Thrice
Encyclopedia
Thrice is an American rock
band from Irvine, California
, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue
and guitarist Teppei Teranishi
while they were in high school.
Early in their career, the band was known for fast, hard music based in heavily distorted guitars, prominent lead guitar lines, and frequent changes in complex time signatures. This style is exemplified on their second album
, The Illusion of Safety (2002) and their third album The Artist in the Ambulance
(2003). Their fourth album Vheissu
(2005) made significant changes by incorporating electronic beats, keyboards, and more experimental and nuanced songwriting. Their fifth effort was a double album entitled The Alchemy Index
(2007/2008), released as two sets of two CDs that together make a 4-part, 24-song cycle. Each of the four 6-song EPs of the Alchemy Index features significantly different styles, based on different aspects of the band's musical aesthetic which reflect the elemental themes
of fire, water, air and earth, both lyrically and musically. The band's sixth album, entitled Beggars
, was released on August 11, 2009, and their seventh, Major/Minor
on September 20th, 2011. The most recent albums feature a refined combination of the band's different experiments and explorations.
Each album released by Thrice has had a portion of its sales proceeds donated to a new charitable organization.
and Teppei Teranishi
knew each other from school and had played in a band called Chapter 11. Teppei recruited his skate park friend Eddie Breckenridge to play bass, who then brought his brother Riley on as a drummer. In 1998, before their first show, they realized they needed a name. Hard-pressed for time, they decided to go with the name 'Thrice' out of desperation. Thrice was initially an inside joke between the band members, and they were going to use it only temporarily for their first show. However, they began to gain fans with the name, and people started to associate them with it, so they were forced to keep it.
In 1999, the band self-released an EP
titled First Impressions
which was the product of a two-day session at A-Room Studios with Brian Tochilin. Only 1,000 copies were made and the band members sold them out of their cars. Working with Death by Stereo
's Paul Miner
, the quartet recorded 12 tracks, and by April 2000, the group had released Identity Crisis on Greenflag Records. A portion of the album's proceeds were donated to a local charity called Crittenton Services for Children and Families. More support gigs and local buzz followed, and Thrice sparked the interest of Hopeless
/Sub City's
Louis Posen. In 2001, Posen signed with the band, reissued Identity Crisis, and sent the group out on tour with Samiam
. Tours with Midtown
and Hot Rod Circuit
followed.
to record its Hopeless/Sub City debut, The Illusion of Safety. The album was released in February 2002 and the band toured extensively to support it, opening for Further Seems Forever
and Face to Face
before embarking on its first headlining tour later that year. The band again donated a portion of the album's proceeds, this time choosing a non-profit youth shelter in South Central Los Angeles, A Place Called Home. The band's donations were matched by their label.
The album received generally positive reviews and garnered the attention of several major labels. The band eventually signed with Island Records
, who had agreed to match Thrice's charitable donations in the same manner that Hopeless/Sub City had. That fall, the band toured with Hot Water Music
and Coheed and Cambria
before returning to the studio.
. The album's title is in reference to Burn Collector
by Al Burian and is meant to reflect the band's desire to do more than make music and contribute to society through their charitable donations. A portion of the album's proceeds were this time donated to the Syrentha Savio Endowment, a financial aid organization for breast cancer patients. First pressings of the album were packaged in a digipak
-style case with postcards containing lyrics and notes from the band.
The album spawned two singles, "All That's Left
" and "Stare at the Sun." Both songs, and their accompanying videos, received modest airplay and the band found themselves playing at larger venues as the year progressed. A co-headlining fall tour with labelmates Thursday
and opener Coheed and Cambria
sold out across the United States, as well as a stint on the Honda Civic Tour with Dashboard Confessional
, The Get Up Kids
, and Hot Water Music
.
Throughout 2004, the band continued to tour in support of The Artist in the Ambulance. Island Records issued a promotional disc (that features an alternate version of "The Artist in the Ambulance") in early 2004 that would become the basis for If We Could Only See Us Now
, a CD/DVD package outlining the group's career. Named after a lyric from "So Strange I Remember You," the CD portion contained live tracks from a performance at the Apple Store
and various B-sides
. A slot to promote the CD/DVD came on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour.
"Stare At The Sun" featured on SSX3.
Thrice spent much of the first half of 2005 working with producer Steve Osborne
on the follow-up to The Artist in the Ambulance. Thrice released Vheissu
in October 2005 with "Image of the Invisible" as the first single. The album's title was taken from the Thomas Pynchon
novel V.
, and featured a wider variety of instrumentation than used in the band's previous albums, including the use of strings, electronics, and a Rhodes Piano
. Many of the album's lyrics also feature biblical, spiritual, and abstract themes.
For the band's donations related to this album's sales proceeds, Thrice chose novelist Dave Eggers
's charity 826 Valencia
, a tutorial program for underprivileged children, which promotes literacy
and aids teens in developing creative writing
skills. In return, Eggers created the cover art for Vheissu.
The band toured extensively in support of the album, including headlining the 2006 Taste of Chaos
tour and performing "Image of the Invisible" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
. In April 2006, the band released "Red Sky
" as the second single from the album. The accompanying video was directed by Tim Hope, who had previously directed videos for Coldplay
and Jimmy Eat World
. Instead of releasing just a single, Thrice opted to release the Red Sky EP
in support of the single, which included two previously unreleased tracks and four live tracks.
) on their official website. The album was conceived as a series of 4 EPs, each of which represents an element of nature
: earth, air, fire, and water. The band maintained a studio blog titled "Alchemy Index" throughout the recording process.
During the recording process, the band announced that they were leaving Island Records, citing a difference of opinion on the band's future direction as the reason for the split. The band joined Vagrant Records
on August 9, 2007.
On October 12, 2007, Thrice released the first two songs from the Alchemy Index in their entirety through the band's MySpace page. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II
was released on October 16, 2007 and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200
chart, and it topped at number five on the iTunes top-selling albums. To promote the new album, Thrice toured with the bands MewithoutYou
and Brand New
, and followed with a series of Canadian shows with bands Say Anything
and Attack in Black. The second half of the project, The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV - Earth & Air
, was released on April 15, 2008.
The final song on each disc is written in the form of a sonnet
, depicting the relationship of man with each of the particular elements. Each of these songs is in iambic pentameter
, with a concluding rhyming couplet
. These final couplets also contain the same vocal melody and chord progression as each other, although they are in different keys.
Thrice toured with Circa Survive
and Pelican
in Spring 2008 to support The Alchemy Index, which had now been released in full. The third-to-last show of this tour—the May 28, 2008 show at the House of Blues in Anaheim—was filmed for a live CD/DVD titled Live at the House of Blues. The live album spans 2 CDs and a DVD with live footage and an exclusive interview in which the band answers fan-submitted questions. In Fall 2008, they embarked on a tour supporting Rise Against
, along with Alkaline Trio
and The Gaslight Anthem
.
, with the title announced as Beggars
on June 15, 2009. A July update to the band's website revealed the release date to be October 13, 2009. However, after the album was leaked several months in advance, the band announced on their website on July 23, 2009 that the album would be released exclusively to iTunes on August 11. The physical CD was released on September 15, 2009. Bonus content included two b-sides from the Beggars sessions, two remixes, and a studio rendition of their cover of The Beatles
' "Helter Skelter".
Feeling that the band's previous two projects (The Alchemy Index and Vheissu) had a "sleepy feeling" to them, Thrice wanted to make a record that was "a little more upbeat and energetic." Thrice's members also hoped to save money and spend more time with their families by building a recording studio in guitarist Teppei Teranishi
's home. Originally, the band expressed interest in tracking the record live (i.e. recording the full band all at once, instead of each instrument individually and mixing together at a later time) in the home studio; however Thrice later abandoned the idea of recording this way. Instead, the band recorded songs with "similar vibe[s] musically, and tonally" in the same session. Several wooden devices were constructed by the band for the home studio to make the recordings "sound better." The self-produced album will be released through Vagrant Records
.
Thrice played The Bamboozle Left festival in April, and played selected dates on the summer's Warped Tour
. Throughout the Warped Tour shows, Thrice played "All the World is Mad," "At the Last" and "The Weight."
The song "All the World is Mad" is featured in the Vagrant Song Pack for Guitar Hero, which was released on July 23, 2009. "Deadbolt" appears on Guitar Hero 5
.
On July 29, Brand New
announced that Thrice would be playing on select dates of their Fall North American tour. Multiple shows were sold out, and the band notably performed a cover of The Beatles
's "Helter Skelter". After this leg of the tour, Thrice began a tour with The Dear Hunter
, but they had to play without guitarist Teppei Teranishi who left due to a family emergency.
In 2009, while on the Vans Warped Tour in Houston, TX, the band autographed a Gibson Guitar for the non-profit Music Saves Lives
and assisted in their goal of raising the nation's blood supply.
Thrice posted a poll for fans to vote for which song from Beggars to use for a music video. "All the World is Mad", "The Weight", "Circles" and "In Exile" were the choices for the poll, with "In Exile" narrowly beating "The Weight" even after some voters hacked into the system to try to choose the winner. The live-themed, black and white music video premiered on MySpace Music on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009, their first live video since 2002's "Deadbolt."
Thrice's Spring (2010) tour with Manchester Orchestra
was unfortunately cut short on April 23 when Dustin Kensrue
had to leave because of an illness in the family.
" and drawing from their heavier influences, such as Botch
.
On April 20, 2011 Thrice announced on their website that their next album was ready to go and studio bound. The album was recorded in May 2011 at Red Bull Studios, with most of the parts being recorded there and the band adding overdubs and "tweaking" a few things in Teppei's home recording studio (New Grass Studios) in the days after recording at Red Bull Studios.
The new album, titled Major/Minor
, was released on September 20, 2011 through Vagrant Records.
Following Thrice's early 2012 tour, the band will go on hiatus. In the group's public statement, Kensrue stated that "Thrice is not breaking up," and that the band will be "taking a break from being a full-time band."
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue
Dustin Kensrue
Dustin Michael Kensrue is a vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist in the Orange County, California post-hardcore/experimental rock quartet Thrice, as well as a solo artist....
and guitarist Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Thrice from Orange County, California. In addition to guitar and keyboard duties, he also provides backing vocals for Thrice's live performances. He favors Gibson Les Paul guitars and Fender Telecasters among others...
while they were in high school.
Early in their career, the band was known for fast, hard music based in heavily distorted guitars, prominent lead guitar lines, and frequent changes in complex time signatures. This style is exemplified on their second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, The Illusion of Safety (2002) and their third album The Artist in the Ambulance
The Artist in the Ambulance
The Artist In The Ambulance is Thrice's third album, but their first on a major label. The album peaked at #16 on The Billboard 200 charts. As with The Illusion of Safety, a portion of the sales of this CD were donated to a charitable cause. In this case, it was the Syrentha J. Savio Endowment...
(2003). Their fourth album Vheissu
Vheissu
Vheissu is the fourth studio album by Thrice. It was released on October 17, 2005 by Island Records and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 chart...
(2005) made significant changes by incorporating electronic beats, keyboards, and more experimental and nuanced songwriting. Their fifth effort was a double album entitled The Alchemy Index
The Alchemy Index
The Alchemy Index may refer to:*The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II, the first half of Thrice's Alchemy Index*The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV, the second half of Thrice's Alchemy Index...
(2007/2008), released as two sets of two CDs that together make a 4-part, 24-song cycle. Each of the four 6-song EPs of the Alchemy Index features significantly different styles, based on different aspects of the band's musical aesthetic which reflect the elemental themes
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
of fire, water, air and earth, both lyrically and musically. The band's sixth album, entitled Beggars
Beggars (album)
- Personnel :Thrice* Dustin Kensrue – lead vocals, guitar* Teppei Teranishi – guitar, keyboards, piano* Eddie Breckenridge – bass* Riley Breckenridge – drumsProduction* Produced by Thrice and Teppei Teranishi at New Grass Studios...
, was released on August 11, 2009, and their seventh, Major/Minor
Major/Minor (album)
Major/Minor is the eighth studio album released by the American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 6, 2011 through Vagrant Records.- Recording and production :...
on September 20th, 2011. The most recent albums feature a refined combination of the band's different experiments and explorations.
Each album released by Thrice has had a portion of its sales proceeds donated to a new charitable organization.
First Impressions and Identity Crisis (1998–2001)
Dustin KensrueDustin Kensrue
Dustin Michael Kensrue is a vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist in the Orange County, California post-hardcore/experimental rock quartet Thrice, as well as a solo artist....
and Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Thrice from Orange County, California. In addition to guitar and keyboard duties, he also provides backing vocals for Thrice's live performances. He favors Gibson Les Paul guitars and Fender Telecasters among others...
knew each other from school and had played in a band called Chapter 11. Teppei recruited his skate park friend Eddie Breckenridge to play bass, who then brought his brother Riley on as a drummer. In 1998, before their first show, they realized they needed a name. Hard-pressed for time, they decided to go with the name 'Thrice' out of desperation. Thrice was initially an inside joke between the band members, and they were going to use it only temporarily for their first show. However, they began to gain fans with the name, and people started to associate them with it, so they were forced to keep it.
In 1999, the band self-released an 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...
titled First Impressions
First Impressions (EP)
First Impressions is the first release by Thrice. It was released independently by the band, and is now long out of print and considered extremely rare. The exact release date of this EP is unknown, though it is believed to have been released in late 1998 or 1999.The fourth track, "T&C", features...
which was the product of a two-day session at A-Room Studios with Brian Tochilin. Only 1,000 copies were made and the band members sold them out of their cars. Working with 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...
's Paul Miner
Paul Miner
Paul Miner is the bassist for Death by Stereo, who left the band early 2005 , to produce, engineer, master, and mix music full time...
, the quartet recorded 12 tracks, and by April 2000, the group had released Identity Crisis on Greenflag Records. A portion of the album's proceeds were donated to a local charity called Crittenton Services for Children and Families. More support gigs and local buzz followed, and Thrice sparked the interest of Hopeless
Hopeless Records
Hopeless Records is an independent record label located in Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California. The label was started in 1993 by Louis Posen and financed by a group of private investors. Hopeless's artists are generally considered punk rock, pop punk, post-hardcore, or alternative rock, but some...
/Sub City's
Sub City Records
Sub City Records is a record label which was created by Hopeless Records to raise funding and awareness for non-profit organizations. Sub City has been active for eleven years now, and has now over 30 releases....
Louis Posen. In 2001, Posen signed with the band, reissued Identity Crisis, and sent the group out on tour with Samiam
Samiam
-Biography:Samiam was formed in late 1988 after the breakup of the Gilman club mainstay Isocracy. Their first show was in January 1989 with Christ on Parade. They released records through New Red Archives and Hopeless Records in the US and Burning Heart Records in Europe. In the mid-'90s, the band...
. Tours with Midtown
Midtown (band)
Midtown was an American pop punk band from Springfield, New Jersey. Midtown was formed in November 1998 by three Rutgers University students, but soon became a quartet. The band took advantage of the fertile New Jersey punk scene to develop a sound that combined elements of pop punk and punk rock...
and Hot Rod Circuit
Hot Rod Circuit
Hot Rod Circuit is an American emo band from New Haven, Connecticut established in 1997.-Early years:The band was originally known as Antidote under which they released the album Mr. Glenboski, which won the group the award of Best Unsigned Band of 1998 by Musician Magazine...
followed.
The Illusion of Safety (2002–2003)
Thrice re-entered the studio with producer Brian McTernanBrian McTernan
Brian McTernan is a record producer who has worked with bands from all over the world. He works out of the Baltimore, MD area at Salad Days Studio. Brian was voted to be one of the 50 most influential people in Maryland by the Maryland Daily Record...
to record its Hopeless/Sub City debut, The Illusion of Safety. The album was released in February 2002 and the band toured extensively to support it, opening for Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever
Further Seems Forever is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida and disbanded in 2006. Over the course of their career the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their three studio albums...
and Face to Face
Face to Face (punk band)
Face to Face is an American pop punk band from Victorville, California formed in 1991 by frontman Trever Keith. Originally known as "Zero Tolerance", Keith had been the only constant member of the band during their years of touring and recording albums. The group was initially signed by Dr. Strange...
before embarking on its first headlining tour later that year. The band again donated a portion of the album's proceeds, this time choosing a non-profit youth shelter in South Central Los Angeles, A Place Called Home. The band's donations were matched by their label.
The album received generally positive reviews and garnered the attention of several major labels. The band eventually signed with Island Records
Island Records
Island Records is a record label that was founded by Chris Blackwell in Jamaica. It was based in the United Kingdom for many years and is now owned by Universal Music Group...
, who had agreed to match Thrice's charitable donations in the same manner that Hopeless/Sub City had. That fall, the band toured with Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is a punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. HWM first formed in 1993...
and Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
before returning to the studio.
The Artist in the Ambulance (2003–2004)
In 2003, the band released its Island Records debut, The Artist in the AmbulanceThe Artist in the Ambulance
The Artist In The Ambulance is Thrice's third album, but their first on a major label. The album peaked at #16 on The Billboard 200 charts. As with The Illusion of Safety, a portion of the sales of this CD were donated to a charitable cause. In this case, it was the Syrentha J. Savio Endowment...
. The album's title is in reference to Burn Collector
Burn Collector
Burn Collector is a perzine written and published by Berlin-based writer and musician Al Burian. The zine, currently at issue 15 as of April 2011, contains stories from his childhood, his life after college, and his countless misadventures traveling across the country and abroad. Al Burian began...
by Al Burian and is meant to reflect the band's desire to do more than make music and contribute to society through their charitable donations. A portion of the album's proceeds were this time donated to the Syrentha Savio Endowment, a financial aid organization for breast cancer patients. First pressings of the album were packaged in a digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
-style case with postcards containing lyrics and notes from the band.
The album spawned two singles, "All That's Left
All That's Left
"All That's Left" is a single by Thrice from the album The Artist in the Ambulance. Both a single and enhanced CD version were released for the song in 2003. The album art for the single is almost identical to the album art for the enhanced CD...
" and "Stare at the Sun." Both songs, and their accompanying videos, received modest airplay and the band found themselves playing at larger venues as the year progressed. A co-headlining fall tour with labelmates Thursday
Thursday (band)
Thursday were an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. Formed in 1997, the group has released six full-length albums, their most recent being No Devolución, which was released in April 2011 on Epitaph Records...
and opener Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
sold out across the United States, as well as a stint on the Honda Civic Tour with Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional
Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, led by singer-songwriter Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" from the debut album The Swiss Army Romance....
, The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids
The Get Up Kids are an American alternative rock band from Kansas City, Missouri. Formed in 1995, the band was a major player in the mid-90's emo scene, otherwise known as the "second wave" of emo music...
, and Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music
Hot Water Music is a punk rock band from Gainesville, Florida. The members of the band are Chuck Ragan, Chris Wollard, Jason Black, and George Rebelo. HWM first formed in 1993...
.
Throughout 2004, the band continued to tour in support of The Artist in the Ambulance. Island Records issued a promotional disc (that features an alternate version of "The Artist in the Ambulance") in early 2004 that would become the basis for If We Could Only See Us Now
If We Could Only See Us Now
If We Could Only See Us Now is a dual disc release by the post hardcore band Thrice, and has been certified Gold by the RIAA. The first disc is a CD of rarities including unreleased songs...
, a CD/DVD package outlining the group's career. Named after a lyric from "So Strange I Remember You," the CD portion contained live tracks from a performance at the Apple Store
Apple Store (retail)
The Apple Retail Store is a chain of retail stores owned and operated by Apple Inc., dealing in computers and consumer electronics. The stores sell Macintosh personal computers, software, iPods, iPads, iPhones, third-party accessories, and other consumer electronics such as Apple TV...
and various B-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
. A slot to promote the CD/DVD came on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour.
"Stare At The Sun" featured on SSX3.
Vheissu (2005–2006)
Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
on the follow-up to The Artist in the Ambulance. Thrice released Vheissu
Vheissu
Vheissu is the fourth studio album by Thrice. It was released on October 17, 2005 by Island Records and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 chart...
in October 2005 with "Image of the Invisible" as the first single. The album's title was taken from the Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Pynchon
Thomas Ruggles Pynchon, Jr. is an American novelist. For his most praised novel, Gravity's Rainbow, Pynchon received the National Book Award, and is regularly cited as a contender for the Nobel Prize in Literature...
novel V.
V.
V. is the debut novel of Thomas Pynchon, published in 1963. It describes the exploits of a discharged U.S. Navy sailor named Benny Profane, his reconnection in New York with a group of pseudo-bohemian artists and hangers-on known as the Whole Sick Crew, and the quest of an aging traveller named...
, and featured a wider variety of instrumentation than used in the band's previous albums, including the use of strings, electronics, and a Rhodes Piano
Rhodes piano
The Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
. Many of the album's lyrics also feature biblical, spiritual, and abstract themes.
For the band's donations related to this album's sales proceeds, Thrice chose novelist Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers is an American writer, editor, and publisher. He is known for the best-selling memoir A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and for his more recent work as a screenwriter. He is also the co-founder of the literacy project 826 Valencia.-Life:Eggers was born in Boston, Massachusetts,...
's charity 826 Valencia
826 Valencia
826 Valencia is a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping children and young adults develop writing skills and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.-Overview:...
, a tutorial program for underprivileged children, which promotes literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
and aids teens in developing creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
skills. In return, Eggers created the cover art for Vheissu.
The band toured extensively in support of the album, including headlining the 2006 Taste of Chaos
Taste 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...
tour and performing "Image of the Invisible" on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
. In April 2006, the band released "Red Sky
Red Sky (EP)
Red Sky EP is the companion CD to Vheissu by Thrice. It was released on April 11, 2006. It contains live acoustic versions of Under A Killing Moon , Red Sky, and For Miles, and also an AOL Sessions version of Of Dust and Nations, erroneously listed as an acoustic track...
" as the second single from the album. The accompanying video was directed by Tim Hope, who had previously directed videos for Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
and Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World
Jimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
. Instead of releasing just a single, Thrice opted to release the Red Sky EP
Red Sky (EP)
Red Sky EP is the companion CD to Vheissu by Thrice. It was released on April 11, 2006. It contains live acoustic versions of Under A Killing Moon , Red Sky, and For Miles, and also an AOL Sessions version of Of Dust and Nations, erroneously listed as an acoustic track...
in support of the single, which included two previously unreleased tracks and four live tracks.
The Alchemy Index (2006–2008)
In September 2006, the band announced plans for a new album (later titled The Alchemy IndexThe Alchemy Index
The Alchemy Index may refer to:*The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II, the first half of Thrice's Alchemy Index*The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV, the second half of Thrice's Alchemy Index...
) on their official website. The album was conceived as a series of 4 EPs, each of which represents an element of nature
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
: earth, air, fire, and water. The band maintained a studio blog titled "Alchemy Index" throughout the recording process.
During the recording process, the band announced that they were leaving Island Records, citing a difference of opinion on the band's future direction as the reason for the split. The band joined Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...
on August 9, 2007.
On October 12, 2007, Thrice released the first two songs from the Alchemy Index in their entirety through the band's MySpace page. The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II
The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II
The Alchemy Index is Thrice's fifth studio recording, a four-disc concept album that was split between two releases, the first in October 2007 and the second in April 2008. The band originally planned to release four discs at once, each disc with six tracks representing one of the four classical...
was released on October 16, 2007 and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, and it topped at number five on the iTunes top-selling albums. To promote the new album, Thrice toured with the bands MewithoutYou
MewithoutYou
Me Without You, stylized as mewithoutYou and abbreviated as mwY, is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The band consists of vocalist Aaron Weiss, guitarist Michael Weiss, bassist Greg Jehanian and drummer Rickie Mazzotta. MewithoutYou's music is generally dominated by...
and Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
, and followed with a series of Canadian shows with bands Say Anything
Say Anything (band)
Say Anything is an American indie-punk band from Los Angeles, California, fronted by Max Bemis. The band was formed in 2000 with Bemis and four of his friends. Within two years, they self-released two EPs, Junior Varsity and In Your Dreams, and the full-length Baseball: An Album by Sayanything.In...
and Attack in Black. The second half of the project, The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV - Earth & Air
The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV
The Alchemy Index is Thrice's fifth studio recording, a four-disc concept album that was split between two releases, the first in October 2007 and the second in April 2008. The band originally planned to release four discs at once, each disc with six tracks representing one of the four elements:...
, was released on April 15, 2008.
The final song on each disc is written in the form of a sonnet
Sonnet
A sonnet is one of several forms of poetry that originate in Europe, mainly Provence and Italy. A sonnet commonly has 14 lines. The term "sonnet" derives from the Occitan word sonet and the Italian word sonetto, both meaning "little song" or "little sound"...
, depicting the relationship of man with each of the particular elements. Each of these songs is in iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter
Iambic pentameter is a commonly used metrical line in traditional verse and verse drama. The term describes the particular rhythm that the words establish in that line. That rhythm is measured in small groups of syllables; these small groups of syllables are called "feet"...
, with a concluding rhyming couplet
Couplet
A couplet is a pair of lines of meter in poetry. It usually consists of two lines that rhyme and have the same meter.While traditionally couplets rhyme, not all do. A poem may use white space to mark out couplets if they do not rhyme. Couplets with a meter of iambic pentameter are called heroic...
. These final couplets also contain the same vocal melody and chord progression as each other, although they are in different keys.
Thrice toured with Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
and Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
in Spring 2008 to support The Alchemy Index, which had now been released in full. The third-to-last show of this tour—the May 28, 2008 show at the House of Blues in Anaheim—was filmed for a live CD/DVD titled Live at the House of Blues. The live album spans 2 CDs and a DVD with live footage and an exclusive interview in which the band answers fan-submitted questions. In Fall 2008, they embarked on a tour supporting 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...
, along with Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio
Alkaline Trio is an American punk rock band that formed in McHenry, Illinois, in 1996. The band's line-up consists of Matt Skiba , Dan Andriano , and Derek Grant...
and The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem
The Gaslight Anthem is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, consisting of Brian Fallon , Alex Rosamilia , Alex Levine and Benny Horowitz...
.
Beggars (2009–2010)
On January 4, 2009, the band announced on its website that writing had begun for the follow-up to The Alchemy IndexThe Alchemy Index
The Alchemy Index may refer to:*The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II, the first half of Thrice's Alchemy Index*The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV, the second half of Thrice's Alchemy Index...
, with the title announced as Beggars
Beggars (album)
- Personnel :Thrice* Dustin Kensrue – lead vocals, guitar* Teppei Teranishi – guitar, keyboards, piano* Eddie Breckenridge – bass* Riley Breckenridge – drumsProduction* Produced by Thrice and Teppei Teranishi at New Grass Studios...
on June 15, 2009. A July update to the band's website revealed the release date to be October 13, 2009. However, after the album was leaked several months in advance, the band announced on their website on July 23, 2009 that the album would be released exclusively to iTunes on August 11. The physical CD was released on September 15, 2009. Bonus content included two b-sides from the Beggars sessions, two remixes, and a studio rendition of their cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "Helter Skelter".
Feeling that the band's previous two projects (The Alchemy Index and Vheissu) had a "sleepy feeling" to them, Thrice wanted to make a record that was "a little more upbeat and energetic." Thrice's members also hoped to save money and spend more time with their families by building a recording studio in guitarist Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi
Teppei Teranishi is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Thrice from Orange County, California. In addition to guitar and keyboard duties, he also provides backing vocals for Thrice's live performances. He favors Gibson Les Paul guitars and Fender Telecasters among others...
's home. Originally, the band expressed interest in tracking the record live (i.e. recording the full band all at once, instead of each instrument individually and mixing together at a later time) in the home studio; however Thrice later abandoned the idea of recording this way. Instead, the band recorded songs with "similar vibe[s] musically, and tonally" in the same session. Several wooden devices were constructed by the band for the home studio to make the recordings "sound better." The self-produced album will be released through Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records
Vagrant Records is an indie rock label based in Los Angeles, California and is home to such artists as The Hold Steady, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Active Child, PJ Harvey, Reptar, School of Seven Bells, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Thrice, James Vincent McMorrow, Placebo, and many...
.
Thrice played The Bamboozle Left festival in April, and played selected dates on the summer's 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...
. Throughout the Warped Tour shows, Thrice played "All the World is Mad," "At the Last" and "The Weight."
The song "All the World is Mad" is featured in the Vagrant Song Pack for Guitar Hero, which was released on July 23, 2009. "Deadbolt" appears on Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5
Guitar Hero 5 is a music video game and the fifth main entry in the Guitar Hero series. The game was developed by Neversoft and published by RedOctane and Activision, and released internationally in September 2009 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, 3 and Wii consoles...
.
On July 29, Brand New
Brand New
Brand New is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. Formed in 2000, the band currently consists of vocalist/guitarist/lyricist Jesse Lacey, guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Vincent Accardi, bassist Garrett Tierney, drummer Brian Lane, and guitarist/keyboardist Derrick Sherman.In the late...
announced that Thrice would be playing on select dates of their Fall North American tour. Multiple shows were sold out, and the band notably performed a cover of The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
's "Helter Skelter". After this leg of the tour, Thrice began a tour with The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter
The Dear Hunter is an indie rock band originating in Providence, Rhode Island. It began as a side project of Casey Crescenzo, formerly of post-hardcore band The Receiving End of Sirens...
, but they had to play without guitarist Teppei Teranishi who left due to a family emergency.
In 2009, while on the Vans Warped Tour in Houston, TX, the band autographed a Gibson Guitar for the non-profit Music Saves Lives
Music Saves Lives
Music Saves Lives is a not for profit 5013 organization and is listed in the IRS publication 78. Established in January 2006 by founder Russel Hornbeek in Seal Beach, California. Music Saves Lives has educated students and encouraged over 120,000 summer blood donations from youth under the age of 25...
and assisted in their goal of raising the nation's blood supply.
Thrice posted a poll for fans to vote for which song from Beggars to use for a music video. "All the World is Mad", "The Weight", "Circles" and "In Exile" were the choices for the poll, with "In Exile" narrowly beating "The Weight" even after some voters hacked into the system to try to choose the winner. The live-themed, black and white music video premiered on MySpace Music on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009, their first live video since 2002's "Deadbolt."
Thrice's Spring (2010) tour with Manchester Orchestra
Manchester orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 2005. The group is currently composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, keyboardist and percussionist Chris Freeman, bassist Jonathan Corley, and drummer Tim Very...
was unfortunately cut short on April 23 when Dustin Kensrue
Dustin Kensrue
Dustin Michael Kensrue is a vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist in the Orange County, California post-hardcore/experimental rock quartet Thrice, as well as a solo artist....
had to leave because of an illness in the family.
Major/Minor and hiatus (2011–2012)
In an interview with Blare Magazine on June 16, 2010, Kensrue revealed that each member has been writing music for a new Thrice album individually, and that "pretty soon" the band will enter the studio to write and record an album collectively. In a separate interview with MusicFashionMagazine, he also stated that the band might be "bringing back some more mathy elementsMath rock
Math rock is a rhythmically complex guitar-based style of experimental rock that emerged in the 1980s and that was very influenced by progressive rock like King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Henry Cow - and 20th century composers such as Steve Reich and John Cage...
" and drawing from their heavier influences, such as Botch
Botch (band)
Botch was a four-piece mathcore band from Tacoma, Washington, United States, that formed in 1993 and disbanded in 2002.-History:The band released two full-length albums and a handful of smaller releases including several singles and an EP. Its members went on an indefinite hiatus to form Roy,...
.
On April 20, 2011 Thrice announced on their website that their next album was ready to go and studio bound. The album was recorded in May 2011 at Red Bull Studios, with most of the parts being recorded there and the band adding overdubs and "tweaking" a few things in Teppei's home recording studio (New Grass Studios) in the days after recording at Red Bull Studios.
The new album, titled Major/Minor
Major/Minor (album)
Major/Minor is the eighth studio album released by the American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 6, 2011 through Vagrant Records.- Recording and production :...
, was released on September 20, 2011 through Vagrant Records.
Following Thrice's early 2012 tour, the band will go on hiatus. In the group's public statement, Kensrue stated that "Thrice is not breaking up," and that the band will be "taking a break from being a full-time band."
Side projects
- Dustin Kensrue has released two solo albums, the first on 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 ....
on January 23, 2007, titled Please Come HomePlease Come HomePlease Come Home is the first acoustic solo mini-album by Dustin Kensrue, released in 2007.The album was planned for release in October 2006, but was delayed to 2007 due to issues recording and acquiring a label to distribute it. The album was recorded in the studio of Thrice lead guitarist Teppei...
. The album opened at 142 on the Billboard 200 with 5,800 copies sold. The follow-up was called This Good Night Is Still EverywhereThis Good Night Is Still EverywhereThis Good Night Is Still Everywhere is a Christmas album by Dustin Kensrue, released on November 18, 2008 through Vagrant Records. An online-only release, it contains eight covers and two original songs. Fellow Thrice member Teppei Teranishi is credited with mixing the album.The album was available...
and featured two original ChristmasChristmasChristmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
songs and covers of Christmas carols. - Dustin Kensrue provided guest vocals and Teppei Teranishi played guitar/provided production on The Out CircuitThe Out CircuitThe Out Circuit is an indie rock/post-hardcore band/project by former Frodus co-frontman Nathan Burke currently signed to Lujo Records. The Out Circuit was originally based in Washington, DC but now resides in Seattle, Washington.-History:...
's album Pierce The Empire With a Sound. - Teppei Teranishi is in a side project with Chris Jones called Black Unicorn. Chris Jones also played drums and electric guitar on Dustin's solo album.
Band members
- Dustin KensrueDustin KensrueDustin Michael Kensrue is a vocalist, lyricist, and rhythm guitarist in the Orange County, California post-hardcore/experimental rock quartet Thrice, as well as a solo artist....
– lead vocals, 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...
s, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration... - Teppei TeranishiTeppei TeranishiTeppei Teranishi is the lead guitarist and keyboardist of the post-hardcore band Thrice from Orange County, California. In addition to guitar and keyboard duties, he also provides backing vocals for Thrice's live performances. He favors Gibson Les Paul guitars and Fender Telecasters among others...
– guitars, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, glockenspielGlockenspielA glockenspiel is a percussion instrument composed of a set of tuned keys arranged in the fashion of the keyboard of a piano. In this way, it is similar to the xylophone; however, the xylophone's bars are made of wood, while the glockenspiel's are metal plates or tubes, and making it a metallophone...
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists... - Eddie BreckenridgeEddie BreckenridgeEddie Breckenridge is the bass guitarist of the post-hardcore band, Thrice. Breckenridge joined the band having virtually no experience playing the bass . He soon convinced his brother Riley to join as the band's drummer...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, keyboards, synthesizers, backing vocals - Riley BreckenridgeRiley BreckenridgeJames Riley Breckenridge is the drummer for Post-hardcore band Thrice. He plays C & C Custom Drums, and uses Vic Firth drumsticks, Zildjian cymbals, Remo drumheads, with Drum Workshop hardware and pedals.-Biography:...
– 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 ....
, percussion
Discography
- Identity Crisis (2000/2001)
- The Illusion of Safety (2002)
- The Artist in the AmbulanceThe Artist in the AmbulanceThe Artist In The Ambulance is Thrice's third album, but their first on a major label. The album peaked at #16 on The Billboard 200 charts. As with The Illusion of Safety, a portion of the sales of this CD were donated to a charitable cause. In this case, it was the Syrentha J. Savio Endowment...
(2003) - VheissuVheissuVheissu is the fourth studio album by Thrice. It was released on October 17, 2005 by Island Records and peaked at #15 on the Billboard 200 chart...
(2005) - The Alchemy Index Vols. I & IIThe Alchemy Index Vols. I & IIThe Alchemy Index is Thrice's fifth studio recording, a four-disc concept album that was split between two releases, the first in October 2007 and the second in April 2008. The band originally planned to release four discs at once, each disc with six tracks representing one of the four classical...
(2007) - The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IVThe Alchemy Index Vols. III & IVThe Alchemy Index is Thrice's fifth studio recording, a four-disc concept album that was split between two releases, the first in October 2007 and the second in April 2008. The band originally planned to release four discs at once, each disc with six tracks representing one of the four elements:...
(2008) - BeggarsBeggars (album)- Personnel :Thrice* Dustin Kensrue – lead vocals, guitar* Teppei Teranishi – guitar, keyboards, piano* Eddie Breckenridge – bass* Riley Breckenridge – drumsProduction* Produced by Thrice and Teppei Teranishi at New Grass Studios...
(2009) - Major/MinorMajor/Minor (album)Major/Minor is the eighth studio album released by the American rock band Thrice. The album was released on September 6, 2011 through Vagrant Records.- Recording and production :...
(2011)