Making April
Encyclopedia
Making April was an American piano-based
alternative rock
band formed in Verplanck, New York
, in 2005. The band consists of vocalist and pianist Sean Scanlon, bassist Gregory Federspiel and guitarist and backing vocalist Steven McCaffrey.
Making April's first songs were released on a demo titled My First Demo!, in 2005. The band self-released their first EP
in 2006, an eight track recording named Runaway World
. The EP was released later in 2006 as a full album in Japan
, through Radtone Music. In 2008, they signed to Universal Republic
in the USA. The label released a re-recorded version of "These Are the Nights". Making April has previously featured as the #1 Top Unsigned Artist on Myspace
.
They have sold over 100,000 tracks on iTunes
worldwide.
In September 2009, Sean, the lead vocalist, announced that the band would be going on hiatus.
In June 2010 Making April released Lost Sessions, a collection of unreleased material from their album The Egg Hunt.
The band broke up in 2010, with the band members seeking out new opportunities. They played their last show together in August 2010 in Salt Lake City.
Greg Federspiel is now A&R at Warner Bros. Records
and manager of the band The Downtown Fiction
.
. The demos were recorded at Leopard Recording Studio, and self-released under the title My First Demo! in March 2005.
Federspiel has said that the name of the band came from the members literally trying to 'make April'. "It was March of 2005. After recording our first demos in the studio, we were anxious to put them on Pure Volume and MySpace, yet we didn’t have a name. So we sat there thinking that, ‘we need to have a name by April.’ And so that became the theme of things. Once April 1st came, we still didn’t have anything, and it just hit us. We were trying to ‘make April.’"
in January 2006 at Nada Recording Studios. The band partially self-produced the record, alongside producer John Naclerio. The debut EP was titled Runaway World
, in reference to the band's song "Runaway World". The original release contained eight tracks and was released on April 11, 2006. The EP was released in Japan through Radtone Music on November 8, 2006. The Japanese version was noted as a full album, as it contained three additional tracks, "Hurry Up and Wait", "Don't Look Back" (previously from My First Demo! in 2005) and an acoustic version of "Roses and Butterflies". It was later re-issued in the USA on May 30, 2007, containing only two extra tracks "Hurry Up and Wait" and an acoustic version of title track "Runaway World".
On July 28, 2007, Making April played a showcasing show for labels Universal Records
, Atlantic Records
, Virgin Records
, MySpace Records
and Capitol Records
, before eventually signing a contract with Universal
. Making April released a new song on their Myspace soon after the signing of their "singles deal", a demo titled "Wide Awake".
The signing with Universal Republic
enabled the band to produce one single. A re-recorded version of "These Are the Nights", which had previously been selected for usage on MTV's
Laguna Beach
, was released to radio in early 2008. The single was recorded by producer David Bendeth
, who has previously worked with Paramore
, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Vertical Horizon
. It was posted on Myspace in conjunction with the radio release.
with Rookie of the Year
, Automatic Loveletter
and White Tie Affair, on a two month national tour of the United States. During live shows, the band has been known to use digital string tracks, with the Apple computer program GarageBand
, to create a closer sound to their recorded songs.
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band formed in Verplanck, New York
Verplanck, New York
Verplanck is a hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Cortlandt, Westchester County, New York. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,729.-Geography:Verplanck is located at ....
, in 2005. The band consists of vocalist and pianist Sean Scanlon, bassist Gregory Federspiel and guitarist and backing vocalist Steven McCaffrey.
Making April's first songs were released on a demo titled My First Demo!, in 2005. The band self-released their first 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...
in 2006, an eight track recording named Runaway World
Runaway World
Runaway World is the debut EP by American piano rock band Making April, originally released on 11 April 2006, then later released in Japan on November 8 and re-released in the United States on May 30, 2007....
. The EP was released later in 2006 as a full album in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, through Radtone Music. In 2008, they signed to Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
in the USA. The label released a re-recorded version of "These Are the Nights". Making April has previously featured as the #1 Top Unsigned Artist on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
.
They have sold over 100,000 tracks on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
worldwide.
In September 2009, Sean, the lead vocalist, announced that the band would be going on hiatus.
In June 2010 Making April released Lost Sessions, a collection of unreleased material from their album The Egg Hunt.
The band broke up in 2010, with the band members seeking out new opportunities. They played their last show together in August 2010 in Salt Lake City.
Greg Federspiel is now A&R at Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
and manager of the band The Downtown Fiction
The Downtown Fiction
The Downtown Fiction is an American pop punk band from Fairfax, Virginia signed to Photo Finish Records, a division of Atlantic Records. After two EP's, the band's first studio album, "Let's Be Animals" was released on April 25, 2011.-Early Years:...
.
Formation and early demos
Making April was formed in the dorm room of Sean Scanlon and Steven McCaffrey at University at Albany, State University of New York, when they began writing together in early 2005. They were joined by friend Greg Federspiel and recorded five demo songs, that would later become the basis of their eight track debut EP Runaway WorldRunaway World
Runaway World is the debut EP by American piano rock band Making April, originally released on 11 April 2006, then later released in Japan on November 8 and re-released in the United States on May 30, 2007....
. The demos were recorded at Leopard Recording Studio, and self-released under the title My First Demo! in March 2005.
Federspiel has said that the name of the band came from the members literally trying to 'make April'. "It was March of 2005. After recording our first demos in the studio, we were anxious to put them on Pure Volume and MySpace, yet we didn’t have a name. So we sat there thinking that, ‘we need to have a name by April.’ And so that became the theme of things. Once April 1st came, we still didn’t have anything, and it just hit us. We were trying to ‘make April.’"
First EP and record deal
Making April went into record their debut EP in New Windsor, New YorkNew Windsor, New York
New Windsor is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was estimated at 25,244 in 2010 by the US Census.The Town of New Windsor is in the eastern part of the county, bordering the Town of Newburgh and the City of Newburgh....
in January 2006 at Nada Recording Studios. The band partially self-produced the record, alongside producer John Naclerio. The debut EP was titled Runaway World
Runaway World
Runaway World is the debut EP by American piano rock band Making April, originally released on 11 April 2006, then later released in Japan on November 8 and re-released in the United States on May 30, 2007....
, in reference to the band's song "Runaway World". The original release contained eight tracks and was released on April 11, 2006. The EP was released in Japan through Radtone Music on November 8, 2006. The Japanese version was noted as a full album, as it contained three additional tracks, "Hurry Up and Wait", "Don't Look Back" (previously from My First Demo! in 2005) and an acoustic version of "Roses and Butterflies". It was later re-issued in the USA on May 30, 2007, containing only two extra tracks "Hurry Up and Wait" and an acoustic version of title track "Runaway World".
On July 28, 2007, Making April played a showcasing show for labels Universal Records
Universal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
, Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, MySpace Records
MySpace Records
Myspace Records is a record label founded in 2005 to sign artists who appear on the social networking site MySpace. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of MySpace and parent News Corporation, operating as a joint-venture between MySpace and Interscope Records...
and Capitol Records
Capitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
, before eventually signing a contract with Universal
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
. Making April released a new song on their Myspace soon after the signing of their "singles deal", a demo titled "Wide Awake".
The signing with Universal Republic
Universal Republic
Universal Republic Records is a record label, owned by Universal Music Group. It is based on the now-defunct Republic Records label founded by brothers Monte and Avery Lipman...
enabled the band to produce one single. A re-recorded version of "These Are the Nights", which had previously been selected for usage on MTV's
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....
Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County, often referred to simply as Laguna Beach, is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from September 28, 2004 until November 16, 2006. It documents the lives of several teenagers living in Laguna Beach, an affluent seaside community located in...
, was released to radio in early 2008. The single was recorded by producer David Bendeth
David Bendeth
David Bendeth is a multi-platinum award-winning record producer. Born in London, England and then moved to Toronto as a teenager, He has worked with acts such as Paramore, Papa Roach, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Underoath, Breaking Benjamin, Cavo, Taking Back Sunday,...
, who has previously worked with Paramore
Paramore
Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...
, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon
Vertical Horizon is an American alternative rock band formed at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in 1991. The band is best known for a string of hits in 1999 and early 2000s, including "You're a God", "Everything You Want", and "Best I Ever Had ". Their most recent album, Burning the...
. It was posted on Myspace in conjunction with the radio release.
Debut album
Making April recorded their debut full length album with producer Adam Richman, at the end of summer 2008. Throughout the entire month of June 2008, to "celebrate writing their debut album", the band gave away their debut EP for free through Myspace. They began recording in August, with the album originally due out "November, early December" of 2008. It was later announced and confirmed that the album would be released on March 3, 2009, and titled The Egg Hunt.Live
In early 2008, the band supported rock artist Secondhand SerenadeSecondhand Serenade
Secondhand Serenade is an American acoustic rock band, led by vocalist and guitarist John Vesely. Vesely has released three studio albums to date under the name Secondhand Serenade: Awake in 2007, A Twist in My Story in 2008 and Hear Me Now in 2010...
with Rookie of the Year
Rookie of the Year (band)
Rookie of the Year is an indie rock/acoustic band from Fayetteville, North Carolina . They were signed to One Eleven Records, though the fourth release of their latest EP fulfilled their contractual obligation to 111 and allow them to sign with a new label. The band is fronted by lead...
, Automatic Loveletter
Automatic Loveletter
Automatic Loveletter is a rock band, with acoustic and emo influences, based in the United States of America. The band formed in Tampa, Florida, in 2007, led by vocalist and guitarist Juliet Simms, her older brother and lead guitarist Tommy Simms, drummer Ryan Metcalf, and bassist Clint Fowler.-...
and White Tie Affair, on a two month national tour of the United States. During live shows, the band has been known to use digital string tracks, with the Apple computer program GarageBand
GarageBand
GarageBand is a software application for Mac OS X and iOS that allows users to create music or podcasts. It is developed by Apple Inc. as a part of the iLife software package on Mac OS X.-Audio recording:...
, to create a closer sound to their recorded songs.
Current
- Sean Scanlon: Lead vocalistLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Gregory Federspiel: Bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Steven McCaffrey: Lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, backing vocals
Touring
- Bryan McGrath: Drums (2008)
- Adam Richman: Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
, backing vocals (2008) - Brendon Thomas: Rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
(2008)
Discography
| year | Album information | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Runaway World Runaway World Runaway World is the debut EP by American piano rock band Making April, originally released on 11 April 2006, then later released in Japan on November 8 and re-released in the United States on May 30, 2007....
|
|
| 2009 | The Egg Hunt The Egg Hunt The Egg Hunt is the debut studio album by American piano rock band Making April, released on 3 March 2009. It was produced by Adam Richman.... |
|