Parkway Drive
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| Parkway Drive | |
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 Parkway Drive in an artist's backroom before performing at Overtone RCA, Bangkok 2009.
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia |
| Genre(s) | Metalcore[1] |
| Years active | Since 2003 |
| Label(s) | Resist Records, Epitaph, Burning Heart |
| Website | www.parkwaydriverock.com |
| Members | |
| Winston McCall Ben Gordon Jeff Ling Luke Kilpatrick Jia O'Connor |
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| Former members | |
| Brett Versteeg Shaun Cash |
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Parkway Drive is an Australian metalcore band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia formed in 2003. As of 2009, Parkway Drive has released an EP, entitled Don't Close Your Eyes, two split albums, and two full-length albums, Killing with a Smile and Horizons.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early history (2003-2006)
Parkway Drive formed in the summer of 2003, the origin of the band's name is from the band's hometown in Byron Bay, Australia, the band would practice in a house garage on the street named "Parkway Dr.". Not long after the band had formed, they released a split EP with Adelaide metalcore band I Killed the Prom Queen, entitled I Killed the Prom Queen / Parkway Drive in 2003. Parkway Drive also made an appearance on the Byron Bay Hardcore compilation What We've Built, preceded by their EP, Don't Close Your Eyes.
In May 2005 they headed to the USA to record their debut album with renowned metal producer, Killswitch Engage guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz whose production credits include Unearth and Underoath.
Since the release of Don't Close Your Eyes, Parkway Drive have rapidly accumulated a fanbase Australia-wide, courtesy of support slots for small underground international acts including Hatebreed, In Flames, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, Alexisonfire, and performances at Metal for the Brain 2005 and Australia's Hardcore 2005.
The band's debut album, Killing with a Smile was released in August 2005 and has since sold in excess of 30,000 copies in Australia. They toured strongly behind the album, playing dozens of headlining shows, as well as an appearance the Gold Coast leg of the Big Day Out festival in January 2006.
In June 2006, the band was signed to Epitaph Records, which released their debut album Killing with a Smile in the United States during August of that year.
In late May 2006, bass player Shaun Cash left the band for personal reasons with the full support of the rest of the members. The band soon found a replacement in their "merch guy" and long-time friend, Jia "Pipey" O'Connor. Now a permanent part of the line-up, he played with them for the rest of their first international tour in the United Kingdom and Europe, and later dates in the United States.
In October 2006, they were billed as the Australian contingent on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, playing alongside Anti-Flag, Underoath, Thursday, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday and Saosin. During November and December 2006 they appeared at the Homebake Festival, Sound Fest, Resist Records' tour, Soundwave Festival and Gravity G Festival before returning to the UK and Europe.
[edit] Horizons (2007 onward)
On March 3, 2007 a new song was previewed to a crowd at Underworld entitled "The Sirens' Song". The song would later feature on Horizons. They were placed on the bill for the U.S. Vans Warped Tour 2007, the only Australian band on the tour.
On 15 August, Winston McCall appeared in an interview on the short.fast.loud show on Australia's Triple J Radio station in which he previewed a track off Horizons entitled Boneyards.
Horizons was released on 6 October 2007, although the entire album was leaked some five weeks before the final release date. The album was generally acclaimed by critics and fans alike; especially Blunt Magazine, who wrote that the album 'simply slays from the get go'[citation needed] and awarded it 10/10, and planet-loud.com, which suggested that it would 'set the benchmark for metal albums to come'. It debuted at #6 on the ARIA Charts.[2]
After the release of Horizons the band toured through the US, Australia and Europe with such bands like Killswitch Engage, Bury Your Dead, Darkest Hour and others.
In 2008 Parkway Drive's "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em" was remixed by Sydney producers Teen Heat.
On The 12th of December, At UNSW Roundhouse, Parkway Drive announced they were filming a DVD of the show, This will include footage of the Roundhouse Show, and a few songs from other bands featured in the Sweat Fest Tour.
On January 18, 2009, Parkway Drive announced their headlining US tour with Stick to Your Guns and Mychildren Mybride.
On January 28th to February 1st 2009, Parkway Drive Japan tour with Shai Hulud and Crystal Lake.
Parkway Drive played at the 2009 Bamboozle Lineup at the Giant's Stadium Parking Lots; as well as being confirmed at the 2009's Download Festival lineup.
In May 2009 Parkway Drive announced they would be releasing a live DVD and an Australian tour was also announced with August Burns Red and Architects in support of it. Also supporting them on their Sydney leg of the tour is a local Sydney Band, Hand of Mercy, their Melbourne leg will be local Melbourne band House Vs. Hurricane and on the Brisbane leg, Wish for Wings.
In June 2009, Parkway Drive played at the 2009 Download Festival.
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
- 2005 - Killing with a Smile (Resist Records, Epitaph Records)
- 2007 - Horizons (Resist Records, Burning Heart Records, Epitaph Records)
[edit] EPs
- 2004 - Don't Close Your Eyes (Resist Records)
[edit] DVDs
- 2009 - The DVD
[edit] Other releases
- 2003 - I Killed the Prom Queen / Parkway Drive (Final Prayer)
- 2003 - What We've Built BBHC compilation
[edit] Videography
| Year | Title | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em" | Resist Records |
| 2007 | "Boneyards" | Epitaph |
[edit] Members
- Current
- Winston McCall - vocals
- Ben Gordon - drums
- Jeff Ling - guitar
- Luke Kilpatrick - guitar
- Jia O'Connor - bass
- Former
- Brett Versteeg - bass
- Shaun Cash - bass
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfpxq9dldte Allmusic Page
- ^ australian-chats.com. "Parkway Drive Horizons chart history". http://australian-charts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Parkway+Drive&titel=Horizons&cat=a. Retrieved on 2008-12-08.
