About Mayday Parade
Mayday Parade is an American rock band from Tallahassee, Florida. Formed in 2005, the band was a result of a merger between two local Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment. Their debut EP Tales Told by Dead Friends, was released in 2006, and sold over 50,000 copies without any label support. In July 2007, Mayday Parade released their debut album A Lesson in Romantics. Having been signed to Fearless Records since 2006, the band also signed onto a major label with Atlantic Records in 2009. Their second studio album, Anywhere but Here was released in October 2009 and their third album, entitled Mayday Parade, was released in October 2011. Mayday Parade's fourth album, titled Monsters in the Closet, was released in October 2013. Their fifth album, titled Black Lines, was released October 2015. In April 2018, the band signed to Rise Records and released their sixth studio album Sunnyland on June 15, 2018. Their seventh studio album, What It Means to Fall Apart, was released on November 19, 2021.
Mayday Parade was formed in the winter of 2005 following the merger of two local Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment. Kid Named Chicago featured vocalist/guitarist Jason Lancaster, guitarist Alex Garcia and drummer Jake Bundrick, while Defining Moment featured vocalist Derek Sanders, guitarist Brooks Betts, and bassist Jeremy Lenzo. Both bands previously practiced in the same building, before it occurred to Lenzo that it "made more sense if we put them together instead of playing separately."
Still without a name, the band went into the studio to record their first EP Tales Told by Dead Friends, with producer Lee Dyess. They decided on the band name Mayday Parade during the week they spent recording in the studio. According to the group, the name was thought of by Garcia who was a fan of the word Mayday and made the suggestion to remember their time watching the hometown parades together. "Three Cheers For Five Years" and "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" were the first songs the band wrote. The EP was released on June 13, 2006.
The group performed at the 2006 Vans Warped Tour in the summer. During the tour, they began selling physical copies of their EP, roaming around venue parking lots and approached concert-goers standing in line. By the end of summer, the EP sold more than 10,000 copies. These sales caught the attention of Fearless Records, which the band signed with the label on August 29. Following their appearance on Warped Tour, the group began writing songs for their debut studio album. The band went on their first U.S. tour with Brandtson and Mêlée, then on another tour with Plain White T's shortly after the release of the EP.
In January 2007, the band started to record their debut studio album, A Lesson in Romantics, which was completed that same month. The album was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with production handled by Zack Odom and Kenneth Mount. "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" and "Jamie All Over" were both re-recorded for the album, with the first previously receiving a big response from fans and the latter, a song that the group liked and decided to use it. In March, shortly after the album was completed, lead singer Jason Lancaster left the band citing a lack of writing credit on the band's releases. Due to this change, the group found it hard working out who should sing Lancaster's parts. Eventually, Lenzo and Bundrick filled in for Lancaster's vocals, while Garcia and Betts performed Lancaster's guitar parts.
On April 4, 2007, "Black Cat" was made available for streaming via Hot Topic's MySpace profile. Between early May and late June, the band went on tour with support from Bedlight for Blue Eyes, Driver Side Impact, and Sick City. The album was released on July 10, 2007. The album peaked at number eight on the US Heatseekers Albums chart. Mayday Parade supported their album on the 2007 Vans Warped Tour. In late September 2007, the band supported Paramore in Japan and Australia. They co-headlined a tour with Madina Lake from October to November 2007. "When I Get Home, You're So Dead" was released as the first single from the album on December 3, 2007, via iTunes. The music video for the song was eligible for two MTV Video Music Awards for Best Rock Video and Video of the Year.
Mayday Parade went on the Manwhores and Open Sores Tour alongside All Time Low, Every Avenue, and Just Surrender in January 2008. The band made their first UK appearance in April 2008 performing at the Give it a Name festival in Sheffield and London. "Jamie All Over" was released on May 20, 2008, as the album's second single. The band performed at the 2008 Vans Warped Tour. The group joined All Time Low, The Maine, and Every Avenue in Fall 2008 on The Compromising of Integrity, Morality, and Principles in Exchange for Money Tour. A Lesson in Romantics sold 200,000 copies in the United States, becoming their biggest selling album and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song "Miserable at Best" was also certified gold by the RIAA. In 2009, the group was featured in Punk Goes Pop Volume Two, performing a cover of "When I Grow Up" by The Pussycat Dolls.
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