The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
History
[edit]Early years (2001–2004)
The band was started by childhood friends Ronnie Winter and Duke Kitchens in an AP music theory class which they shared in 2001. They were both in other bands, covering songs in the vein of Blink 182 and MxPx. After members from Duke and Ronnie's other bands (Dishonest and The Recovery) joined them, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was officially formed in 2003. The name 'Red Jumpsuit Apparatus' was chosen by the band voting for random words they threw up on a wall.[1]
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus released an untitled demo with three songs in mid-2004. After adding nine more songs a few months later, the band released their self titled 12-song LP that same year. While popular in their local scene, the band found it difficult to secure label support. Their fan base continued to build to an almost unheard-of level for a local band, in-turn attracting New York-based A&R/Management executive Steve Tramposch. Just a few months later, following a flurry of industry attention, the band signed with Virgin Records after Tramposch accepted a Senior A&R title there.
[edit]Don't You Fake It (2005-2007)
In 2006, they released their first LP, Don't You Fake It with the singles "Face Down", "False Pretense", "Your Guardian Angel", and "Damn Regret".
The album was certified gold on November 27, 2006 by the RIAA for sales shipments exceeding 500,000 copies.[2] In February 2007, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus headlined the US Take Action Tour organized for the prevention of youth suicide, along with bands such as My Chemical Romance and Rise Against.[3] Their song "In Fate's Hands" is featured in the video game Madden NFL 07, their song "Face Down" is featured in the video games Saints Row 2 and MX vs. ATV: Untamed, and their song "False Pretense" is featured in the movie Never Back Down (2008)
From 2006-2008 the band did several headliner and supporting shows with bands like 30 Seconds to Mars, Madina Lake, The Audition,Saosin, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Taking Back Sunday, Lorene Drive, The Used, Monty Are I, Amber Pacific, Boys Like Girls, Halifax,Emery, A Static Lullaby, and So They Say.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Don't You Fake It Deluxe Edition (CD/DVD) was released on February 23, 2007. The CD features the album and two exclusive songs, an acoustic version of "Face Down" and a never released out of Australia bonus track "Disconnected".
On May 3, 2007, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus performed on Fort Rucker, Alabama to help benefit the rebuilding of Enterprise High Schoolafter it was destroyed by a tornado on March 1, 2007.
Also, in May 2007, the band's single, "Face Down", was featured in the movie Georgia Rule.
In a 2007 interview with the Florida Entertainment Scene, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus teamed up with Virgin Records to raise funds for the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. They also headlined the Take Action! Tour which sponsors awareness against teen suicide,against animal cruelty, and domestic violence.
"In Fate's Hands" was used in Madden NFL 07 as well as the 2007 EVER OSL Starleague (Ongamenet). Additional songs used during that OSL season were "Waiting" and "Atrophy".
[edit]Lonely Road (2008-2010)
In June 2007, according to Billboard.com, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus began to work on their second album, Lonely Road, that had "a tentative release date being summer 2008."[4] The band was then pulled out of their confirmed appearances at the Australian Soundwave festival tour 2008, after their label president promised to pay money that was owed and have the band in the studio, but instead didn't pull through.[citation needed]
In April 2008, the band began an acoustic tour on the east coast in various locations with the group Amaru, who is from the same home town. Ronnie said that the tour felt like they were "Getting back where we all started."
After pulling out of the 2008 Soundwave festival, the band took part in the line-up for 2009.
On September 30, 2008, the band announced in a MySpace blog that on October 3, they would be premiering a demo version of a song from the upcoming album. The song was to be available a day earlier for members of the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus "Alliance" fan group. However, the studio of the song "Pen and Paper" was released to members of the "Alliance" fan group on October 9, and was released on the band's MySpace the following day. Another song, "You Better Pray," the first single off of "Lonely Road", was premiered worldwide on PlanetRadio1073.com [1] for free listening beginning on October 21 and began streaming the next day on the band's MySpace page.
Their second studio album, titled Lonely Road,[5] was released on February 3, debuting in the fourteenth spot in The Billboard 200, and was produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Daughtry, Less Than Jake, Hoobastank, P.O.D., All-American Rejects, Seether,Cold).
Beginning in October 2008, Matt Carter had replaced the former guitar player. Carter was seen working as a tech for the band in the winter and spring of 2008. He had previously jammed with the band before, but decided to pursue something else. Matt was asked to take his spot and has agreed to play with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. In an interview with a Jacksonville newspaper, Ronnie was asked whether or not Matt was officially in the band, to which he responded, "I don't know. I guess he's in the band. We're taking it slow."Matt has been playing with red jumpsuit ever since.[6]
In support of this album the band has done many tours in the Winter of 08/09 and the Spring of 2009 with bands such as Shinedown, Framing Hanley, Tickle Me Pink, and more.
On March 20, 2009, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus released an EP titled Shock Session, featuring acoustic versions of "Pen & Paper", "You Better Pray", and "Face Down".
At the end of May 2009, they announced along with Hollywood Undead, Mest, and The Sleeping that they would be doing a summer tour for the months of June and July, playing mostly club and small venue shows. They will be rejoining Monty Are I for an August 2009 tour throughout Canada and California.
[edit]The Hell or High Water EP and next album (2010–present)
On January 29, 2010, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus announced via their Twitter page that they would have a new EP out in late July/August.
In February 2010, the band fired long time manager Steve Tramposch and also parted ways with their label Virgin records, citing the poor promotion of Lonely Road. They decided to release music independently. According to lead singer Ronnie Winter, “At this point we want to stay completely 100% independent for as long as possible.”[7]. The first such song was "Valentine," which was released for free on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2010.
On June 22, 2010, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus announced via MySpace blog that their upcoming EP release would be titled The Hell or High Water, and that the first song from it, "Choke," would be released on June 28, 2010 as a free download. The EP was recorded in the band's studio in Middleburg, Florida, and was mixed and mastered by Paul Lapinski.[8] This is their first release following their departure fromVirgin Records and it was released on August 24, 2010. The full-length album following the EP will be out in early 2011.[9][10]
The music video for the first single from the EP - "Choke", was premiered at purevolume.com on August 25, 2010 in support of the EP's release. It was part one of a three-part series, followed by "Don't Hate" and "Hell or High Water." It shows characters killing record executive-type personnel, running from the police, and then dying in the final video. The moral was violence never solves anything.
In October 2010, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus entered the studio to record their third full length album, finishing in December of 2010 with producer John Feldmann.[citation needed] The scheduled release date of the album is March 2011.[11]
January 2011 Red Jumpsuit did a three day stint (the 8th 9th and 10th) playing shows in three lower Florida cities with the up and coming band Fit For Rivals. Fit For Rivals has been a very close band with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus so it is assumed that they will tour together again.
During March 2011 the band announced they will be departing on a UK tour alongside Scottish Screamo band Yashin and UK rockers LYU.
[edit]Band members
- Current members
- Ronnie Winter – lead vocals,acoustic guitar (2001–present)
- Duke Kitchens – lead guitar, piano, backing vocals (2001–present)
- Joey Westwood – bass, backing vocals (2005–present)
- Jon Wilkes – drums, backing vocals, (2005–present)
- Matt Carter – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2008–present)
[edit]Discography
[edit]Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [12] | AUS [13] | NZ [14] | |||
| 2006 | Don't You Fake It
| 25 | — | 23 | US: Gold[15] |
| 2009 | Lonely Road
| 14 | 41 | — | |
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||
[edit]Extended plays
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2006 | Ass Shaker/Justify/Face Down EP |
| 2007 | AOL Sessions Undercover-EP |
| 2008 | Unplugged & Unaffected |
| 2009 | Shock Session |
| 2010 | Hell or High Water EP |
[edit]Singles
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. [16] | U.S. Pop [16] | U.S. Digital [16] | U.S. Alt. [16] | U.S. Main. Rock [16] | NZ [17] | |||
| 2006 | "Face Down" | 24 | 10 | 20 | 3 | 38 | 4 | Don't You Fake It |
| 2007 | "False Pretense" | — | — | — | 39 | — | — | |
| "Your Guardian Angel" | 122 | — | — | — | — | 19 | ||
| 2008 | "You Better Pray" | — | — | — | 17 | 31 | — | Lonely Road |
| 2009 | "Pen & Paper" | 75 | — | 46 | 32 | — | — | |
| 2010 | "Choke" | — | — | — | — | — | — | Hell or High Water EP |
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