MAYDAY PARADE

Ten years ago, a group of friends from Tallahassee, FL formed a band and traveled the country, selling their CD to anyone that would listen in parking lots at Vans Warped Tour. Building a following from the roots up, one fan at a time, Mayday Parade has garnered a lifelong, massive dedicated fanbase, in their evolution from hard-working local band to global force. Delving into the musical influences that have inspired their decade-long career, the band have delivered their most refreshing, exciting, passion-driven release to date with new album Black Lines. Melodically diverse, the collection of 12 stunning tracks blends driving rock riffs with the band’s signature heartfelt lyrics into a whole new take on their sound, without losing what is quintessentially Mayday Parade. While musically raising the bar, Mayday Parade constantly reminds fans and industry alike just why they are leaders of their field.

Mayday Parade arose from the merger of two popular Tallahassee local bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment, whose combination helped the emo-pop unit amass a quick buzz around its hometown scene. The sextet was initially comprised of vocalist Derek Sanders, vocalist/guitarist Jason Lancaster, bassist/vocalist Jeremy Lenzo, drummer Jake Bundrick, and guitarists Alex Garcia and Brooks Betts.

After playing shows on the 2005 Warped Tour, along with sporadic gigs alongside bands like Armor for Sleep, the Rocket Summer, the Starting Line, and Emery, the band hooked up with Fearless Records in August 2006 and released its debut EP, Tales Told by Dead Friends, three months later. Lancaster left Mayday Parade in March 2007 and formed Go Radio; meanwhile, Mayday Parade signed with Atlantic Records and issued their first album without Lancaster, Anywhere But Here, in late 2009. The group’s Fearless-issued, eponymous third long-player arrived in 2011 and peaked at the number 12 spot on the Billboard Top 200. The Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount-produced Monsters in the Closet followed in early 2013.