Representative Albums: "What to Do When You Are Dead," "Dream to Make Believe," "Smile for Them"
Biography
Armor for Sleep's emotionally charged lyrics, energetic live shows, and D.I.Y. work ethic have won the New Jersey-based quartet a loyal fan base. Singer/songwriter/guitar player Ben Jorgensen began writing songs the summer before his freshman year at college, and recorded two of them at a local studio. Weary of playing all of the instruments himself, the self-admitted recluse found kindred spirits in bassist Anthony Dilonno and cousins Nash Breen (drums) and P.J. DeCicco (guitar). Buzz for the newly minted band grew quickly, and by the summer of 2002, Armor for Sleep found themselves in California recording their debut, Dream to Make Believe. Released on Equal Vision Records in June 2003, the record secured the band a solid spot in the growing emo-pop scene, leading to some choice shows with bands like Taking Back Sunday, Piebald, and Thursday. In 2005, after successfully headlining its own U.S. tour, the band released What to Do When You Are Dead, a loosely related conceptual album dealing with life and death that showcased the group's growth into a heavier and darker machine. The DVD A Comprehensive Guide to Touring was issued near the year's end, and Armor for Sleep next signed on to the Sire roster in April 2006. The following year, "End of the World" was included on the soundtrack for Transformers: The Movie, and the group released a new album, Smile for Them. ~ James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide
The band was founded by Ben Jorgensen in 2001, in New Jersey. Band founder, Ben Jorgensen, stated the name of the band, Armor for Sleep, comes from his early experiences of writing music and not being able to sleep. He quotes "I guess when I started the band I was kind of, like, retreating in my room and I kind of couldn't really fall asleep, so I started playing music. I just thought of the name Armor For Sleep, because it was really, the music was keeping me from passing out! Which was something I was procrastinating on."[1]
A Machine Shop remix of their track "Remember to Feel Real" was featured on the Snakes on a Plane soundtrack in August 2006.
The band had a new track entitled "End of the World" on soundtrack for the 2007 film Transformers.
Their third full-length album Smile for Them was released on October 30, 2007.
On August 20, 2008, a blog entry on the band's website announced an extended play (EP), entitled The Way Out Is Broken.[4] Armor for Sleep announced a recent unreleased track of theirs on their official website entitled, "Chameleons". The track was posted onto Supload.com to download.[5]
Disbandment
On October 28, 2009 it was officially announced that the band would be parting ways. Frontman Ben Jorgensen released a statement informing fans of the inevitable, after the band had been inactive, not undertaking a tour for over a year.[6]
Current Projects
Ben Jorgenson recently announced that he has a new band called God Loves A Challenge which is very different when compared to Armor For Sleep. They are on myspace.
