Thieves and Villains
Encyclopedia
Thieves and Villains are an American indie rock
band from the Hudson Valley
region of New York
, formed in 2007, and signed to Victory Records
.
, NY music scene in 2005, Sergio Otaegui and Christopher Pennings decided to form the band in early 2007 following the breakups of their previous groups. The band claims to be influenced by "any artist that pushes themselves to exceed their own creative expectations" and are known for their driving indie
/alternative
/rock
sound. After posting their initial demos online on April 1, 2007, the band quickly hit the road to embark on a two month long national tour followed by a three week stint on the 2007 Van's Warped Tour
. After more demoing and touring, the band announced their signing to the Chicago
,IL based Victory Records
in February 2008.
Following their signing to Victory Records
in early 2008, the band moved into a lake house in upstate NY to write their full-length debut Movement and spent most of May 2008 recording it with producer Paul Leavitt in Baltimore
,MD. Movement was released on July 8, 2008 and was a moderate success worldwide with the band receiving positive write ups in music publications such as Alternative Press, appearances on Fuse TV
, music features in popular television shows: Gossip Girl
, The Real World
, Making The Band
, The Bad Girls Club
,etc., and the support of organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
.
After extensive national touring/promotion behind the album the band decided to regroup in mid-2009 to welcome new bassist Chris Competiello and new drummer Joseph Penna into the fold. When asked about the lineup change, Otaegui stated, " I've known Chris Competiello (bass) since 2004 when we met in highschool and started playing in a band together. And then we all met Joe in May 2009 when we parted ways with our old drummer and a mutual friend recommended that he start playing with us." In late Summer/early Fall 2009 the band headed out on one more national tour to support the album, hitting their favorite cities/venues like Chicago
,IL's Subterranean and Colorado Springs, CO. They are currently at home in NY writing and demoing new material for the "as yet untitled" followup to Movement with guitarist/producer Will Tendy of Morningwood
. When asked about the process, vocalist Sergio states, "Realizing that we weren't standing out enough in a crowded field is what inspires us to work so hard on writing this next album and finding our own sound. We've all been ecstatic ever since we narrowed in on our own thing and I can't wait for all of you to hear next year.
The band has recently wrapped up the recording of their second album, South America and according to a recent interview Otaegui states, "It's a more natural, scrappier, quirkier and more creative vibe than the first one,” Otaegui told ec/dc of "South America," which they recorded at Big Blue Meenie studios in Jersey City, N.J., with producer Tim Gilles (Taking Back Sunday).". There has yet to be an official statement concerning the release date of South America but according to VictoryRecords.com it will be coming in "late summer 2010."
Thieves and Villains second album "South America" was released worldwide on August 3, 2010
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band from the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
region of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, formed in 2007, and signed to Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
.
History
Thieves and Villains name is derived from lyrics penned by guitarist/vocalist/pianist Christopher Pennings, and when asked about the meaning in an interview the band stated: "People often have to engage in sketchy behavior to get ahead, so we decided that instead of ever allowing ourselves to follow that path we'd name our band 'Thieves and Villains' so that we as people don't have to be." Having met via the local Hudson ValleyHudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, NY music scene in 2005, Sergio Otaegui and Christopher Pennings decided to form the band in early 2007 following the breakups of their previous groups. The band claims to be influenced by "any artist that pushes themselves to exceed their own creative expectations" and are known for their driving indie
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
/alternative
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...
/rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
sound. After posting their initial demos online on April 1, 2007, the band quickly hit the road to embark on a two month long national tour followed by a three week stint on the 2007 Van's Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
. After more demoing and touring, the band announced their signing to the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
,IL based Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
in February 2008.
Following their signing to Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
in early 2008, the band moved into a lake house in upstate NY to write their full-length debut Movement and spent most of May 2008 recording it with producer Paul Leavitt in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
,MD. Movement was released on July 8, 2008 and was a moderate success worldwide with the band receiving positive write ups in music publications such as Alternative Press, appearances on Fuse TV
Fuse TV
Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks....
, music features in popular television shows: Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl
Gossip Girl is an American young adult novel series written by Cecily von Ziegesar and published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of the Hachette Group. The series revolves around the lives and romances of the privileged teenagers at the Constance Billard School for Girls, an elite...
, The Real World
The Real World
The Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show, which was inspired by the 1973 PBS documentary series An American Family, is the longest-running program in MTV history and one of the...
, Making The Band
Making the Band
Making the Band is an ABC/MTV reality television series that exists in separate iterations, each iteration focusing on a specific music act. It spawned musical acts O-Town, Da Band, Danity Kane, Day26, and Donnie Klang...
, The Bad Girls Club
The Bad Girls Club
Bad Girls Club is an American reality television series created by Jonathan Murray for Oxygen. The show centers on seven mischievous and rebellious women from different backgrounds and personalities who have a number of psychological and behavioral problems. They are introduced to the show to...
,etc., and the support of organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
.
After extensive national touring/promotion behind the album the band decided to regroup in mid-2009 to welcome new bassist Chris Competiello and new drummer Joseph Penna into the fold. When asked about the lineup change, Otaegui stated, " I've known Chris Competiello (bass) since 2004 when we met in highschool and started playing in a band together. And then we all met Joe in May 2009 when we parted ways with our old drummer and a mutual friend recommended that he start playing with us." In late Summer/early Fall 2009 the band headed out on one more national tour to support the album, hitting their favorite cities/venues like Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
,IL's Subterranean and Colorado Springs, CO. They are currently at home in NY writing and demoing new material for the "as yet untitled" followup to Movement with guitarist/producer Will Tendy of Morningwood
Morningwood
Morningwood is an alternative rock band from New York City, USA, founded in 2001 by Pedro Yanowitz and Chantal Claret. Morningwood was signed to Capitol Records.-Career:...
. When asked about the process, vocalist Sergio states, "Realizing that we weren't standing out enough in a crowded field is what inspires us to work so hard on writing this next album and finding our own sound. We've all been ecstatic ever since we narrowed in on our own thing and I can't wait for all of you to hear next year.
The band has recently wrapped up the recording of their second album, South America and according to a recent interview Otaegui states, "It's a more natural, scrappier, quirkier and more creative vibe than the first one,” Otaegui told ec/dc of "South America," which they recorded at Big Blue Meenie studios in Jersey City, N.J., with producer Tim Gilles (Taking Back Sunday).". There has yet to be an official statement concerning the release date of South America but according to VictoryRecords.com it will be coming in "late summer 2010."
Thieves and Villains second album "South America" was released worldwide on August 3, 2010
Members
- Sergio Otaegui – lead vocals, guitar
- Christopher Pennings – guitar, vocals, piano
- Chris Competiello – bass
- Joseph Penna – drums
Former members
- Justin Speca - Bass
- John Damiano - Drums
- Rob Delepana - Bass
- Johnny Bell - Drums
- Jimmi Kane - Drums
Singles
- Let Go (2008)
- I Have Spread Some Love (Back to Basics) (2008)
- Autobiography (2010)
Interviews
- Thieves and Villains - 01.14.09
- NewsOnMusic Blog Interview with Thieves and Villains
- Musiqtone- The Hotseat with Thieves and Villains
- Thieves and Villains!//Out There//Peta2
- E-Minor Music Blog: Interview with Sergio from Thieves and Villains
- Music Buzz - Thieves and Villains 12.4.09
- Bad Guys Playing Music - 04.18.10