Love Equals Death
Encyclopedia
Love Equals Death was a punk rock
band from Petaluma, California
whose music drew influence from classic rock
and horror punk
.. The group formed in 2003 and released two EP
s, one compilation album, and one studio album, 2006's Nightmerica. They toured the United States several times, but encountered problems when founding bassist Dominic Davi was arrested in March 2007 on allegations of rape
and subsequently dismissed from the band. He was replaced by former Distillers
and Angels & Airwaves
bassist Ryan Sinn
, and the band toured Europe and the United Kingdom. After Sinn left, a retooled Love Equals Death lineup performed on the 2008 Warped Tour
and planned to record a second album, but disbanded after singer and founding member Chon Travis quit in January 2009.
in 2003, and generally celebrated Halloween
as the anniversary of their formation. The band's initial lineup consisted of vocalist Chon Travis (formerly of Loose Change and Envain), guitarist John Rosser, bassist Dominic Davi (formerly of Tsunami Bomb
), and drummer Tonio Garcia-Romero. Their first release of recorded material was a cover version
of "Dammit Janet" on the compilation album
The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show
, released that December. Their debut EP
, 4 Notes on a Dying Scale, was released through Popsmear Records, and the band supported it with shows in the San Francisco Bay Area
and their first United States tour in September 2004. A second tour followed from February to April 2005.
Rosser was replaced by Duffs, and the group continued to tour. A compilation album
titled The Prelude was released in Japan in July 2005 through the Treasure Trunk label, consisting of 4 Notes on a Dying Scale along with demo
tracks. The Hucklebuck EP was released the following month through Popsmear. Love Equals Death signed to Fat Wreck Chords
in August 2005 after label head Fat Mike was impressed by their live performance. A United States tour followed from October to December 2005, supporting The God Awfuls and The Eyeliners
.
with producers
Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. Leading up to the album's release, they toured the United States as an opening act for Pennywise
, No Use for a Name
, and The Suicide Machines
in January 2006, and for Tiger Army
that March.
Nightmerica was released March 21, 2006. Corey Apar of Allmusic called it "way more interesting than their fake horror film façade would suggest ... Love Equals Death is really more like a multifaceted version of a late-'90s skate punk
band ... promising and refreshing in its mix of old and new sounds, Nightmerica is a breath of fresh air among the ironic screamo
bands of the world." Chris Moran of Punknews.org
complemented the range of Chon's vocals and the musicianship as "extremely tight", but felt that the songs went in too many musical directions to give the band a firm identity: "This record is just all over the map. One minute we've got some Goth Bay hardcore, the next we've got Morrissey
... Nightmerica has some really good songs. But the album itself lacks direction and seems almost rushed ... there's just too much going on for one album. Especially from a band that many are not too familiar with." Both reviewers likened Nightmerica to the first four albums by AFI
.
Love Equals Death supported the album with a music video
for the song "Pray for Me" and by playing shows with the Mad Caddies
, Mercy Killers
, Verse
, Rise Against
, Strike Anywhere
, Sick of It All
, Stretch Arm Strong
, and First Blood
before touring with Time Again
from May through June 2006. They also opened for Death by Stereo
that August and released a second music video in October, for the song "Bombs Over Brooklyn". A tour across the United States with labelmates the Mad Caddies followed through November.
, Strike Anywhere, and Dead to Me
. Towards the end of the tour, the band was robbed in Sacramento, California
when their tour van was broken into and personal belongings were stolen. A music video was released for the song "Truth Has Failed", featuring cameo
s by members of Pennywise, AFI, The Suicide Machines, and No Use for a Name. A split album
with Death by Stereo was planned. That March they toured the west coast with AFI, Smoke or Fire
, Viva Hate
, The Shook Ones
, and Love Me Destroyer. On Love Equals Death's penultimate night of the tour, bassist Dominc Davi was arrested in Fullerton, California
on charges stemming from an alleged rape
of a Virginia
woman in June 2006. Singer Chon Travis issued a statement saying "We at camp LED stand by [Davi] and hope that this will all clear up soon. We will not pass any judgement on anyone until this is settled". However, less than two weeks later he announced Davi's separation from the band:
In a July 2008 statement, Davi maintained his innocence and said that the charge of rape had been dropped, though he had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor
indecent assault
, and gave his thoughts on his departure from the band:
, formerly of The Distillers
and Angels & Airwaves
, joined the band as Davi's replacement. The group premiered a new song, "Last Dance", that October through their Myspace
profile, while Sinn also formed a supergroup
called The Innocent with Brooks Wackerman
of Bad Religion
, Brandan Schieppati
of Bleeding Through
, and Dave Nassie of No Use for a Name. Love Equals Death toured with Tiger Army in November, then travelled to Europe and the United Kingdom for a headlining tour through December.
By March 2008 Sinn had been replaced by Sean Jordon, and Bryan Kelly-Holden had joined the band as rhythm guitar
ist. This lineup played seven dates of the 2008 Warped Tour
and planned to record their follow-up to Nightmerica that August with producers Travis Richter
and Lee Dyness. However, Chon Travis left Love Equals Death in January 2009, citing a desire to pursue a solo project:
That April Love Equals Death announced their breakup, saying "It's been a back and forth battle with everyone here to move on or to let go of this thing we love so much. We have decided to let go of Love Equals Death and preserve the good times we had and the hurdles we had to overcome. We will no longer be functioning as a band and will be calling it quits."
In November 2011 Chon Travis was arrested in Ukiah, California
and jailed on charges of methamphetamine
and ecstasy use, possession and transport of methamphetamine for sale, and driving with a suspended license, after police reportedly found more than 11 grams of methamphetamine in his car. Travis denied the accusations, claiming the evidence had been planted and that he had tried to cooperate with the police.
Compilation album
EPs
Other appearances
Music videos
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band from Petaluma, California
Petaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
whose music drew influence from classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
and horror punk
Horror punk
Horror punk is a music genre that mixes Gothic and punk rock sounds with morbid imagery and lyrics, which are often influenced by horror films...
.. The group formed in 2003 and released two EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
s, one compilation album, and one studio album, 2006's Nightmerica. They toured the United States several times, but encountered problems when founding bassist Dominic Davi was arrested in March 2007 on allegations of rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and subsequently dismissed from the band. He was replaced by former Distillers
The Distillers
The Distillers were an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1998. They released their first two albums on Hellcat Records/Epitaph Records before moving to Sire, part of the Warner Music Group. The Distillers were originally formed by Australian-born Brody Armstrong , a woman with a...
and Angels & Airwaves
Angels & Airwaves
Angels & Airwaves is an American alternative rock supergroup led by Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, also including guitarist David Kennedy from Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street and Box Car Racer, bass guitarist Matt Wachter from 30 Seconds to Mars and former Lostprophets and Nine Inch...
bassist Ryan Sinn
Ryan Sinn
Ryan Sinn is the former bassist for the alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves and The Distillers, but has joined Love Equals Death, after Dominic Davi's departure...
, and the band toured Europe and the United Kingdom. After Sinn left, a retooled Love Equals Death lineup performed on the 2008 Warped Tour
Warped Tour 2008
Warped Tour 2008 was the 2008 installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour music festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor.-Main stage:*The Academy Is...*Against Me! *All That Remains...
and planned to record a second album, but disbanded after singer and founding member Chon Travis quit in January 2009.
2003–05: Formation and EPs
Love Equals Death formed in Petaluma, CaliforniaPetaluma, California
Petaluma is a city in Sonoma County, California, in the United States. In the 2010 Census the population was 57,941.Located in Petaluma is the Rancho Petaluma Adobe, a National Historic Landmark. It was built beginning in 1836 by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, then Commandant of the San...
in 2003, and generally celebrated Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
as the anniversary of their formation. The band's initial lineup consisted of vocalist Chon Travis (formerly of Loose Change and Envain), guitarist John Rosser, bassist Dominic Davi (formerly of Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb
Tsunami Bomb was a punk rock band from Petaluma, California that was active between 1998 and October 2005 and released 2 studio albums and 4 EPs. They were founded by Dominic David who left in 2003...
), and drummer Tonio Garcia-Romero. Their first release of recorded material was a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Dammit Janet" on the compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show
The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show
The Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show is an album featuring the soundtrack of the 1975 cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show as performed by modern punk rock bands...
, released that December. Their debut EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, 4 Notes on a Dying Scale, was released through Popsmear Records, and the band supported it with shows in the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
and their first United States tour in September 2004. A second tour followed from February to April 2005.
Rosser was replaced by Duffs, and the group continued to tour. A compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
titled The Prelude was released in Japan in July 2005 through the Treasure Trunk label, consisting of 4 Notes on a Dying Scale along with demo
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
tracks. The Hucklebuck EP was released the following month through Popsmear. Love Equals Death signed to Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords
Fat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
in August 2005 after label head Fat Mike was impressed by their live performance. A United States tour followed from October to December 2005, supporting The God Awfuls and The Eyeliners
The Eyeliners
The Eyeliners are an American pop punk band from Albuquerque, New Mexico formed in 1995 under the name Psychodrama. In 1996 their name was changed their name to The Eyeliners after having released one single under the Psychodrama name. The group has released EPs on Sympathy for the Record Industry...
.
2006: Nightmerica
Love Equals Death recorded their full-length album Nightmerica in November 2005 at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, ColoradoFort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census...
with producers
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore. Leading up to the album's release, they toured the United States as an opening act for Pennywise
Pennywise (band)
Pennywise is a Californian punk rock band from Hermosa Beach, California, formed in 1988. The name is derived from the monster, It, from the Stephen King novel of the same title....
, No Use for a Name
No Use for a Name
No Use for a Name is a punk rock band from San Jose, California, United States formed in 1987 by Chris Dodge , Steve Papoutsis , Rory Koff and John Meyers...
, and The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines
The Suicide Machines were an American punk rock band formed in March 1991 in Detroit, Michigan and disbanded in May 2006. During the course of their career the band released six full-length albums on the labels Hollywood Records and Side One Dummy Records...
in January 2006, and for Tiger Army
Tiger Army
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band that was formed in 1995 in Berkeley, California. Its constant member and lead song writer is Nick 13. The band have released a total of four studio albums.-History:...
that March.
Nightmerica was released March 21, 2006. Corey Apar of Allmusic called it "way more interesting than their fake horror film façade would suggest ... Love Equals Death is really more like a multifaceted version of a late-'90s skate punk
Skate punk
Skate punk is a sub genre of punk rock, originally a derivative of the West Coast hardcore punk scene, that is named after its popularity among skateboarders and association with skateboarding culture. Skate punk most commonly describes the sound of melodic hardcore bands from the 1990s with an...
band ... promising and refreshing in its mix of old and new sounds, Nightmerica is a breath of fresh air among the ironic screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
bands of the world." Chris Moran of Punknews.org
Punknews.org
Punknews.org is a website founded by Aubin Paul which launched in 1999. The website publishes music news and album reviews relating to punk rock, hardcore punk, ska, indie rock and heavy metal...
complemented the range of Chon's vocals and the musicianship as "extremely tight", but felt that the songs went in too many musical directions to give the band a firm identity: "This record is just all over the map. One minute we've got some Goth Bay hardcore, the next we've got Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
... Nightmerica has some really good songs. But the album itself lacks direction and seems almost rushed ... there's just too much going on for one album. Especially from a band that many are not too familiar with." Both reviewers likened Nightmerica to the first four albums by AFI
AFI (band)
AFI is an American alternative rock band from Ukiah, California that formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998: lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute...
.
Love Equals Death supported the album with a music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song "Pray for Me" and by playing shows with the Mad Caddies
Mad Caddies
The Mad Caddies are a third wave ska band from Solvang, California. The band formed in 1995 and has released five full-length albums, one live album, and two EPs...
, Mercy Killers
Mercy Killers
Mercy Killers is a goth/punk band from Los Angeles. It was formed in 2005 by future members of electro pop/punk band . These were guitarists Craig Fairbank and Shane Gallagher, who continued with the project after the reformation of Blink 182 in 2009...
, Verse
Verse (band)
Verse was a hardcore band from Providence, Rhode Island. They released three full-length albums and an EP on Rivalry and Bridge 9 Records and conducted a number of full U.S. tours...
, Rise Against
Rise Against
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, Illinois, formed in 1999. The band currently consists of Tim McIlrath , Zach Blair , Joe Principe and Brandon Barnes .Rise Against spent its first five years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which it...
, Strike Anywhere
Strike Anywhere
Strike Anywhere is a punk rock/melodic hardcore band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1999 after the demise of frontman Thomas Barnett's previous band, Inquisition, they took their name from the Inquisition song "Strike Anywhere". Their music is characterized by fast tempos, catchy melodies, and...
, Sick of It All
Sick of It All
Sick of It All is an American hardcore punk band from Queens, New York. Formed in 1986, the band consisted of brothers Lou Koller on vocals and Pete Koller on lead guitar, Rich Cipriano on bass, and Armand Majidi on drums. There have been only two member changes since their inception, with Max...
, Stretch Arm Strong
Stretch Arm Strong
Stretch Arm Strong is a hardcore punk band from Chapin South Carolina, and the flagship band for We Put Out Records. They have been active since 1992. Several of the band members are outspoken Christians, but they prefer not to be classified as a Christian band in some cases. They do prefer to be...
, and First Blood
First Blood (band)
First Blood are a hardcore band from San Francisco, CA. Their Trustkill Records debut album is titled Killafornia. Four years later they released Silence Is Betryal on Bullet Tooth Records.-Background:...
before touring with Time Again
Time Again
Time Again is a band from Hollywood, California which is represented in the bands songs and album art. The band was formed in the summer of 2004 by Daniel Dart, Elijah Reyes. Before they even had a full band or a single song written, they began printing stickers and flyers for Time Again to heavily...
from May through June 2006. They also opened for Death by Stereo
Death by Stereo
Death by Stereo is a hardcore punk band formed in Orange County, California circa 1996 by frontman Efrem Schulz. They are well known for their energetic performances and intricate guitar work...
that August and released a second music video in October, for the song "Bombs Over Brooklyn". A tour across the United States with labelmates the Mad Caddies followed through November.
2007: Davi's arrest and departure
In January 2007 Love Equals Death toured California and the southwestern United States with fellow Fat Wreck Chords acts NOFXNOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
, Strike Anywhere, and Dead to Me
Dead to Me
Dead to Me is STEMM's first full length album released in 2001. This would be the last recordings to feature any of the old members before the band would merge with 5 Years Gone.-Track listing:# "Intro" - 0:21# "Slippin" - 5:15# "Perfect" - 3:15...
. Towards the end of the tour, the band was robbed in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
when their tour van was broken into and personal belongings were stolen. A music video was released for the song "Truth Has Failed", featuring cameo
Cameo
Cameo is a method of carving an object such as an engraved gem, item of jewellery or vessel made in this manner. It nearly always features a raised relief image; contrast with intaglio, which has a negative image...
s by members of Pennywise, AFI, The Suicide Machines, and No Use for a Name. A split album
Split album
A split album is a music album which includes tracks by two or more separate artists. There have been singles and EPs released in the same nature, which can be referred to as split singles and split EPs respectively...
with Death by Stereo was planned. That March they toured the west coast with AFI, Smoke or Fire
Smoke or Fire
Smoke or Fire is an American punk rock band from Boston, Massachusetts.The band originally formed in 1998, when western Massachusetts native Joe McMahon got together with Chris Brand , Bill Ironfield , and Nick Maggiore , hailing from New Hampshire...
, Viva Hate
Viva Hate (band)
Viva Hate is a rock band that was formed late in the summer of 2004 by Geoff Kresge after he left Tiger Army. Shortly after forming Viva Hate, Kresge was asked to join the HorrorPops, with whom he played guitar with from 2004 to 2006, although the official statement of his departure was not made...
, The Shook Ones
Shook Ones
Shook Ones are a band from Bellingham, Washington that have since relocated to Seattle, Washington. The band has done several tours of the United States and a three-week tour of Europe. In April 2007, the band toured Japan...
, and Love Me Destroyer. On Love Equals Death's penultimate night of the tour, bassist Dominc Davi was arrested in Fullerton, California
Fullerton, California
Fullerton is a city located in northern Orange County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 135,161.It was founded in 1887 by George and Edward Amerige and named for George H. Fullerton, who secured the land on behalf of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway...
on charges stemming from an alleged rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
of a Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
woman in June 2006. Singer Chon Travis issued a statement saying "We at camp LED stand by [Davi] and hope that this will all clear up soon. We will not pass any judgement on anyone until this is settled". However, less than two weeks later he announced Davi's separation from the band:
We would like to make it perfectly clear here at camp LED that we do not in any way condone any such behavior related to these charges. We, however, are not a judge or a jury and don't want to be one any time soon. We are however a band that really just wants to continue playing music. We know that these times have been severely trying for Dominic and the accuser. We hope for the best outcome for all parties. However, Dominic will no longer be playing music or working on behalf of Love Equals Death. This matter that he faces requires all of his attention right now and we wish him well as I know all of you do.
In a July 2008 statement, Davi maintained his innocence and said that the charge of rape had been dropped, though he had pleaded guilty to misdemeanor
Misdemeanor
A misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
indecent assault
Indecent assault
Indecent assault is an offence of aggravated assault in many jurisdictions. It is characterised as a sex crime.Indecent assault was an offence in England and Wales under sections 14 and 15 the Sexual Offences Act 1956...
, and gave his thoughts on his departure from the band:
I want to make this absolutely clear, I never raped anyone. Ever. And the charges of rape were dropped against me back in December [2007]. Even the state prosecutor involved in this case admitted that he didn't believe I ever raped anyone. The person that made these accusations against me changed her story about what happened that night every single time she told it. So, despite the fact that I never, ever, forced this girl to make out with me, touch me, or anything, and despite the fact that it was extremely difficult for me to plead guilty to something I absolutely did not do, I chose to take the charge of misdemeanor indecent assault for the sake of avoiding yet more emotional and financial strains on my family, my loved ones and myself. It's fair to say that the guys in Love Equals Death freaked out when all of this happened. I don't blame them for that – there isn't a guide book to follow in a situation like this. They made it clear to me that they needed to focus on the band and their career as best as they could, and that it would be best for me to focus on my defense. It hurt at the time, but I knew I did have to focus on defending myself.
2008–09: Lineup changes and disbanding
Love Equals death remained active, scheduling a May 2007 performance with the Germs and stating they had written new songs and would still be releasing a split album with Death by Stereo. In June 2007 Ryan SinnRyan Sinn
Ryan Sinn is the former bassist for the alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves and The Distillers, but has joined Love Equals Death, after Dominic Davi's departure...
, formerly of The Distillers
The Distillers
The Distillers were an American punk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1998. They released their first two albums on Hellcat Records/Epitaph Records before moving to Sire, part of the Warner Music Group. The Distillers were originally formed by Australian-born Brody Armstrong , a woman with a...
and Angels & Airwaves
Angels & Airwaves
Angels & Airwaves is an American alternative rock supergroup led by Blink-182 guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, also including guitarist David Kennedy from Over My Dead Body, Hazen Street and Box Car Racer, bass guitarist Matt Wachter from 30 Seconds to Mars and former Lostprophets and Nine Inch...
, joined the band as Davi's replacement. The group premiered a new song, "Last Dance", that October through their Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
profile, while Sinn also formed a supergroup
SuperGroup
SuperGroup is a 2006 reality show on VH1 that follows five well-known hard rock and heavy metal musicians over a 12-day period where they live together in a Las Vegas mansion in order to create, plan and perform a live show together...
called The Innocent with Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman
Brooks Wackerman is the current drummer for the American punk band Bad Religion and the younger brother of Chad Wackerman, formerly a member of Frank Zappa's band.-Career:...
of Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, Brandan Schieppati
Brandan Schieppati
Brandan Schieppati is the singer of metalcore band Bleeding Through. He is Straight Edge and lives in Orange County with his wife Nicole. While best known through his musical career, he was also a late-round draft pick for Major League Baseball's Montreal Expos out of high school, around 1998...
of Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through
Bleeding Through is an American metalcore band from Orange County, California. Formed in 1999, the band blends influences stemming from modern hardcore punk, symphonic black metal, and melodic death metal...
, and Dave Nassie of No Use for a Name. Love Equals Death toured with Tiger Army in November, then travelled to Europe and the United Kingdom for a headlining tour through December.
By March 2008 Sinn had been replaced by Sean Jordon, and Bryan Kelly-Holden had joined the band as rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar
Rhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
ist. This lineup played seven dates of the 2008 Warped Tour
Warped Tour 2008
Warped Tour 2008 was the 2008 installment of the annual Summer Warped Tour music festival. Vans Shoes was again the tour's primary sponsor.-Main stage:*The Academy Is...*Against Me! *All That Remains...
and planned to record their follow-up to Nightmerica that August with producers Travis Richter
Travis Richter
Travis Brandon Richter is an American musician, music producer, dubstep producer and vocalist. He is known for being the original screamer and guitarist of From First to Last, and the current guitarist and lead vocalist of The Color of Violence and the former lead vocalist for The Human Abstract...
and Lee Dyness. However, Chon Travis left Love Equals Death in January 2009, citing a desire to pursue a solo project:
Love Equals Death proved to be a strong band and a fun band to be in, but I never felt comfortable in the band. I never felt like it was my band or that I was really a part of everyone else here ... Right before I joined LED, I started a solo project that I put on the back burner, because things were going well with LED and I ended up getting too busy to focus on it. I kept writing songs for both LED and the solo shit, knowing one day I would have to part ways with LED to fulfill my desire to express myself the way I had always dreamed. I was going to do this sooner and then [Davi was arrested]. So I stayed to help get the band back on track and I never leave anything on a negative note.
That April Love Equals Death announced their breakup, saying "It's been a back and forth battle with everyone here to move on or to let go of this thing we love so much. We have decided to let go of Love Equals Death and preserve the good times we had and the hurdles we had to overcome. We will no longer be functioning as a band and will be calling it quits."
Post-breakup activity
Following Love Equals Death's disbanding, Duffs, Jordon, and Kelly-Holden formed a new band, Good Knives, with singer Shaun Phillips of British punk rock band The Ruined. Using songs they had written for Love Equals Death's proposed second album and working with producer Lee Dyness, the group released an eponymously-titled album in March 2010 and toured Europe.In November 2011 Chon Travis was arrested in Ukiah, California
Ukiah, California
The average high temperature is 73.5 °F . Average low temperature is 46.1 °F . Temperatures reach 90 °F on an average of 65.6 days annually and 100 °F on an average of 14.4 days annually. Due to frequent low humidity, summer temperatures normally drop into the fifties at night. Freezing...
and jailed on charges of methamphetamine
Methamphetamine
Methamphetamine is a psychostimulant of the phenethylamine and amphetamine class of psychoactive drugs...
and ecstasy use, possession and transport of methamphetamine for sale, and driving with a suspended license, after police reportedly found more than 11 grams of methamphetamine in his car. Travis denied the accusations, claiming the evidence had been planted and that he had tried to cooperate with the police.
Band members
- Chon Travis – lead vocals (2003–09)
- John Rosser – guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2003–05) - Dominic Davi – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2003–07) - Tonio Garcia-Romero – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(2003–09) - Duffs – guitar (2005–09)
- Ryan SinnRyan SinnRyan Sinn is the former bassist for the alternative rock band Angels & Airwaves and The Distillers, but has joined Love Equals Death, after Dominic Davi's departure...
– bass guitar (2007–08) - Sean Jordon – bass guitar (2008–09)
- Bryan Kelly-Holden – guitar (2008–09)
Discography
Studio album- Nightmerica (March 2006, Fat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck ChordsFat Wreck Chords is a San Francisco, California based independent record label, focused on punk rock. It was started by Fat Mike and his ex-wife, Erin, in 1990....
)
Compilation album
- The Prelude (July 2005, Treasure Trunk Records)
EPs
- 4 Notes on a Dying Scale (January 2005, Popsmear Records)
- The Hucklebuck EP (August 2005, Popsmear Records)
Other appearances
- The Rocky Horror Punk Rock ShowThe Rocky Horror Punk Rock ShowThe Rocky Horror Punk Rock Show is an album featuring the soundtrack of the 1975 cult film The Rocky Horror Picture Show as performed by modern punk rock bands...
(December 2003, Springman RecordsSpringman RecordsSpringman Records is an independent record label founded in 1998 by Avi Ehrlich that was run out of his parent's garage in Cupertino, California until late 2005, when Ehrlich moved the label to Sacramento...
) – cover versionCover versionIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of "Dammit Janet"
Music videos
- "Pray for Me" (2006)
- "Bombs Over Brooklyn" (2006)
- "Truth Has Failed" (2007)