lions, New Atlantic, and Hit The Lights. They will continue The Starting Line if and when the time is right.
On April 14, 2009, in a chat with AbsolutePunk.net, Kenny Vasoli hinted that The Starting Line may actually be returning sooner than 2011, saying "it's looking good, may even be earlier. I hung with Matt and Tom the other day, we all are still in love with one another."
On November 05, 2009, in an interview for Punktastic.com; Vasoli reveals the band "do have plans to reform," have dates planned and will "eventually get it together enough to come back across the pond.
On December 29, 2009, The Starting Line had a reunion concert at the Theater of Living Arts. Starting Line guitarist Matt Watts stated on the website AbsolutePunk that "this doesn't mean that TSL are back together....It simply means that we're taking a break from our break, and wanted to play a fun show in Philadelphia and continue to focus on our lives outside of TSL" (Kohl 1).
The Starting Line added a second holiday show on December 30, 2009 in Philadelphia at the Trocadero Theater. This was added due to the fact that the first holiday show scheduled for December 29, 2009 sold out in a little over an hour and the band would like to give their local fans a better chance to see them. Towards the end of their set, Kenny Vasoli announced the band's reunion.
Members :
Kenny Vasoli : Vocals, bass
Matt Watts : Guitars
Mike Golla : Guitar, Backing Vocals
Tom Gryskiewicz : Drums
Brian Schmutz : Keyboards, Backing Vocals
