Therefore I Am
Encyclopedia
Therefore I Am was a post-hardcore
band from Boston, Massachusetts signed to Equal Vision Records
that disbanded on November 20, 2010.
During the summer of 2005, Brandon became a temporary drummer of the band Vanna
. This quickly became a full-time commitment, and the band was signed to Epitaph Records
before the end of the year. Brandon made the decision to leave Therefore I Am and continue playing drums for Vanna. His last show with the band was in the winter of 2006.
During the fall of 2005, the band members completed recording the song, "I Get Nervous in Cars,". This version of the song was posted online and would later be released on the Therefore I Am/Vanna Split 7" and the "You Are Connected" EP. The split 7" was first made available at the Robotica Records album release party on March 10, 2006.
) brother, stepped in to play guitar for TIA during early '06. At the time, the band decided to stop booking shows in order to concentrate on writing new material. However, their plans were put on hold again with yet another departure; Aleks chose to leave the band in late March 2006 to pursue other endeavors.
The band continued to play their booked shows with temporary guitarists. By spring of '06, TIA had met Travis Alexander and invited him to join the band by June '06. With a final line-up, Therefore I Am was able to tour, play regular local shows and record various demos including "Farewell via Park".
The year 2006 brought not only two new guitarists and their split 7", but also their first full U.S. tour, two east coast tours, and the release of the "You Are Connected" EP. They also played the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Warped Tour
stage in Boston, MA and cut a demo with esteemed producer Matt Squire
(People In Planes
, Panic! At the Disco
, The Used
).
in Boston, MA, were featured in Alternative Press Magazine as a "Best Unsigned Band of the Month" and featured as one of the "Top Unsigned Bands in the U.S." on DailyChorus.com. They entered the studio with Mike Poorman (Piebald
, Tsunami Bomb
, Paulson
) that August to record the EP entitled "Escape". At the end of the year, in support of the self-released EP, they went on a small tour with Vanna, then shortly after with As Tall As Lions
and The Receiving End of Sirens
. During 2008 they did multiple tours in support of Escape, played The Receiving End of Sirens
' final shows with Envy on the Coast
in Providence, RI and Hit The Lights in Allston, MA, then on August 20, 2008 they announced that they had signed with Equal Vision Records
.
, and To Speak of Wolves. In March they were featured on the Warped Tour website as one of the band "Kevin Wants You to Know" by Warped Tour owner Kevin Lyman.
Their Equal Vision Records debut The Sound Of Human Lives was released on June 23, 2009. The songs "Splinters" and "I Am Only An Island" can be heard on their myspace, and "I Am Only An Island" can also be downloaded as a part of the Equal Vision Records sampler on the Equal Vision website.
On December 9, 2009 Therefore I Am released a video for "I Am Only An Island."
On February 2, 2010 "I Am Only An Island" premiered on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball.
This was their latest statement on the break-up.
I met Alex, Brian, Chris and Jim on Pratt Street in Allston, MA during the spring of 2006. Therefore I Am played music before I came into the picture but my accompaniment marked the beginning of something new. I joined their band on a whim. I dropped out of school, bought an amp and hit the road. The aforementioned members of Therefore I Am became my family, my closest friends and my life. They presented to me several life-changing opportunities and plugged me into a social circle I wouldn’t have otherwise had the pleasure of knowing. During the better part of the 5 years we spent in a van, the 5 of us bonded, fought, partied, smiled, argued, sang along together and learned to love each other. We will always love each other.
It is with great dismay that I am announcing the end of Therefore I Am.
There are a lot of reasons behind our decision but we would prefer to keep them personal. We are all still friends and that’s what matters most. This was by no means an easy decision for any of us. Life changes and you must change with it, regardless of the frustrations that come with said adjustments. The 5 of us are lucky and blessed to have had the opportunities we were given.
In the past 5 years, we’ve come a long way. We’ve toured with heroes, crossed oceans and did a lot of things we never thought we’d be able to do in our respective lifetimes, let alone our twenties. Most importantly, we’ve acquired a large collection of friends and created an insane catalogue of memories. To say the very least, we’ve seen a lot of stuff.
We’d like to thank all of the friends we’ve made and all of you who supported us with your thoughts, floors, roofs, showers, meals, hometowns, shows, tastes and love. You were as much a part of Therefore I Am as we were. You are connected.
Please join us for our final shows November 19th at the Derry Opera House in Derry nh and November 20th at Lupo’s in Providence, RI. We will be joined by some great friends and we hope to see you all there one last time.
-Travis Alexander and Therefore I Am
Therefore I Am played their last show on November 20, 2010 at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island to a sold out crowd.
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
band from Boston, Massachusetts signed to Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
that disbanded on November 20, 2010.
History
The band formed in May 2004 by bass player Jim Creighton, guitarist Brandon Davis, drummer Chris Fernandes, and guitarist Dan Sullivan. By early Summer, the group had welcomed singer Alex Correia. Alex had first grabbed the attention of the other members by submitting a copy of their distributed instrumental demo with his vocals recorded over the original tracks. Alex had recorded the vocal track in his bedroom. This demo would inevitably become their first song, "In Chelsea", which is where Alex was living at the time.2004
In October 2004, Dan Sullivan made the decision to leave the band to continue his education. Within a month of his departure, however, the band enlisted guitarist Aleksander Kmiec. Aleks soon became known as "Aleks with a K" due to the spelling of his name, and to differentiate between the band's singer and guitarist. Within weeks, the band began playing shows again. However, between Aleks' arrival and the release of their first EP, the band played infrequently.2005
The band's success did not begin to grow significantly until February 2005, with release of their first EP entitled "The Modern World, A Battlefield". In support of the release, the group tirelessly played at local venues and continued to write as their fan base grew. Their second independent release, simply entitled "The Summer EP", became available (strangely enough) in the fall of 2005, and was proof that the band members were maturing musically as individuals and as a whole.During the summer of 2005, Brandon became a temporary drummer of the band Vanna
Vanna
Vanna is a female first name that first appeared in recorded history circa 1294. The Italian medieval name originated in Tuscany, and is particular to Florence, Italy. Though similar in pronunciation to the name Giovanna, and conjectured to be derived from it, Vanna is neither a nickname nor a...
. This quickly became a full-time commitment, and the band was signed to Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
before the end of the year. Brandon made the decision to leave Therefore I Am and continue playing drums for Vanna. His last show with the band was in the winter of 2006.
During the fall of 2005, the band members completed recording the song, "I Get Nervous in Cars,". This version of the song was posted online and would later be released on the Therefore I Am/Vanna Split 7" and the "You Are Connected" EP. The split 7" was first made available at the Robotica Records album release party on March 10, 2006.
2006
Brian Marquis, Shawn Marquis' (VannaVanna (band)
Vanna is an American post-hardcore band from Boston, MA. Their first full length album, Curses, was released on April 24, 2007.-Early years :...
) brother, stepped in to play guitar for TIA during early '06. At the time, the band decided to stop booking shows in order to concentrate on writing new material. However, their plans were put on hold again with yet another departure; Aleks chose to leave the band in late March 2006 to pursue other endeavors.
The band continued to play their booked shows with temporary guitarists. By spring of '06, TIA had met Travis Alexander and invited him to join the band by June '06. With a final line-up, Therefore I Am was able to tour, play regular local shows and record various demos including "Farewell via Park".
The year 2006 brought not only two new guitarists and their split 7", but also their first full U.S. tour, two east coast tours, and the release of the "You Are Connected" EP. They also played the Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Warped Tour
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring music and extreme sports festival. The tour is held in venues such as parking lots or fields upon which the stages and other structures are erected. The BMX/skateboarding shoe manufacturer Vans, among others, has sponsored the tour every year since 1995, and it is...
stage in Boston, MA and cut a demo with esteemed producer Matt Squire
Matt Squire
Matt Squire is an American multi-platinum music producer and writer. He has produced, engineered, or written tracks for One Direction, 3OH!3, Good Charlotte, New Boyz, Selena Gomez, David Archuleta, Taking Back Sunday, HIM, The Used, All Time Low, Panic! at the Disco, Boys Like Girls, The Cab,...
(People In Planes
People in Planes
People in Planes are a five piece Indie rock band from Cardiff, Wales. They are signed to Wind-up Records. Prior to 2003 they were known as Tetra Splendour and before that they went by the name of Robots in the Sky...
, Panic! At the Disco
Panic! at the Disco
Panic! at the Disco is an American alternative rock duo, formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2005. Since its split, the band's line-up includes Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith . Former members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker left the group in 2009...
, The Used
The Used
The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. The band was founded in 2001 and signed to Reprise Records the same year. They rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third...
).
2007/2008
In 2007 they landed the opening spot on Rockstar's Taste of ChaosTaste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos is a hardcore tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste Of Chaos tour caters for fans of the post-hardcore, screamo, and metal genres, while offering the same...
in Boston, MA, were featured in Alternative Press Magazine as a "Best Unsigned Band of the Month" and featured as one of the "Top Unsigned Bands in the U.S." on DailyChorus.com. They entered the studio with Mike Poorman (Piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
, 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...
, Paulson
Paulson
Paulson is an indie rock band from Midland Park, New Jersey signed to Doghouse Records.-History:Paulson is currently recording a new CD. Paulson has a strong DIY ethic, and has been played on MTVU-Discography:...
) that August to record the EP entitled "Escape". At the end of the year, in support of the self-released EP, they went on a small tour with Vanna, then shortly after with As Tall As Lions
As Tall as Lions
As Tall as Lions was an Indie Rock band from Long Island, New York.- History :High school friends Dan Nigro , Saen Fitzgerald , Brian Fortune and Cliff Sarcona founded the band in December 2001 as they were looking to continue the momentum of a previous project.- Blood and Aphorisms :"Blood and...
and The Receiving End of Sirens
The Receiving End of Sirens
The Receiving End of Sirens is a rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2003.-Overview:The band played on the 2005 Warped Tour and has toured with such acts as Gatsbys American Dream, A Wilhelm Scream, 30 Seconds to Mars, Funeral for a Friend, Saves the Day, Senses Fail, Thrice, and New...
. During 2008 they did multiple tours in support of Escape, played The Receiving End of Sirens
The Receiving End of Sirens
The Receiving End of Sirens is a rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 2003.-Overview:The band played on the 2005 Warped Tour and has toured with such acts as Gatsbys American Dream, A Wilhelm Scream, 30 Seconds to Mars, Funeral for a Friend, Saves the Day, Senses Fail, Thrice, and New...
' final shows with Envy on the Coast
Envy On The Coast
Envy on the Coast was an alternative rock band from Long Island, New York. They released their second album Lowcountry in March 2010.-History:...
in Providence, RI and Hit The Lights in Allston, MA, then on August 20, 2008 they announced that they had signed with Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
.
2009
The band finished recording their Equal Vision debut in early 2009 and announced they would be playing the entire Warped Tour via the Skullcandy Stage. They then went out on a month long tour through the Pacific Northwest with Confide, OceanaOceana
Oceana may refer to:* Oceana Keyboardist Derek Sherinian* 224 Oceana, an asteroid* Oceana , an indie rock/post-hardcore band* Oceana , aka Oceana Mahlmann, a German singer...
, and To Speak of Wolves. In March they were featured on the Warped Tour website as one of the band "Kevin Wants You to Know" by Warped Tour owner Kevin Lyman.
Their Equal Vision Records debut The Sound Of Human Lives was released on June 23, 2009. The songs "Splinters" and "I Am Only An Island" can be heard on their myspace, and "I Am Only An Island" can also be downloaded as a part of the Equal Vision Records sampler on the Equal Vision website.
On December 9, 2009 Therefore I Am released a video for "I Am Only An Island."
On February 2, 2010 "I Am Only An Island" premiered on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball.
Break-up
On September 22, 2010, Therefore I Am announced their decision to break-up. They haven't released any reasoning to it other than it being for personal reasons. November 20, 2010 will be the band's final show.This was their latest statement on the break-up.
I met Alex, Brian, Chris and Jim on Pratt Street in Allston, MA during the spring of 2006. Therefore I Am played music before I came into the picture but my accompaniment marked the beginning of something new. I joined their band on a whim. I dropped out of school, bought an amp and hit the road. The aforementioned members of Therefore I Am became my family, my closest friends and my life. They presented to me several life-changing opportunities and plugged me into a social circle I wouldn’t have otherwise had the pleasure of knowing. During the better part of the 5 years we spent in a van, the 5 of us bonded, fought, partied, smiled, argued, sang along together and learned to love each other. We will always love each other.
It is with great dismay that I am announcing the end of Therefore I Am.
There are a lot of reasons behind our decision but we would prefer to keep them personal. We are all still friends and that’s what matters most. This was by no means an easy decision for any of us. Life changes and you must change with it, regardless of the frustrations that come with said adjustments. The 5 of us are lucky and blessed to have had the opportunities we were given.
In the past 5 years, we’ve come a long way. We’ve toured with heroes, crossed oceans and did a lot of things we never thought we’d be able to do in our respective lifetimes, let alone our twenties. Most importantly, we’ve acquired a large collection of friends and created an insane catalogue of memories. To say the very least, we’ve seen a lot of stuff.
We’d like to thank all of the friends we’ve made and all of you who supported us with your thoughts, floors, roofs, showers, meals, hometowns, shows, tastes and love. You were as much a part of Therefore I Am as we were. You are connected.
Please join us for our final shows November 19th at the Derry Opera House in Derry nh and November 20th at Lupo’s in Providence, RI. We will be joined by some great friends and we hope to see you all there one last time.
-Travis Alexander and Therefore I Am
Therefore I Am played their last show on November 20, 2010 at Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island to a sold out crowd.
Members
Final line-up- Alex Correia - Vocals
- Brian Marquis - Guitar/Vocals
- Jim Creighton - Bass
- Travis Alexander - Guitar
- Chris Fernandes - Drums
Discography
- Summer 05 Demo (Self-released, 2005)
- The Modern World, A Battle Field (Self-released, 2005)
- Therefore I Am/Vanna Split 7" (Robotica Records, 2006)
- You Are Connected (Self-released, 2007)
- Escape (Self-released, 2007)
- "45 Miles" 7" Single (Equal Vision RecordsEqual Vision RecordsEqual Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
, 2009) - The Sound of Human LivesThe Sound of Human LivesThe Sound Of Human Lives is the debut studio album by post-hardcore band Therefore I Am. The album was released on June 23, 2009 through Equal Vision Records...
(Equal Vision RecordsEqual Vision RecordsEqual Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
, 2009)