Steel Train
Steel Train |
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Steel Train is an indie rock band from New Jersey. They have toured with Tegan and Sara, Ben Folds, The Fray, Silversun Pickups, Hanson, The Format, Gomez, O.A.R., Barenaked Ladies, Fun and others. Other highlights include performances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Coachella, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Show With David Letterman.
History
Not many bands can say they met in college, even fewer high school. Steel Train have the privilege of being one of the only bands who met in elementary school (Jack Antonoff, Evan Winiker and Daniel Silbert met in the early 90's at The Solomon Schechter Day School of Bergen County). The three played in various bands around New Jersey in the late 90's and early millenium (Outline and Random Task) and were part of a music scene that gave birth to such bands as My Chemical Romance, The Gaslight Anthem and Saves The Day (in many interviews they've credited this scene as an influence on their live shows).
In 2002 the owners of Drive-Thru Records got a copy of the bands demo and signed them to a 5 record deal with Drive Thru Records/MCA, it would be the beginning of a fruitful/tumultous relationship.
The band flew to Los Angeles in October of 2002 to record with Jon Naclario and Slamm Andrews at Hans Zimmer's Media Ventures Studio's, the outcome of this session would be the band's first EP, 2003's "For You My Dear" (The EP would go on to sell over 30,000 in its first year).
To promote the EP the band hit the road, touring America with Something Corporate, Finch, and The RX Bandits and going overseas to the UK and Whales with Something Corporate and Home Grown.
In late 2003 the band would move to San Francisco to record their first full length record with Steven Barncard (The Grateful Dead, CSNY, Joe Cocker). Released in 2005, "Twilight Tales From The Prairies on the Sun" featured appearances by famed mandolinist/Jerry Garcia collaborater David Grisman, as well as Flying Burrito Brother/Byrds pedal steel guitarist Gene Parsons.
2005 would also see the beginning of the bands heavy touring cycle, playing over 200 shows in 300 days. It would also be the beginning of the bands festival career, playing a milestone set at midnight on the first day of The Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennesee. The band would go on to play The Wakarusa Festival, The All Good Festival, High Sierra Music Festival as well as another appearance at 2006's Bonnaroo Music Festival.
After a grueling two years straight on the road, original members Matt Goldman, Matthias Gruber and Scott Irby Ranniar would leave the band to persue other careers (Goldman became a teacher, Gruber moved back to Germany and Irby Ranniar would get into graphic design).
At this point, Jack and Evan moved to Silverlake, CA to record the bands second full length, Trampoline with Mark Trombino (Jimmy Eat World, Rilo Kiley). After an easy recording process, the band once again embarked on the road, this time recruiting three new members Jon Shiffman, Justin Huey, and Daniel Silbert (who up to that point had been the tour manager).
The band headed out in support of "Trampoline" which debuted at #10 on Billboard's Heatseaker Chart. The band toured with The Format, Silversun Pickups, Gomez, The Spill Canvas, the Barenaked Ladies, Hanson and played prominent spots at the Lollapalooza Festival as well as making their third appearance at the Bonnaroo Music Festival.
In the summer of 2008 the band would make their national television debut on Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
Jack and Evan would once again head back into the studio, this time to record their third full length with producer Steve Mcdonald (Be Your Own Pet, Fun). It would be at this time that the band's relationship with their label Drive Thru Records would fall apart. The label (who's roster at one point included Hellogoodbye, New found Glory, Dashboard Confessional as well as many other platinum selling artists), had cut ties with its previous distributors MCA, Geffen, Sanctuary, and was going through changes. Not wanting to hold the release of their album, Steel Train decided to buy off the label and fund the record themselves. Taking a page from bands like Radiohead, they bet on themselves and decided to self release the album in 2010.[1]
Once again they hit the road hard, touring with Tegan and Sara, Ben Folds, Fun. as well as playing 2010's Coachella Music Festival and making their 2nd appearance on National TV on The Late Show With David Letterman.
The band would release their 3rd full length "Steel Train" on June 28th to critical acclaim from Spin, Esquire, USA Today and many other national publications. The record would debut at #8 on Billboard's Heatseakers Chart, #48 on its independent albums chart as well as a handful of other Billboard Charts (it would stay there for weeks).
Thinking ahead, Steel Train released a companion album of their songs covered by female artists, having their songs covered by Scarlett Johansson, Tegan and Sara, Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Doll's, Deradorian of The Dirty Projectors, Anna Waronker of That Dog, Charlotte Caffey of The Go Go's, Holly Miranda, Rachel Antonoff, as well as many others.
The band would hit the road once again at appearances with Yo Gabba Gabba, the hit childrens show, as well as tours with OAR and Fun.
On November 1st the band the pleasure of being Conan O'Brien's first musical guests on his new show, in a joke episode titled "Show Zero". The band, along with actor Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) would perform one chord off their new record in a short version of the show.
Current members
- Jack Antonoff – vocals, guitar, piano, drums (1999–Present)
- Evan Winiker – bass, backing vocals (2002–Present)
- Daniel Silbert – guitar, backing vocals (2006–Present)
- Jon Shiffman – drums, percussion (2006–Present)
- Justin Huey – vocals, piano, wurlitzer (2008–Present)
Former members
- Matthias Gruber – drums, percussion (2002–2006)
- Matthew Goldman – guitar, backing vocals (2002–2006)
- Scott Irby-Ranniar – vocals, piano, wurlitzer (1999–2008)
Discography
Albums
- Twilight Tales from the Prairies of the Sun (2005)
- Trampoline (2007)
- Steel Train (2010)
EPs
- For You My Dear (2003)
- 1969 (2004)
- Steel Train Is Here (2009)
References
- ^ "Steel Train No Longer With DTR." Absolutepunk.net. August 14, 2009.