Valencia (band)
Encyclopedia
Valencia is an alternative rock
/punk
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. They are currently on hiatus.
in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school
, high school
, and their first year of college
. They joined a band in 2001 called The Capgun Heroes with Brendan Walter and former member Sean Mundy. Shane Henderson sang in the band Attracted to Miss and Max played drums in The Emphasis. They formed the band that is known today as Valencia in 2004. The band is named after the wife of the protagonist, Valencia, in the book by Kurt Vonnegut
, Slaughterhouse-Five
. In 2005 Valencia signed to I Surrender Records after the label's owner, Midtown
's drummer Rob Hitt, heard their demo tape. After playing the Warped Tour
in 2005, they released their first album, This Could Be A Possibility
, in October 2005, which was re-released in September 2006. The album has received mixed reviews. In 2006, the band was named SPIN Band of the Day and was a finalist for Band of the Year, but lost to Nightmare of You
. In May 2006 the band stopped touring because of the death of Shane's girlfriend. In July 2006 Valencia traveled to Japan
to play the Fuji Rock Festival
. In 2007 the band toured with Boys Like Girls
, The Audition
and All Time Low
in the U.S. Valencia also toured with We the Kings
, The Cab
, Charlotte Sometimes
, and Sing it Loud
in April 2008. In 2009 Valencia performed in the Soundwave (Australian music festival) with New Found Glory
, Say Anything
and Billy Talent
. The band opened for blink-182 in June 2009 on their summer reunion tour.
Valencia's second album, We All Need a Reason to Believe was released on August 26, 2008, featuring 11 new tracks. The album leaked in its entirety on August 16, 2008. On August 19, 2008 it was made available as a full stream on the band's Myspace page. "Safe To Say" is on the soundtrack for MLB 09 The Show. Valencia spent summer 2009 touring with Every Avenue
.
Band member Brendan Walter was one of 32 sued by the RIAA in its first round file-sharing suits. During an interview on WCUR
's Foundation Radio on December 9, 2010, host Adam Barnard asked about the circumstances surrounding this incident. Walter stated that he had been chosen at random because he had illegally downloaded music by American rock band Smash Mouth
.
Valencia's third album, "Dancing With A Ghost" was released October 12, 2010. After a long break from touring, the band went back on tour for their new album in October 2010. The tour includes a few shows of headlining along with shows with bands like Say Anything
, Saves the Day
and Motion City Soundtrack
. The band's tour will also make it all the way to Australia
.
In June 2011, guitarist JD Perry left the band on amicable terms due to personal reasons. The band continued touring obligations on the Zumiez
"couch tour" with Forever the Sickest Kids
and I See Stars
with a friend, Trevor Leonard playing on guitar.
On September 30, 2011, former Valencia drummer Maxim Soria was killed in a motorcycle accident.
On October 11, 2011, Valencia announced that they were going on hiatus.
Former
Touring
EPs
Compilation tracks
Vinyl
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...
/punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. They are currently on hiatus.
History
Valencia met by playing local shows together around the tri-state areaTri-state area
There are a number of areas in the 48 contiguous United States known as tri-state areas where three states either meet at one point or are in proximity to each other. The best known of the latter type is the New York metropolitan area...
in separate bands. George Ciukurescu and JD Perry grew up together; attending elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
, high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, and their first year of college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. They joined a band in 2001 called The Capgun Heroes with Brendan Walter and former member Sean Mundy. Shane Henderson sang in the band Attracted to Miss and Max played drums in The Emphasis. They formed the band that is known today as Valencia in 2004. The band is named after the wife of the protagonist, Valencia, in the book by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. was a 20th century American writer. His works such as Cat's Cradle , Slaughterhouse-Five and Breakfast of Champions blend satire, gallows humor and science fiction. He was known for his humanist beliefs and was honorary president of the American Humanist Association.-Early...
, Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death is a satirical novel by Kurt Vonnegut about World War II experiences and journeys through time of a soldier called Billy Pilgrim...
. In 2005 Valencia signed to I Surrender Records after the label's owner, Midtown
Midtown (band)
Midtown was an American pop punk band from Springfield, New Jersey. Midtown was formed in November 1998 by three Rutgers University students, but soon became a quartet. The band took advantage of the fertile New Jersey punk scene to develop a sound that combined elements of pop punk and punk rock...
's drummer Rob Hitt, heard their demo tape. After playing the 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...
in 2005, they released their first album, This Could Be A Possibility
This Could Be a Possibility
This Could Be a Possibility is the debut full-length studio album by American pop punk band Valencia. The album was originally released through I Surrender Records on October 25, 2005. Then later reissued on September 19, 2006...
, in October 2005, which was re-released in September 2006. The album has received mixed reviews. In 2006, the band was named SPIN Band of the Day and was a finalist for Band of the Year, but lost to Nightmare of You
Nightmare of You
Nightmare of You is an American indie-rock band from New York City. Formed in 2004, the band currently consists of original founder vocalist Brandon Reilly, guitarist Joseph McCaffrey, and drummer Michael Fleischmann....
. In May 2006 the band stopped touring because of the death of Shane's girlfriend. In July 2006 Valencia traveled to 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...
to play the Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival
Fuji Rock Festival is an annual rock festival held in Naeba Ski Resort, in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The 3 day event, organized by Smash Japan, features more than 200 Japanese and international musicians, making it the largest outdoor music event in Japan...
. In 2007 the band toured with Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls
Boys Like Girls is an American rock band from Massachusetts. Formed in 2005, the group gained mainstream recognition when it released its self-titled debut album. Boys Like Girls was the co-headliner with Good Charlotte for the Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour 2008 that toured across the United...
, The Audition
The Audition (band)
The Audition is a pop/rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The band is composed of singer Danny Stevens, drummer Ryan O'Connor, guitarists Jimmy Lopez and Timmy Klepek and bassist Joe Lussa and are based in Detroit, Michigan. The band's first release was a six track EP entitled All In Your Head...
and All Time Low
All Time Low
All Time Low is an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland, formed in 2003.The band consists of vocalist and rhythm guitarist Alexander Gaskarth, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Barakat, bassist and backing vocalist Zachary Merrick, and drummer Rian Dawson...
in the U.S. Valencia also toured with We the Kings
We the Kings
We the Kings is an American powerpop band formed in 2005 from Bradenton, Florida, currently signed to record label S-Curve Records. The group released their self-titled full-length debut album in 2007, which peaked at No. 151 on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length album, Smile Kid, was...
, The Cab
The Cab
The Cab is an American rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada. Their debut album, Whisper War, was released on April 29, 2008. They have been called "The Band You Need to Know 2008" by Alternative Press magazine...
, Charlotte Sometimes
Charlotte Sometimes (musician)
Jessica Charlotte Poland , better known by the stage name Charlotte Sometimes, is an American singer-songwriter based out of New York and currently signed to Geffen Records. Her debut album was released on May 6, 2008 and is titled Waves and the Both of Us...
, and Sing it Loud
Sing it Loud
-History:Sing it Loud grew out of a friendship between cousins vocalist Pat Brown and guitarist Kieren Smith, who founded the group together and added members whom they met locally in the Minneapolis music scene. Brown officially brought the group together after his previous band called it quits....
in April 2008. In 2009 Valencia performed in the Soundwave (Australian music festival) 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...
, Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
and Billy Talent
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian post-hardcore band from Streetsville, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with Ben Kowalewicz as the lead vocalist, Ian D'Sa on lead guitar, bassist Jon Gallant and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk ....
. The band opened for blink-182 in June 2009 on their summer reunion tour.
Valencia's second album, We All Need a Reason to Believe was released on August 26, 2008, featuring 11 new tracks. The album leaked in its entirety on August 16, 2008. On August 19, 2008 it was made available as a full stream on the band's Myspace page. "Safe To Say" is on the soundtrack for MLB 09 The Show. Valencia spent summer 2009 touring with Every Avenue
Every Avenue
-History:Every Avenue formed in Marysville, Michigan in 2003. Early on, they changed lead singers, and the former lead singer James Beesley later became the group's tour manager, and is currently working with former drummer Mike Govaere. They self-released two EPs in 2004 and 2006 before signing to...
.
Band member Brendan Walter was one of 32 sued by the RIAA in its first round file-sharing suits. During an interview on WCUR
WCUR
91.7 WCUR FM The Curve, also known as West Chester University Radio, is a college radio station that broadcasts in the Philadelphia area via a transmitter that covers a 5-mile radius around West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania. WCUR offers a wide variety of music, news, sports,...
's Foundation Radio on December 9, 2010, host Adam Barnard asked about the circumstances surrounding this incident. Walter stated that he had been chosen at random because he had illegally downloaded music by American rock band Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth
Smash Mouth is an American rock band from San Jose, California. The band was formed in 1994, and was originally composed of Steve Harwell, Greg Camp, Paul De Lisle and Kevin Coleman as lead vocals, guitar, bass and drums respectively...
.
Valencia's third album, "Dancing With A Ghost" was released October 12, 2010. After a long break from touring, the band went back on tour for their new album in October 2010. The tour includes a few shows of headlining along with shows with bands like Say Anything
Say Anything
Say Anything... is a 1989 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Cameron Crowe. It was Crowe's directorial debut. In 2002, Entertainment Weekly ranked Say Anything... as the greatest modern movie romance, and it was ranked number 11 on Entertainment Weeklys list of the 50 best...
, Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
and Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack
Motion City Soundtrack is an American rock band from Minneapolis, Minnesota, formed in 1997. The band consists of founding members Justin Pierre and Joshua Cain , along with keyboardist and moog synthesist Jesse Johnson, bassist and backing vocalist Matthew Taylor, and drummer, percussionist and...
. The band's tour will also make it all the way to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
In June 2011, guitarist JD Perry left the band on amicable terms due to personal reasons. The band continued touring obligations on the Zumiez
Zumiez
Zumiez is a mall-based, specialty apparel store founded by Tom Campion and Gary Haakenson in 1978, and publicly traded since 2005. "Offering gear and clothing for the skater, snowboarder, and surfer," Zumiez sells action-sports related clothing and has created an image based around action sports...
"couch tour" with Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids
Forever the Sickest Kids is an American pop punk band from Dallas, Texas, who have yet to be signed to a new label after the closure of Universal Motown Records. In issue 228 of Alternative Press, the group was named the number one underground band in the "22 Best Underground Bands". Their first...
and I See Stars
I See Stars
I See Stars is a post-hardcore band formed in 2006 from Warren, Michigan. They have released two full length albums. Their debut album, 3-D, featured a guest appearance from Bizzy Bone of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. The album peaked at #176 on the Billboard 200...
with a friend, Trevor Leonard playing on guitar.
On September 30, 2011, former Valencia drummer Maxim Soria was killed in a motorcycle accident.
On October 11, 2011, Valencia announced that they were going on hiatus.
Band members
Current- Shane Henderson - Vocals (2003–Present)
- Daniel Pawlovich - Drums (2010–Present)
- George Ciukurescu - BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2003–Present) - Brendan Walter - 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...
(2003–Present)
Former
- JD Perry - guitar (2003–2011)
- Maxim Soria - drums (2003–2009)
- Sean Mundy - drums (2003)
Touring
- Trevor Leonard - guitar (2011–present)
Albums
| Release Date | Title | Label | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 25, 2005 | This Could Be a Possibility This Could Be a Possibility This Could Be a Possibility is the debut full-length studio album by American pop punk band Valencia. The album was originally released through I Surrender Records on October 25, 2005. Then later reissued on September 19, 2006... |
I Surrender Records | Reissued: September 19, 2006 |
| August 26, 2008 | We All Need a Reason to Believe We All Need a Reason to Believe We All Need a Reason to Believe is the second full-length studio album by American pop punk band Valencia. It was released in the United States on 26 August 2008. The album was the band's first on label Columbia Records, after their first album was released on I Surrender. It was produced by Ariel... |
Columbia Records Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company... |
U.S. Billboard Heatseekers #6 |
| October 12, 2010 | Dancing with a Ghost Dancing with a Ghost Dancing with a Ghost is the third full-length studio album by American pop punk band Valencia, released through I Surrender Records on October 12, 2010.... |
I Surrender Records | U.S. Billboard Heatseekers #11 |
EPs
- 2009: We All Need a Reason to B Side (Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
)
Compilation tracks
- 2007: "I Can't See Myself (Getting To Sleep At Night)" - Punk the Clock Volume 3: Property of a Gentleman
Vinyl
- 2011: B-sides and Rarities 7" - (I Surrender Records)
Other projects
- Shane has a solo project called Promise of Redemption, which is also currently signed to I Surrender Records. The first album, Lights That Flicker Will Surely Fade, was released by Pacific Ridge Records in 2005. A new record, When the Flowers Bloom, was released digitally December 4, 2007 and subsequently on compact discCompact DiscThe Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.