Army of Me
AMG AllMusic Guide: Pop Artists:
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Army of Me
- Genres: Rock
Biography
Army of Me frontman Vince Scheuerman's early years were not made of the parents-with-great-record-collections stuff most readers of rock star biographies are used to stumbling across, but that shouldn't count him and his three bandmates out as serious contenders for indie-alternative greatness. Born into a religious cult in Gaithersburg, MD, Scheuerman and bassist John Hutchins grew up together and became friends as children. Both characterize their upbringings in the cult as "repressive and damaging." By the time they were 17, the two were playing together around Maryland in various bands and recruited drummer Dennis Manuel. Later, the trio added guitarist Brad Tursi. Rather than pouring all his energy into music, Scheuerman detoured from playing semi-seriously for an education in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland. While his training in science earned him a degree and, for a brief period, a job peering at atoms thorough a microscope, his difficulties adjusting to mainstream culture never quite left him -- for the singer/songwriter/guitarist, music became an outlet for all that stung in the secular world. By 2002, Army of Me was touring extensively on the East Coast. After three years of sharing stages with better-known bands such as Hot Hot Heat, Good Charlotte, Coldplay, the Strokes, Ben Lee, and the Vines, their recording of demos had sold 7,000 copies. (The band also released an EP, Fake Ugly, through Florida-based indie Pop Up Records in early 2004.) Touring had become a full-time job for the band, and despite collecting numerous "best unsigned band" accolades by 2005, Army of Me still remained without a recording contract by the year's end. That all changed in March 2006 when the guys finally inked a deal with Doghouse Records; around that same time, Hutchins amicably parted ways with the group. With Army of Me continuing on, the Rise EP appeared that November, which was followed in April 2007 by their debut full-length, Citizen. The album was supported by a tour with new member Conrado Bokoles on bass. ~ Tammy La Gorce, RoviWikipedia on Answers.com:
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Army of Me (band)
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This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page.
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| Army of Me | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Washington, DC, US |
| Genres | Indie rock Alternative rock |
| Years active | 2001–2010 |
| Labels | Doghouse Records |
| Website | Official Website |
| Past members | |
| Vince Scheuerman Dennis Manuel John Hutchins Brad Tursi |
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Army of Me is a band formed in Washington, D.C.
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Contents
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History
Vocalist and guitarist Vince Scheuerman grew up in a Gaithersburg, Maryland religious community. Feeling frustrated with mainstream culture, he turned to music as an outlet. Scheuerman and long time friend John Hutchins, bass, joined ska band, Sidewinders SC, but quit to start their own project. The pair formed Cactus Patch in 2001 with drummer Dennis Manuel.
Under the name Cactus Patch, they self-released 3 EPs on CD-Rs and one self-titled album. They changed their name to Army of Me not long after winning the WHFS Big Break contest which granted them an opening slot at the 2001 HFStival. The band's reputation in the Washington, DC area grew through street team promotion, active touring and multiple years playing the street stage at the HFStival. Guitar player Brad Tursi joined the band in 2003, filling out the live sound.
Army of Me went on to independently release the "Fake Ugly EP" as well as the "Demos EP" and toured the East Coast and the Mid-west of the United States. In January 2006, Army of Me signed a record deal with Atlantic Records. In February and March 2006, they recorded their record CITIZEN in a small beach house in Mathews, Virginia with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette and engineer Dave Holdredge. The album was released April 10, 2007 on Doghouse/Atlantic records. <see AllMusic.com entry in external links, below>
The band has toured with The Used, The Almost, Emery, Envy On The Coast, OAR, Dave Matthews, Switchfoot, Blue October, The Damnwells, Mae, The Bled, Fiction Family.
The band's single "Going Through Changes" has been in rotation on MTV, as well as several radio stations in the US, including KROQ and DC101. It has also been featured in the video games MLB 06: The Show and Burnout Paradise. It has also been featured on the PS2 game Burnout Dominator. An acoustic version of the song "Perfect" was featured on the 2008 Olympic Soundtrack.
Currently, Army of Me consists of Scheuerman & Manuel. Hutchins left the band in 2006 to form Hello Tokyo, a New York City based band. Tursi moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a country music career. Scheuerman both tours solo under the Army of Me name, playing acoustic shows, and with a full band. The band released "Make Yourself Naked," an acoustic EP in 2009.
On October 12, 2010 Scheuerman announced on the bands Myspace page that the band would be put on hold so that he could focus his time on a new project called River James, in which John Hutchins returns playing bass guitar. Scheuerman stated the following: "I'm not gonna say that you'll never see Army of Me again but the truth is that I'm gonna be focusing my efforts on this new project - River James".
Discography
Studio albums
- Army of Me (Independent, 2001)
- Citizen (Doghouse, 2007)
EPs
- Fake Ugly (PUR, 2004)
- Rise (Doghouse, 2006)
- "Make Yourself Naked" (2009)
- Demos EP (2010)
Singles
- Going Through Changes (2007)
Album appearances
References
External links
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