The Wonder Years (band)
Encyclopedia
The Wonder Years is an American pop punk
band from Lansdale, Pennsylvania
that began in June 2005. Since then, they have released three full length albums, two EPs, and several splits/compilation contributions. The band is currently signed to Hopeless Records.
The Wonder Years's first two years of existence amounted to two relatively unknown split EP's with Lansdale bands that are no longer together. Their first split with Emergency and I was released in 2005 and featured two songs that would later be included and re recorded on their first full length Get Stoked on It!. ("I Fell in Love with a Ninja Master" and "Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place"). The other song on the split was "Cowboy Killers".
The Wonder Years quickly followed up their 2005 release by putting out another split, this time with a band called Bangarang! In a similar fashion to their split with Emergency and I, The Wonder Years's split with Bangarang! featured two songs that would be re-recorded and included on Get Stoked on It!. ("My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware" and "Let's Moshercise!"). The other two songs were "I Ain't Sayin Hea Golddigga (Sike!)" and "Through Two Hearts".
. The split consisted of only two songs by The Wonder Years, and it was after this release that keyboardist/vocalist Mikey Kelly left the band to pursue other goals.
This album is also notable due to the fact that it shows the first appearance of the band's mascot, Hank the Pigeon.
Also with the release of The Upsides was a 7" limited to only 500 copies and available with pre-order of "The Upsides" CD. This vinyl features a non album song entitled Leavenhouse. 11:30., which is about the early years of music for The Wonder Years and their local scene in Lansdale, PA. The title "Leavenhouse" refers to a house in which members of the Lansdale band "Leavenworth" lived and hung out at day or night.
A few months after the release of The Upsides, on May 27, The Wonder Years announced that they had signed to "Hopeless Records". Their first release after their signing was a split 7" with Fallen from the Sky, on which they covered "Zip Lock" by Lit.
The Wonder Years spent much of the remainder of 2010 on an assortment of tours including the "Ship of Fools" tour with Streetlight Manifesto, a short tour with New Found Glory
in between NFG's dates on the "Honda Civic Tour", an Australian tour with Heroes For Hire, Tonight Alive, and Skyway, the "Kimbo Wants a Pepsi" tour with Set Your Goals
and Comeback Kid
; and the "Tonight We Feel Alive" tour headlined by Four Year Strong.
The Wonder Years released a deluxe version of The Upsides on September 21, 2010. It included 4 new songs titled, "I Was Scared and I'm Sorry", "We Won't Bury You", "Dynamite Shovel (Campfire Version)", and "Logan Circle: A New Hope". "We Won't Bury You" was written about best friend Mike Pelone who was also in the band "Emergency and I." Mike Pelone passed away in August 2010.
In October 2010, The Wonder Years released a music video for the song "Melrose Diner" set to the theme of BAW Wrestling and starring actor Charlie Saxton
as the wrestler "Lone Wolf".
. It was named one of Alternative Press' most anticipated albums of the year.
After spending time recording the new album, The Wonder Years set off on The Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour
alongside Good Charlotte
, Four Year Strong
, and Framing Hanley
in February.
For the month of April, the band toured smaller markets that were not prohibited by their agreement to play Warped Tour
. The "Manscout Jamboree Tour" was a co-headliner with Fireworks
, support courtesy of Living With Lions, Such Gold and Make Do and Mend. Mixtapes and This Time Next Year
acted as support when Fireworks and Such Gold were forced to miss dates.
On April 11, 2011, the Wonder Years announced that their new album us to be entitled Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing. It was released June 14, 2011 on Hopeless Records. "Suburbia" is inspired by the poem America
by Allen Ginsberg
as well as the band's life following the release of The Upsides. The album is said to be part of the Wonder Years's continuing cohesive "story", told through all of their albums (Get Stoked on It! notwithstanding). The first single off the album titled "Local Man Ruins Everything" was released on April 12, 2011 on iTunes. The second single, "Don't Let Me Cave In, was released on iTunes and Amazon on May 3, 2011, along with a music video. The third single, "Coffee Eyes" was made available for streaming on the Alternative Press website on June 1, 2011. The album is also released on vinyl through No Sleep Records. The record charted at number 73 on the Billboard Top 200 the week of its release.
Upon conclusion of the "Manscout Jamboree Tour", the Wonder Years toured Australia in May 2011 as part of the "Mix N Mash Tour"; playing alongside Parkway Drive, Miss May I
and Melbourne hardcore band Confession
, with dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
The band spent the entire summer on Vans Warped Tour 2011
before embarking in the fall.
Just before The Wonder Years set off for Warped Tour 2011 they announced via Facebook
that they will be doing a full mainland UK tour in September, with support from Valencia
and Such Gold. The "A Whole Year In Airports Tour" started on the 13th September in Norwich
.
On August 11, 2011 they released a music video for "Local Man Ruins Everything". The video consists of Hank The Pigeon "adventuring on his own" around Lansdale and Philadelphia.
It was confirmed on August 15, 2011 that the band was added to the opening act of the Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour this Fall headlined by New Found Glory. Other opening acts include Set Your Goals
, Man Overboard
, and This Time Next Year
.
They covered Alkaline Trio's "Cooking Wine" for the Alkaline Trio Tribute album.
From 28th November, The Wonder Years will be supporting Yellowcard and Saves The Day in the Co Headline Tour. They will be playing in several cities around the UK, these include Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London.
Pop punk
Pop punk is a fusion music genre that combines elements of punk rock with pop music, to varying degrees. Allmusic describes the genre as a strand of alternative rock, which typically merges pop melodies with speedy punk tempos, chord changes and loud guitars...
band from Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Lansdale is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 28 miles northwest of Philadelphia. Early in the 20th century, its industries included agricultural implement works, a canning factory, foundries, brickyards, a silk mill, and manufacturers of cigars, stoves, shirts, rope, iron drain pipe,...
that began in June 2005. Since then, they have released three full length albums, two EPs, and several splits/compilation contributions. The band is currently signed to Hopeless Records.
Formation, the early years (2005-2006)
The Wonder Years were born in 2005 out of the remnants of an old Lansdale, PA band called The Premier. The Premier consisted of Soupy (Dan Campbell), Matt, Nick, and Dave. Dave was the only member of The Premier that didn't join The Wonder Years.The Wonder Years's first two years of existence amounted to two relatively unknown split EP's with Lansdale bands that are no longer together. Their first split with Emergency and I was released in 2005 and featured two songs that would later be included and re recorded on their first full length Get Stoked on It!. ("I Fell in Love with a Ninja Master" and "Buzz Aldrin: The Poster Boy for Second Place"). The other song on the split was "Cowboy Killers".
The Wonder Years quickly followed up their 2005 release by putting out another split, this time with a band called Bangarang! In a similar fashion to their split with Emergency and I, The Wonder Years's split with Bangarang! featured two songs that would be re-recorded and included on Get Stoked on It!. ("My Geraldine Lies Over the Delaware" and "Let's Moshercise!"). The other two songs were "I Ain't Sayin Hea Golddigga (Sike!)" and "Through Two Hearts".
Get Stoked on It! (2007)
The Wonder Years's first full length album, Get Stoked on It! caused their then-small fan base to grow significantly. Get Stoked on It! was released on October 30, 2007 and featured 12 songs, all playfully titled.Won't Be Pathetic Forever (2008-2009)
After a very successful campaign with Get Stoked on It!, The Wonder Years signed to record label No Sleep Records. In the spring of 2008, The Wonder Years released an EP titled, Won't Be Pathetic Forever. In 2009, The Wonder Years' released a split EP titled Distances with U.K. pop-punk band All or NothingAll or Nothing (band)
All or Nothing is a British pop punk/hardcore band formed in 2002 and is based in Birmingham, England. The band consists of Tom Chong , Rich Murphy , Paul Foster and Nick Reynolds ....
. The split consisted of only two songs by The Wonder Years, and it was after this release that keyboardist/vocalist Mikey Kelly left the band to pursue other goals.
This album is also notable due to the fact that it shows the first appearance of the band's mascot, Hank the Pigeon.
The Upsides (2010)
The Wonder Years's second full length album, The Upsides was released on January 26, 2010. The Upsides sold 1852 units in its first week, landing it on multiple Billboard charts: #5 on Alternative Artist, #9 on Top New Artist, #26 on Top Internet Album, and #43 on Indie Label Album.Also with the release of The Upsides was a 7" limited to only 500 copies and available with pre-order of "The Upsides" CD. This vinyl features a non album song entitled Leavenhouse. 11:30., which is about the early years of music for The Wonder Years and their local scene in Lansdale, PA. The title "Leavenhouse" refers to a house in which members of the Lansdale band "Leavenworth" lived and hung out at day or night.
A few months after the release of The Upsides, on May 27, The Wonder Years announced that they had signed to "Hopeless Records". Their first release after their signing was a split 7" with Fallen from the Sky, on which they covered "Zip Lock" by Lit.
The Wonder Years spent much of the remainder of 2010 on an assortment of tours including the "Ship of Fools" tour with Streetlight Manifesto, a short tour with New Found Glory
New Found Glory
New Found Glory is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida. Formed in the summer of 1997, founding members were lead vocalist Jordan Pundik, guitarists Chad Gilbert and Steve Klein, bassist Ian Grushka and drummer Joe Marino...
in between NFG's dates on the "Honda Civic Tour", an Australian tour with Heroes For Hire, Tonight Alive, and Skyway, the "Kimbo Wants a Pepsi" tour with Set Your Goals
Set Your Goals (band)
Set Your Goals is an American Pop-Punk band from Walnut Creek, CA , formed in 2004. Their musical style typically employs a combination of pop punk and melodic hardcore...
and Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid
Comeback Kid is a Canadian hardcore band from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Formed in 2002, the band is currently signed to Facedown Records. Their name comes from a headline in a newspaper about hockey player, Mario Lemieux coming back to the NHL. The band was formed in 2002 by Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy...
; and the "Tonight We Feel Alive" tour headlined by Four Year Strong.
The Wonder Years released a deluxe version of The Upsides on September 21, 2010. It included 4 new songs titled, "I Was Scared and I'm Sorry", "We Won't Bury You", "Dynamite Shovel (Campfire Version)", and "Logan Circle: A New Hope". "We Won't Bury You" was written about best friend Mike Pelone who was also in the band "Emergency and I." Mike Pelone passed away in August 2010.
In October 2010, The Wonder Years released a music video for the song "Melrose Diner" set to the theme of BAW Wrestling and starring actor Charlie Saxton
Charlie Saxton
Charlie Saxton is an American film, television and video game actor.He had a supporting role as Bug, one of the band members, in Bandslam. He currently is featured in Hung, an HBO comedy-drama series, playing the son of Thomas Jane's main character...
as the wrestler "Lone Wolf".
Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing (2011)
In the fall of 2010, The Wonder Years confirmed that they were writing the follow up to The UpsidesThe Upsides
The Upsides is the second studio album by American pop punk band The Wonder Years, released through No Sleep Records on January 26, 2010. The album was recorded with producer Vince Ratti at Skylight Studios in Fairless Hills, PA...
. It was named one of Alternative Press' most anticipated albums of the year.
After spending time recording the new album, The Wonder Years set off on The Kerrang! Relentless Energy Tour
Kerrang! Tour
Evolving from Kerrang! magazine, Kerrang! Tour is a tour of rock music concerts around the UK during and has featured bands such as Bullet for my Valentine, Mindless Self Indulgence and All Time Low...
alongside Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte
Good Charlotte is an American rock band from Waldorf, Maryland that formed in 1996. Since 1998, the band's constant members have been lead vocalist Joel Madden, lead guitarist and back-up vocalist Benji Madden, bass guitarist Paul Thomas and rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Billy Martin...
, Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson Massucco...
, and Framing Hanley
Framing Hanley
Framing Hanley is an American rock band from White House, Tennessee, formed in 2005. They released their first studio album in August 2007 entitled The Moment. They are best known for their song "Hear Me Now" and their cover of "Lollipop", originally by Lil Wayne...
in February.
For the month of April, the band toured smaller markets that were not prohibited by their agreement to play 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...
. The "Manscout Jamboree Tour" was a co-headliner with Fireworks
Fireworks (punk band)
Fireworks is an American pop-punk band from Metro Detroit, Michigan. currently signed to Triple Crown Records. Their most recent album, Gospel, was released on May 24, 2011.-History:...
, support courtesy of Living With Lions, Such Gold and Make Do and Mend. Mixtapes and This Time Next Year
This Time Next Year
This Time Next Year is the second full length by Long Island band The Movielife.-Track listing:# I Hope You Die Soon - 0:27# 10 Seconds Too Late - 2:20# This Time Next Year - 2:50# Once in a Row - 2:28# Self-Destruct - 1:59# Deal With It - 2:27...
acted as support when Fireworks and Such Gold were forced to miss dates.
On April 11, 2011, the Wonder Years announced that their new album us to be entitled Suburbia: I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing. It was released June 14, 2011 on Hopeless Records. "Suburbia" is inspired by the poem America
America (poem)
"America" is a poem by Allen Ginsberg, written in 1956. It appears in his collection Howl and Other Poems.The poem is in the first person and reads much like a monologue...
by Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
as well as the band's life following the release of The Upsides. The album is said to be part of the Wonder Years's continuing cohesive "story", told through all of their albums (Get Stoked on It! notwithstanding). The first single off the album titled "Local Man Ruins Everything" was released on April 12, 2011 on iTunes. The second single, "Don't Let Me Cave In, was released on iTunes and Amazon on May 3, 2011, along with a music video. The third single, "Coffee Eyes" was made available for streaming on the Alternative Press website on June 1, 2011. The album is also released on vinyl through No Sleep Records. The record charted at number 73 on the Billboard Top 200 the week of its release.
Upon conclusion of the "Manscout Jamboree Tour", the Wonder Years toured Australia in May 2011 as part of the "Mix N Mash Tour"; playing alongside Parkway Drive, Miss May I
Miss May I
Miss May I is an American metalcore band from Troy, Ohio. On December 6, 2008, Miss May I announced that they had been signed to Rise Records. The band's debut album, Apologies Are for the Weak, reached #29 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers, and #66 on Top Independent Albums. Their song, "Forgive and...
and Melbourne hardcore band Confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
, with dates in Sydney, Newcastle, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth.
The band spent the entire summer on Vans Warped Tour 2011
Warped Tour 2011
Warped Tour 2011 is the 17th annual Summer Warped Tour festival. Vans Shoes is again the tour's primary sponsor. The tour dates were announced on November 22, 2010, with the first official band announcement on December 8...
before embarking in the fall.
Just before The Wonder Years set off for Warped Tour 2011 they announced via Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that they will be doing a full mainland UK tour in September, with support from Valencia
Valencia (band)
Valencia is an alternative rock/punk band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are currently on hiatus.-History:Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state area in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school, high school, and...
and Such Gold. The "A Whole Year In Airports Tour" started on the 13th September in Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
.
On August 11, 2011 they released a music video for "Local Man Ruins Everything". The video consists of Hank The Pigeon "adventuring on his own" around Lansdale and Philadelphia.
It was confirmed on August 15, 2011 that the band was added to the opening act of the Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour this Fall headlined by New Found Glory. Other opening acts include Set Your Goals
Set Your Goals (band)
Set Your Goals is an American Pop-Punk band from Walnut Creek, CA , formed in 2004. Their musical style typically employs a combination of pop punk and melodic hardcore...
, Man Overboard
Man Overboard (band)
Man Overboard is an American pop punk band from Mt. Laurel and Williamstown, New Jersey that began in 2008. Since then, they have released two EP's, an acoustic EP, a split with Boston pop punk band Transit, a compilation of old songs and a full length album...
, and This Time Next Year
This Time Next Year (band)
This Time Next Year is a 5-piece American Pop Punk band formed in Walnut Creek, California They have released two EPs and two full-length albums.-History:...
.
They covered Alkaline Trio's "Cooking Wine" for the Alkaline Trio Tribute album.
From 28th November, The Wonder Years will be supporting Yellowcard and Saves The Day in the Co Headline Tour. They will be playing in several cities around the UK, these include Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London.
Studio albums
- 2007: Get Stoked on It!
- 2010: The UpsidesThe UpsidesThe Upsides is the second studio album by American pop punk band The Wonder Years, released through No Sleep Records on January 26, 2010. The album was recorded with producer Vince Ratti at Skylight Studios in Fairless Hills, PA...
(Deluxe re-release and B-Side 7") - 2011: Suburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm NothingSuburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm NothingSuburbia I've Given You All and Now I'm Nothing is the third studio album by pop punk band The Wonder Years. The album, produced by Steve Evetts, was released on June 14, 2011 by Hopeless Records....
EPs and splits
- 2005: Split with Emergency and I
- 2006: Split with Bangarang
- 2007: Tour EP
- 2008: Won't Be Pathetic Forever 7"
- 2009: Distances (split with All or Nothing)
- 2009: I Refuse To Sink: A Collection Of Prior Recordings
- 2010: Under the Influence, Vol. 13" (split with Fallen from the Sky)
Compilation Appearances
- 2009: Carry the Torch (Kid Dynamite cover compilation)
- 2011: VS The Earthquake (Benefit Compilation)
- 2011: Take Action! Vol. 10 (compilation)
- 2011: Hopeless Summer 2011 (Hopeless Records Compilation)
- 2011: A Tribute To Alkaline Trio (Pacific Ridge Records)
Current lineup
- Dan "Soupy" Campbell - vocals
- Matthew Brasch - guitar / vocals
- Josh Martin - bass / vocals
- Casey Cavaliere - guitar
- Nick Steinborn - keys / guitar / vocals
- Mike Kennedy - drums