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Locksley (band)
Encyclopedia
Locksley is an indie four-piece
pop rock
/power pop
band
from Madison, Wisconsin
. They are self-released on their own Feature Records label. Their songwriting is heavily influenced by early British Invasion
bands with an instrumental style based more on early American punk bands and modern garage rock groups. The band describe their sound as doo-wop punk.
. The band relocated to New York shortly after forming. Their first show was September 10, 2003, at the CBGB Gallery. They recorded a CD of demos in their apartment called Safely From the City, which they self-released in the fall of 2004. Only 1000 copies were ever printed.
In 2005 Locksley released a five-song, self-titled EP
. Several tracks off Locksley were licensed for commercials, including "Don't Make Me Wait" and "She Does" to Payless Shoes and "Don't Make Me Wait" to the STARZ network. Locksley was featured in the STARZ ad campaign as well, in a music video shot by the network. The EP and the licensing exposure attracted some label interest, though ultimately they never signed a record contract, instead releasing "Don't Make Me Wait" (a collection that included a mix of originals, tracks from the Locksley EP and some rerecordings of songs off Safely From the City) on their own Feature Records label in January 2007. (It was later released in Japan on Fabtone Records in June 2007 and in France on Minimum Records in August 2008). This release would be their first studio album and first broad album release. The band cites "Don't Make Me Wait" as their first album.
On January 18, 2008, Locksley announced on their website that bassist Aaron Collins would be leaving the band. Jordan Laz, Jesse Laz's younger brother, played bass for the band during a performance at the Mercury Lounge in New York City on March 20, 2008. He was officially announced as the band's new bassist the following day. Shortly thereafter, Locksley left on tour as direct support for Rooney
and spent the rest of the spring in between tours with Rooney and The Hives
. "Don't Make Me Wait" was rereleased on September 9, 2008.
on August 13, 2007. MTV
made Locksley their Featured Artist of the Week for two weeks straight from September 8 to 22, 2008.
After the release of Don't Make Me Wait, Locksley were featured in multiple magazine spreads, notably SPIN
s "Breaking Out", Rolling Stone
s "6 Breakout Bands to Watch", Alternative Presss "100 Bands You Need To Know" and in ELLE
with an eight-page fashion spread in their March 2007 issue.
Many of the songs off of Don't Make Me Wait were licensed for TV, commercials and movies, notably: "She Does" as the theme to HLN's Morning Express with Robin Meade
, placement in the Friday the 13th
remake, "Don't Make Me Wait" as the trailer music to the Paul Rudd
and Eva Longoria
movie Over Her Dead Body
and "My Kind of Lover" in the J.J. Abrams-produced Cloverfield
.
On August 24, 2008, "All Over Again," "Don't Make Me Wait," and "She Does" were made available as downloadable content for the popular Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
game series Rock Band
. The songs have been downloaded over 60,000 times to date. Locksley credits licenses with keeping the band going.
Locksley wrote the song "Slink (A Hymn)" for use as the theme song to FOX's TV show The Good Guys
.
The ECHL
hockey team Toledo Walleye
plays the chorus of "The Whip" whenever the team scores a goal at home.
Owens Community College
uses "The Whip" in a number of radio and TV commercials. "The Whip" is also used in an American Family Insurance
commercial, and has been used by the Columbus Blue Jackets
, Detroit Red Wings
, Vancouver Canucks
, Toronto Maple Leafs
, Dallas Stars
, and Florida Panthers
as their goal song since 2011-12.
on their Afternoon Tour.
The band's first-ever single release, "Darling, It's True", was released September 22, 2009, digitally and as the A-side
to a 7" released on Steven Van Zandt
's Wicked Cool Records. B-sides were "There's a Love" (a William Bell cover) and "Talk to Me" (an original Locksley song by Kai Kennedy).
The Be In Love release was pushed back to February 23 for the album digitally and March 16 in stores.
The video for "The Whip" premiered to fans on June 13, 2010, via Locksley's website. Immediately following the debut the band joined fans for a live chat about the video and upcoming tour. No dates had been set.
in early 2007. They followed that as support on The Rapture
's early 2007 Pieces of the People We Love tour. That summer Locksley performed at the MIDI festival in Beijing, China and the Summersonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan.
In late 2007 they were direct support on Hanson
's The Walk tour. In early/mid-2008 they were direct support on Rooney's U.S. tour and The Hives U.S./Canada tour.
In late 2008 they headlined MTV's Choose or Lose Tour and in late 2008 they were direct support and the backing band for Ray Davies on his U.S. tour.
In late 2009 they were direct support for Mae on their Afternoon Tour. In Dec. 2009 Locksley announced a spring Japan tour, as direct support for The Bawdies.
In early and mid-2010, Locksley were the opening act for Butch Walker
on his North American tour.
Quartet
In music, a quartet is a method of instrumentation , used to perform a musical composition, and consisting of four parts.-Western art music:...
pop rock
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
/power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
from Madison, Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. They are self-released on their own Feature Records label. Their songwriting is heavily influenced by early British Invasion
British Invasion
The British Invasion is a term used to describe the large number of rock and roll, beat, rock, and pop performers from the United Kingdom who became popular in the United States during the time period from 1964 through 1966.- Background :...
bands with an instrumental style based more on early American punk bands and modern garage rock groups. The band describe their sound as doo-wop punk.
Beginnings, Don't Make Me Wait (2003–2009)
Locksley was formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 2003 by Jesse Laz, Sam Bair, Kai Kennedy and Aaron Collins. They were students at Madison West High SchoolMadison West High School
Madison West High School is one of four comprehensive four-year high schools in Madison, Wisconsin. It was established in 1930. Its mascot is the "Reggie the Regent," a lion, and its school colors are maize and blue...
. The band relocated to New York shortly after forming. Their first show was September 10, 2003, at the CBGB Gallery. They recorded a CD of demos in their apartment called Safely From the City, which they self-released in the fall of 2004. Only 1000 copies were ever printed.
In 2005 Locksley released a five-song, self-titled EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
. Several tracks off Locksley were licensed for commercials, including "Don't Make Me Wait" and "She Does" to Payless Shoes and "Don't Make Me Wait" to the STARZ network. Locksley was featured in the STARZ ad campaign as well, in a music video shot by the network. The EP and the licensing exposure attracted some label interest, though ultimately they never signed a record contract, instead releasing "Don't Make Me Wait" (a collection that included a mix of originals, tracks from the Locksley EP and some rerecordings of songs off Safely From the City) on their own Feature Records label in January 2007. (It was later released in Japan on Fabtone Records in June 2007 and in France on Minimum Records in August 2008). This release would be their first studio album and first broad album release. The band cites "Don't Make Me Wait" as their first album.
On January 18, 2008, Locksley announced on their website that bassist Aaron Collins would be leaving the band. Jordan Laz, Jesse Laz's younger brother, played bass for the band during a performance at the Mercury Lounge in New York City on March 20, 2008. He was officially announced as the band's new bassist the following day. Shortly thereafter, Locksley left on tour as direct support for Rooney
Rooney (band)
Rooney is an American rock band from Los Angeles, currently self-produced and formerly signed to Geffen Records. The band is now composed of Robert Schwartzman , Louie Stephens , Taylor Locke , Ned Brower , and Brandon Schwartzel...
and spent the rest of the spring in between tours with Rooney and The Hives
The Hives
The Hives are a Swedish garage rock band that first garnered attention in the early 2000s as a prominent group of the garage rock revival. Their mainstream success came with the release of the "greatest hits" album Your New Favourite Band, featuring their most well-known song "Hate to Say I Told...
. "Don't Make Me Wait" was rereleased on September 9, 2008.
Television, press and placements
Locksley performed "Don't Make Me Wait", "Let Me Know" and "She Does" on Jimmy Kimmel Live! March 2, 2007. They performed "Let Me Know" on Late Night With Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien
Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
on August 13, 2007. MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
made Locksley their Featured Artist of the Week for two weeks straight from September 8 to 22, 2008.
After the release of Don't Make Me Wait, Locksley were featured in multiple magazine spreads, notably SPIN
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
s "Breaking Out", Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s "6 Breakout Bands to Watch", Alternative Presss "100 Bands You Need To Know" and in ELLE
Elle
Elle may refer to:*Elle, Central African Republic*Elle , a fashion publication*Ellé, a river in France*Elle , a female given name*Elle , a Sri Lankan game similar to baseball*Ælle of Sussex, a Saxon king...
with an eight-page fashion spread in their March 2007 issue.
Many of the songs off of Don't Make Me Wait were licensed for TV, commercials and movies, notably: "She Does" as the theme to HLN's Morning Express with Robin Meade
Morning Express with Robin Meade
Morning Express with Robin Meade is a morning television news program that airs on the HLN television network in the United States.-About the show:...
, placement in the Friday the 13th
Friday the 13th (2009 film)
Friday the 13th is a 2009 American slasher film directed by Marcus Nispel and written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. It is a reboot of the Friday the 13th film series, which began in 1980 and the twelfth Friday the 13th film in total...
remake, "Don't Make Me Wait" as the trailer music to the Paul Rudd
Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...
and Eva Longoria
Eva Longoria
Eva Jacqueline Longoria is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives...
movie Over Her Dead Body
Over Her Dead Body
Over Her Dead Body is a romantic comedy film starring Eva Longoria, Paul Rudd, Lake Bell, Jason Biggs, Lindsay Sloane, Ali Hillis, Colin Fickes and Stephen Root. It was written and directed by Jeff Lowell. Kate dies on the day of her wedding to fiancé Henry...
and "My Kind of Lover" in the J.J. Abrams-produced Cloverfield
Cloverfield
Cloverfield is a 2008 American disaster-monster film directed by Matt Reeves, produced by J. J. Abrams and written by Drew Goddard.The film follows six young New Yorkers attending a going-away party on the night that a gigantic monster attacks the city...
.
On August 24, 2008, "All Over Again," "Don't Make Me Wait," and "She Does" were made available as downloadable content for the popular Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
game series Rock Band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
. The songs have been downloaded over 60,000 times to date. Locksley credits licenses with keeping the band going.
Locksley wrote the song "Slink (A Hymn)" for use as the theme song to FOX's TV show The Good Guys
The Good Guys (2010 TV series)
The Good Guys is an American action-comedy series about an old-school cop and a modern-day detective that premiered with a preview episode on Fox on May 19, 2010, and began airing regularly on June 7...
.
The ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
hockey team Toledo Walleye
Toledo Walleye
The Toledo Walleye are a professional ice hockey team based in Toledo, Ohio. The Walleye are members of the North Division of the Eastern Conference of the ECHL...
plays the chorus of "The Whip" whenever the team scores a goal at home.
Owens Community College
Owens Community College
Owens State Community College is a comprehensive community college with campuses in Toledo and Findlay, Ohio. Owens was founded in 1965 in Toledo, and was chartered in 1967. The Findlay campus was opened in 1983. The college was named for Michael J...
uses "The Whip" in a number of radio and TV commercials. "The Whip" is also used in an American Family Insurance
American Family Insurance
American Family Insurance is a private mutual company that focuses on property, casualty and auto insurance, but also offers commercial insurance, life, health, and homeowners coverage, as well as investment and retirement-planning products...
commercial, and has been used by the Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio, United States. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Detroit Red Wings
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, Vancouver Canucks
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
, Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, Dallas Stars
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars are a professional ice hockey team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The team was founded during the 1967 NHL expansion as the Minnesota North Stars, based in Bloomington, Minnesota. The...
, and Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
as their goal song since 2011-12.
Be in Love (2009–2010)
Locksley began recording their second studio album (Be in Love) at the beginning of January 2009. Locksley announces "Be In Love" to be released January 26 as well as an opening slot as direct support for MaeMae
Mae was an American alternative/indie band that formed in Norfolk, Virginia in 2001. The band's name is an acronym for "Multi-sensory Aesthetic Experience," based on a course taken by drummer Jacob Marshall while a student at Old Dominion University....
on their Afternoon Tour.
The band's first-ever single release, "Darling, It's True", was released September 22, 2009, digitally and as the A-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
to a 7" released on Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt
Steven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
's Wicked Cool Records. B-sides were "There's a Love" (a William Bell cover) and "Talk to Me" (an original Locksley song by Kai Kennedy).
The Be In Love release was pushed back to February 23 for the album digitally and March 16 in stores.
The video for "The Whip" premiered to fans on June 13, 2010, via Locksley's website. Immediately following the debut the band joined fans for a live chat about the video and upcoming tour. No dates had been set.
Touring
Locksley's first national shows were a club tour with San Francisco's Scissors for LeftyScissors for lefty
Scissors for Lefty are an indie rock band, based in San Francisco. They released their debut album, Bruno, in 2005 on Rough Trade Records .-Biography:...
in early 2007. They followed that as support on The Rapture
The Rapture
The Rapture is an Indie rock band based in New York City. The band mixes influences from many genres including post-punk, acid house, disco, electronica and rock, pioneering the post-punk revival genre...
's early 2007 Pieces of the People We Love tour. That summer Locksley performed at the MIDI festival in Beijing, China and the Summersonic Festival in Tokyo, Japan.
In late 2007 they were direct support on Hanson
Hanson (band)
Hanson are an American pop rock band formed in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by brothers Isaac , Taylor , and Zac Hanson . They are best known for the 1997 hit song "MMMBop" from their major label debut album Middle of Nowhere, which earned three Grammy nominations...
's The Walk tour. In early/mid-2008 they were direct support on Rooney's U.S. tour and The Hives U.S./Canada tour.
In late 2008 they headlined MTV's Choose or Lose Tour and in late 2008 they were direct support and the backing band for Ray Davies on his U.S. tour.
In late 2009 they were direct support for Mae on their Afternoon Tour. In Dec. 2009 Locksley announced a spring Japan tour, as direct support for The Bawdies.
In early and mid-2010, Locksley were the opening act for Butch Walker
Butch Walker
Butch Walker is an American recording artist, songwriter, and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the metal band SouthGang from the late 80s to early 90s as well as the lead vocalist and guitarist for rock band Marvelous 3 from 1997 until 2001.-Career:Walker grew up in Cartersville,...
on his North American tour.
Albums
- Don't Make Me Wait (2007/2008, rerelease)
- Be In Love (2010)
- Locksley (2011)