Yellowcard
Yellowcard is a punk band from Jacksonville, Florida, though their use of a violin makes them slightly unique to this genre.
Biography
Yellowcard was formed in 1997 in Jacksonville, Florida after meeting at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts. Originally, the band was made up of six members: Ben Dobson (vocals), Todd Clary (vocals, guitar), Ben Harper (guitar), Sean Mackin (violin), Warren Cooke (bass guitar), and Longineu W. Parsons III (drums). The band released their first album, Midget Tossing, in 1997 and met with some success, but soon began to undergo some changes. Their lead singer was replaced by Ryan Key who convinced the band that they couldn't be successful in Florida, so they decided to move to Southern California. The new group released their debut album, One for the Kids (Lobster Records), in 2001, and followed up with The Underdog EP (Fueled by Ramen Records) in 2002 which were both well-received by fans. However, Yellowcard's real public reception came after signing with Capitol Records in 2003 and releasing Ocean Avenue. Fans loved the album's sincere lyrics and unique musical style (mostly due to Mackin's violin playing). The band's popularity continues today; they have toured with bands such as Something Corporate and Less Than Jake, as well as appeared on the soundtrack of the hit film Spider-Man 2 and on the compilation "Rock Against Bush Vol. II, with a cover of Lagwagon's song "Violins." The band's three singles from their 2003 release are "Way Away", "Ocean Avenue", and "Only One". The band's most recent single was in 2005, "Lights and Sounds", from the album of the same name.
Discography
- Midget Tossing (1997)
- Where We Stand (1999)
- Still Standing EP (2000)
- One for the Kids (2001)
- The Underdog EP (2002)
- Ocean Avenue (2003)
- Beyond Ocean Avenue: Live at the Electric Factory (2004)
- Lights and Sounds (2006)
"Where We Stand" has been re-released twice. The first re-release was in 2004, and the second was in 2005.
Singles
- 2003 - "Way Away"
- 2004 - "Ocean Avenue"
- 2004 - "Only One"
- 2005 - "Lights and Sounds"
- 2006 - "Radio Song Girl"
Upcoming Project
As of August 2005, Yellowcard is working on their new CD, entitled Lights and Sounds, set to be released in January 2006. Pete and Ryan moved to New York City in January of 2005 and starting working on the album while the rest of the band recuperated in California from 18 straight months of touring. The album is a concept album based on the band's overwhelming feeling of hating L.A. So far, it appears as though the storyline of the album is about a girl named Holly Wood who is lost in LA. She serves as a narrator and protagonist for the LP. 19 songs were recorded for the album, 13 of which will make the final cut, including an intro and a hidden track. Other songs include "Lights and Sounds," "Space Travel," "Sure Thing Falling," and "Two Weeks From Twenty" (one of Ryan's favorites, about a G.I. killed in Iraq).
Ryan says that "Holly became this person on the record who appears in a lot of the songs, and at times you love her and at times you hate her. At times she's good to you and sometimes she's bad. She's in a song called "Holly Wood Died," and in another song called "Rough Landing Holly," which is my favorite song on the album." --MTV.com News
Original Lineup
- Ben Dobson (lead vocals)
- Todd Clary (vocals, rhythm guitar)
- Sean Michael Wellman-Mackin ("Sean Mackin") (violin)
- Ben Harper (lead guitar)
- Longineu Warren Parsons III ("LP") (drums)
- Warren Cooke (bass)
When Ben Dobson and Todd Clary left Yellowcard, Ryan Key picked up their duties. Warren Cooke still stayed with the band until after the band recorded The Underdog EP. He quit and was then replaced with Pete Mosley, who left the band during/after recording Ocean Avenue. Alex Lewis toured with Yellowcard as their bassist until March 2, 2004, when Pete asked if he could rejoin. Since he'd been friends with the band since high school, Alex was let go and Pete was welcomed back.
Ben Harper decided to leave the band in 2005. The official statement on Ben's departure was posted on their website on November the 7th.
Present Day Lineup
- William Ryan Key, (lead vocals, guitar)
- Sean Michael Wellman-Mackin, (violin, backing vocals)
- Longineu W. Parsons III, (drums)
- Peter Mosely, (bass, backing vocals)
- Ryan Mendez, (lead guitar)