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Thursday (band)
Encyclopedia
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
. Every year, Thursday held a performance on or within days of New Year's Eve
, as a tradition for local New Jersey fans.
, guitarist
Tom Keeley, guitarist Bill Henderson
, bassist
Tim Payne, and drummer
Tucker Rule. The band began playing basement shows in New Brunswick
and surrounding New Jersey and New York areas. They played their first official show on December 31, 1998 in Rickly's basement alongside Midtown
, Saves the Day
and Poison the Well
.
They recorded demo
s to hand out at shows, and in the summer of 1999, teamed up with MP3.com
for their first official release, the 1999 Summer Tour EP, which featured demos of songs that would soon be found on their debut album, Waiting. The album was released on December 6, 1999 on northern New Jersey-based Eyeball Records
without any singles or support from television or radio.
-based label Victory Records
and released Full Collapse
on April 10, 2001, without much radio or television support, but in a way that the band had not originally intended. Victory Records
originally wanted to remove the lyrics from the packaging against the band's wishes in order to cut costs, but the released LP has all lyrics and minimal artwork, a rare thing for the band.
Thursday toured in support of the album, including a tour with Saves the Day
that caught the attention of Victory Records
. Victory Records filmed a music video
for "Understanding in a Car Crash
" consisting of live footage of the band and marketed the song as the band's first single, without the band's authorization. The video for this song received heavy airplay on both MTV2 and Muchmusic. The song gained the band a large underground following. A second single, "Cross Out the Eyes
", would follow, but it received much less attention.
Thursday was routinely upset at Victory Records over the use of the band's image and promotion, including the label's attempts to distribute Thursday-themed whoopie cushions. The band's newfound popularity and disgust with the label led to internal problems that bred the Five Stories Falling EP, a release the band used to fulfill contractual obligations with Victory Records. At live shows, the band routinely told fans not to purchase the EP, but instead to download "Jet Black New Year", the one new song found on the EP amidst live performances of four Full Collapse songs and the first song created since Full Collapse, a time during which the band almost broke up. "Jet Black New Year", the only studio track on Five Stories Falling, showed a darker side of the band that was only hinted at on Full Collapse.
, Thursday issued their major label debut, the critically acclaimed War All the Time on September 16, 2003. The entire writing and recording process took only six months; the band has claimed they almost forced themselves into a contained sound on the album. The album's title, coupled with it being released approximately two years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led many critics to believe it was a political album; however, Rickly has denied this on many accounts, instead claiming that he is speaking about love
being a war
. War All the Time features Andrew Everding on keyboards, though he would not become an official member of the band until December 26, 2004, when he was officially welcomed into the band at the band's Christmas holiday shows held at Starland Ballroom
in Sayreville, New Jersey
.
War All the Time spawned two singles, "Signals Over the Air
" and "War All the Time
", though the latter received considerably less attention due to MTV
banning the video for controversial material involving a fake news
feed that appeared to be real and teenagers being weapon targets.
Thursday toured extensively to support War All the Time through many dates with acts such as AFI
, Thrice
, and Coheed and Cambria
. On these tours, Thursday performed many in-store acoustic sessions at various Tower Records
stores and other record stores. The band also recorded a live acoustic session for Y100 Sonic Sessions, a radio program on the now defunct Philadelphia-based radio station, Y100
. The live acoustic
version of single "Signals Over the Air" was used on Y100 Sonic Sessions Volume 8.
Following War All the Time, the band released two EPs. The first was Live from the SoHo & Santa Monica Stores Split EP and sold exclusively on iTunes; the second was a promotion found in Revolver
, called Live in Detroit EP
.
The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2004. The band cited label pressure, extensive touring, and health problems as the sources of their newly discovered fatigue. However, Thursday returned once again for a charitable cause to save New York City
's CBGB
, on August 25, 2005. This performance was streamed live through the CBGB
's website.
's tour manager's iPod
. Rickly had recently collaborated with My American Heart for the track "We Are the Fabrication". The band issued a statement on their official website stating that they were disappointed the unfinished products leaked, but that they were glad that people take that much interest in their music. The band confirmed the title of one demo, "At This Velocity
" and promised it would make their upcoming album. Three other songs ("The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control)", "Telegraph Avenue Kiss", and "Autumn Leaves Revisited") would also make the album. The remaining demo would later become the song "Last Call" on their fifth studio album, Common Existence
.
Thursday originally toyed with the idea of a double album to follow up War All the Time, but scrapped that idea, reporting on their website that not even The Beatles
could properly fill two discs with enough worthy material.
Dave Fridmann
-produced A City by the Light Divided
, Thursday's first full-length album not produced by Sal Villanueva
. The title is influenced by a poem from Octavio Paz
– Rickly combined two lines from one of his poems ("Sunstone") to create the title. The album was officially previewed on the band's MySpace
on April 18, 2006, and officially released May 2 on Island Records in America and Hassle Records in the UK.
A City by the Light Divided
was generally received well by critics, and spawned two singles, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1
" and "At This Velocity
", though the latter received considerably less attention.
allowed long-time friend "The Rev" to propose to his fiancee on stage. Thursday also held a performance on May 5 at The Bamboozle
under the fake name "Bearfort". They cancelled all tour plans until their fall tour with Circle Takes the Square
and Portugal. The Man
in support of Kill the House Lights
, a DVD/CD retrospective released by their former label Victory Records
. At their 2007 New Year's Eve show at the Starland Ballroom
, the band announced that they will be writing and recording new material in 2008.
bulletin and their official website a new split album
with Japanese post-hardcore
band, Envy
.
The band debuted a song from the album live in Poughkeepsie on April 24, 2008.
The album was released on Temporary Residence Limited
on November 4.
. Regarding their new label, the band said the following: "It's a great feeling to have a label encourage you to be more socially conscious and politically active."
Thursday finished recording and mixing their full-length album entitled Common Existence
which was released on February 17, 2009 under Epitaph Records
. In a March 2009 interview, Rickly explained the album's title refers to humanity's shared experience, and that many of the songs were influenced by the words of his favorite poets and authors.
Cormac McCarthy has also influenced Rickly.
Thursday headlined the 2009 Taste of Chaos Tour with support from Bring Me the Horizon
, Four Year Strong
, Pierce The Veil
, Cancer Bats
and a local act. Thursday was not well received on this tour due to the majority of the audience members showing up at tour dates for Bring Me the Horizon. Tom Keeley approximated about 90% of the audience would leave before their set, and described the tour as an "awful experience."
in July 2010. Their second release for Epitaph Records was recorded at Tarbox Road Studios in Fredonia, New York with Dave Fridmann, who previously produced A City by the Light Divided and Common Existence with the group. Vocalist Geoff Rickly commented on the style of the new album, stating, "In style, this record feels like a radical departure from our earlier records but in substance it feels like a return. The songs are more vulnerable than they've been in a long time. [...] It's very atmospheric and mood oriented so far." Geoff Rickly has stated that the primary lyrical theme is devotion. Thursday debuted "Turnpike Divides" at their annual holiday show on December 30, 2010 at the Starland Ballroom. No Devolución was released on April 12, 2011.
The following is excerpted from the article:
and post-hardcore
alongside bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate
, which has been stated to be one of the main influences for Thursday's sound. The band is also credited for helping to popularize screamo
in the early 2000s.
Thursday uses the dove
logo on their albums and merchandise. The dove is believed to have been conceived by Tom Keeley on a tour bus
sometime before Full Collapse
was recorded.
Lyrics from "Cross Out the Eyes
" find the band referencing the dove:
As well as:
It is unknown whether these lyrics were inspired by the dove art or vice-versa. Since the dove's conception, however, it appears on every disc that Thursday has released in some form, though it is not mentioned lyrically aside from "Cross Out the Eyes". There is also a dove present in the "Cross Out the Eyes" video, which Darren Doane, in the commentary for XDOANEX, said was the hardest prop he's ever had to procure for a music video.
The band also has adopted a new logo – a red bullseye
with a small chevron below it – for A City by the Light Divided
. This logo appeared on merchandise related to the album, and is seen faded in the background of the cover for Kill the House Lights
.
Touring members
Past members
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 New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
. Formed in 1997, the group has released
Thursday discography
- Studio albums :- Compilations :- Extended plays :- Singles :- B-sides :...
six full-length albums
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, their most recent being No Devolución
No Devolución
No Devolución is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Thursday. The record was released through Epitaph Records on April 12, 2011...
, which was released in April 2011 on 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...
. Every year, Thursday held a performance on or within days of New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, as a tradition for local New Jersey fans.
Formation and Waiting
Thursday was formed in 1997 by vocalist Geoff RicklyGeoff Rickly
Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Tom Keeley, guitarist Bill Henderson
Bill Henderson (guitarist)
Bill Henderson was the guitarist for the post-hardcore band Thursday during their Waiting years; he also contributed backing vocals. He is/was also a member of The Procedure, Purpose, x One Way x, and Between The Wars, and Helcaraxe, other bands related to the post-hardcore scene in New...
, bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
Tim Payne, and drummer
Drummer
A drummer is a musician who is capable of playing drums, which includes but is not limited to a drum kit and accessory based hardware which includes an assortment of pedals and standing support mechanisms, marching percussion and/or any musical instrument that is struck within the context of a...
Tucker Rule. The band began playing basement shows in New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and surrounding New Jersey and New York areas. They played their first official show on December 31, 1998 in Rickly's basement alongside 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...
, Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
and Poison the Well
Poison the Well (band)
Poison the Well was an experimental hardcore band from Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, Florida who were last signed to Ferret Music. Guitarist Ryan Primack and drummer Chris Hornbrook were the only remaining members of the band who were involved since their inception, although vocalist Jeffrey Moreira was...
.
They recorded 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...
s to hand out at shows, and in the summer of 1999, teamed up with MP3.com
MP3.com
MP3.com is a web site operated by CNET Networks providing information about digital music and artists, songs, services, community, and technologies. It is probably better known for its original incarnation, as a legal, free music-sharing service, popular with independent musicians for promoting...
for their first official release, the 1999 Summer Tour EP, which featured demos of songs that would soon be found on their debut album, Waiting. The album was released on December 6, 1999 on northern New Jersey-based Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records is an independent record label based in Northern New Jersey, formed in 1995 by Alex Saavedra. They have released albums by artists such as Thursday, My Chemical Romance and Murder by Death....
without any singles or support from television or radio.
Full Collapse
Hesitant to join a larger label, but with full support from Eyeball Records, Thursday signed to ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
-based label Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
and released Full Collapse
Full Collapse
Full Collapse is Thursday's second album and their debut on Victory Records. It combines post-hardcore influences with melodic elements and personal, emotional lyrics. The album helped to establish Thursday as an immensely popular group in the indie and alternative rock music scenes...
on April 10, 2001, without much radio or television support, but in a way that the band had not originally intended. Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
originally wanted to remove the lyrics from the packaging against the band's wishes in order to cut costs, but the released LP has all lyrics and minimal artwork, a rare thing for the band.
Thursday toured in support of the album, including a tour with Saves the Day
Saves the Day
Saves the Day is an American rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, formed in 1994. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Chris Conley, guitarist Arun Bali, bassist Rodrigo Palma, and drummer Claudio Rivera....
that caught the attention of Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
. Victory Records filmed 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 "Understanding in a Car Crash
Understanding in a Car Crash
"Understanding in a Car Crash" is a song by American emo band Thursday. It is set as the second track on the group's second album Full Collapse and was released as their very first single. It was chosen for release as a single by Victory Records during the band's 2002 tour with Saves the Day...
" consisting of live footage of the band and marketed the song as the band's first single, without the band's authorization. The video for this song received heavy airplay on both MTV2 and Muchmusic. The song gained the band a large underground following. A second single, "Cross Out the Eyes
Cross Out the Eyes
"Cross Out the Eyes" is the second single from Full Collapse, Thursday's first release on Victory Records.-Personnel:Thursday*Geoff Rickly - vocals*Tom Keeley - guitar, vocals*Steve Pedulla - guitar, vocals*Tim Payne - bass...
", would follow, but it received much less attention.
Thursday was routinely upset at Victory Records over the use of the band's image and promotion, including the label's attempts to distribute Thursday-themed whoopie cushions. The band's newfound popularity and disgust with the label led to internal problems that bred the Five Stories Falling EP, a release the band used to fulfill contractual obligations with Victory Records. At live shows, the band routinely told fans not to purchase the EP, but instead to download "Jet Black New Year", the one new song found on the EP amidst live performances of four Full Collapse songs and the first song created since Full Collapse, a time during which the band almost broke up. "Jet Black New Year", the only studio track on Five Stories Falling, showed a darker side of the band that was only hinted at on Full Collapse.
War All the Time
Having parted ways with Victory Records and joining Island RecordsIsland 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...
, Thursday issued their major label debut, the critically acclaimed War All the Time on September 16, 2003. The entire writing and recording process took only six months; the band has claimed they almost forced themselves into a contained sound on the album. The album's title, coupled with it being released approximately two years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, led many critics to believe it was a political album; however, Rickly has denied this on many accounts, instead claiming that he is speaking about love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
being a war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
. War All the Time features Andrew Everding on keyboards, though he would not become an official member of the band until December 26, 2004, when he was officially welcomed into the band at the band's Christmas holiday shows held at Starland Ballroom
Starland Ballroom
The Starland Ballroom is a concert venue located in Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. Opening night was December 7, 2003 and featured a performance by former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth...
in Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville, New Jersey
Sayreville is a borough located on the Raritan River, near Raritan Bay in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 42,704....
.
War All the Time spawned two singles, "Signals Over the Air
Signals Over the Air
"Signals Over the Air" is the first single from War All the Time and the first major label single from the band, reaching #30 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart...
" and "War All the Time
War All the Time (song)
"War All the Time" is a song by American hardcore band Thursday. It is the second single and title track from War All the Time. In the tours following the album's release, the track was played extensively; it is now a very rare song, however, played last on March 5, 2009 during their show at the...
", though the latter received considerably less attention due to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
banning the video for controversial material involving a fake news
News
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
feed that appeared to be real and teenagers being weapon targets.
Thursday toured extensively to support War All the Time through many dates with acts such as 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...
, Thrice
Thrice
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....
, 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....
. On these tours, Thursday performed many in-store acoustic sessions at various Tower Records
Tower Records
Tower Records was a retail music chain that was based in Sacramento, California. It currently exists as an international franchise and an online music store....
stores and other record stores. The band also recorded a live acoustic session for Y100 Sonic Sessions, a radio program on the now defunct Philadelphia-based radio station, Y100
Y-Rock On XPN
WXPN-HD2 is an alternative rock radio station carried on the secondary HD radio channel of WXPN FM in Philadelphia. It had been the latest incarnation of the Y100 brand until June 2010 that originally aired on 100.3 FM, which was the city's alternative rock station from the 1990s until...
. The live acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
version of single "Signals Over the Air" was used on Y100 Sonic Sessions Volume 8.
Following War All the Time, the band released two EPs. The first was Live from the SoHo & Santa Monica Stores Split EP and sold exclusively on iTunes; the second was a promotion found in Revolver
Revolver (magazine)
Revolver is a bi-monthly rock and heavy metal magazine published by Future US. Before covering heavy metal, rock & hard rock solely, it was a more mainstream oriented magazine. The magazine is structured in a manner similar to publications such as Spin while covering many avenues within the heavy...
, called Live in Detroit EP
Live in Detroit EP
-Personnel:*Geoff Rickly - Vocals*Tucker Rule - Drums, backing vocals*Tom Keeley - Guitar, backing vocals*Tim Payne - Bass, backing vocals*Steve Pedulla - Guitar, backing vocals...
.
The band went on an indefinite hiatus in 2004. The band cited label pressure, extensive touring, and health problems as the sources of their newly discovered fatigue. However, Thursday returned once again for a charitable cause to save New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
, on August 25, 2005. This performance was streamed live through the CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
's website.
A City by the Light Divided
In fall 2005, five Thursday demo songs were stolen from My American HeartMy American Heart
My American Heart was a rock band from San Diego, California. The band's original name was No Way Out, which consisted of Larry Soliman on vocals, Jesse Barrera on bass guitar, Clint Delgado and Jeremy Mendez on guitar, and Steven Oira on Drums...
's tour manager's iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
. Rickly had recently collaborated with My American Heart for the track "We Are the Fabrication". The band issued a statement on their official website stating that they were disappointed the unfinished products leaked, but that they were glad that people take that much interest in their music. The band confirmed the title of one demo, "At This Velocity
At This Velocity
"At This Velocity" is the second single from A City by the Light Divided, Thursday's second and final release on Island Records. This song is featured in the skateboarding game Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam.Vocalist Geoff Rickly had this to say about the song:...
" and promised it would make their upcoming album. Three other songs ("The Other Side of the Crash/Over and Out (Of Control)", "Telegraph Avenue Kiss", and "Autumn Leaves Revisited") would also make the album. The remaining demo would later become the song "Last Call" on their fifth studio album, Common Existence
Common Existence
Common Existence is the fifth full-length album from post-hardcore band Thursday. It was released on February 17, 2009 on Epitaph Records. The band began recording at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios on August 11, 2008...
.
Thursday originally toyed with the idea of a double album to follow up War All the Time, but scrapped that idea, reporting on their website that not even 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...
could properly fill two discs with enough worthy material.
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann
Dave Fridmann is an American record producer and musician. From 1990 onwards he co-produced all releases by Mercury Rev and The Flaming Lips...
-produced A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided is the fourth full-length album by Thursday, released by Island Records on May 2, 2006. It reached #20 on The Billboard 200.Vocalist Geoff Rickly comments on the album's intent:...
, Thursday's first full-length album not produced by Sal Villanueva
Sal Villanueva
Sal Villaneuva is an Italian-American record producer. A stalwart of the music scene for years, Villaneuva cut his teeth in the New York hardcore scene, playing in various bands including Demonspeed and Murphy's Law...
. The title is influenced by a poem from Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz
Octavio Paz Lozano was a Mexican writer, poet, and diplomat, and the winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature.-Early life and writings:...
– Rickly combined two lines from one of his poems ("Sunstone") to create the title. The album was officially previewed on the band's 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....
on April 18, 2006, and officially released May 2 on Island Records in America and Hassle Records in the UK.
A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided is the fourth full-length album by Thursday, released by Island Records on May 2, 2006. It reached #20 on The Billboard 200.Vocalist Geoff Rickly comments on the album's intent:...
was generally received well by critics, and spawned two singles, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1
Counting 5-4-3-2-1
"Counting 5-4-3-2-1" is the first single from A City by the Light Divided, Thursday's second and final release on Island Records. This song was originally written during the Full Collapse-era, but vocalist Geoff Rickly has said that it was finally re-done in a new key and finally suitable to be...
" and "At This Velocity
At This Velocity
"At This Velocity" is the second single from A City by the Light Divided, Thursday's second and final release on Island Records. This song is featured in the skateboarding game Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam.Vocalist Geoff Rickly had this to say about the song:...
", though the latter received considerably less attention.
Kill the House Lights
The band parted ways with Island Records in early 2007. A private show they performed on May 3, 2007 in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
allowed long-time friend "The Rev" to propose to his fiancee on stage. Thursday also held a performance on May 5 at The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle
The Bamboozle is an annual rain-or-shine, three-day music festival held in New Jersey. Every year, new bands compete for spots during the two days. The event evolved out of the Skate and Surf Festival.- The Characters:...
under the fake name "Bearfort". They cancelled all tour plans until their fall tour with Circle Takes the Square
Circle Takes the Square
Circle Takes the Square is an American post-hardcore band from Savannah, Georgia. Their debut release was a 7-track self-titled EP in 2001, followed later by a 7" split with Pg. 99...
and Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man
Portugal. The Man is an American psychedelic rock band based in Portland, Oregon, but originally from Wasilla, Alaska. The group released their first two albums with Fearless Records. They also released material on their own imprint Approaching AIRballoons through indie label Equal Vision Records...
in support of Kill the House Lights
Kill the House Lights
Kill the House Lights is a compilation album by New Jersey rock group Thursday. The album includes many unreleased versions of older songs as well as three new songs. It also includes a DVD with a documentary on the band and live performances. The name of the record derives from a lyric from the...
, a DVD/CD retrospective released by their former label Victory Records
Victory Records
Victory Records is a Chicago-based record label founded by Tony Brummel. It is a privately held corporation. It also operates a music publishing company called "Another Victory, Inc." and is the distributor of several smaller independent record labels....
. At their 2007 New Year's Eve show at the Starland Ballroom
Starland Ballroom
The Starland Ballroom is a concert venue located in Sayreville, New Jersey, USA. Opening night was December 7, 2003 and featured a performance by former Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth...
, the band announced that they will be writing and recording new material in 2008.
Split album with Envy
Thursday announced on April 2, 2008 via a MySpaceMySpace
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....
bulletin and their official website a new 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 Japanese post-hardcore
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, Envy
Envy (band)
Envy is a rock band from Japan. They are signed to Rock Action Records in Europe and Temporary Residence Limited in North America, though originally they worked with Level Plane Records. More recently in their career, Envy's music has grown to include elements of post-rock.Vocalist Tetsuya Fukagawa...
.
The band debuted a song from the album live in Poughkeepsie on April 24, 2008.
The album was released on Temporary Residence Limited
Temporary Residence Limited
Temporary Residence Limited is a Brooklyn, New York-based record label. TRL was started in Baltimore, Maryland in late 1995. The label's first release was The Concord Anthology Process/Nero split 7", released April 1, 1996. After moving the operation to Portland, Oregon, owner/operator Jeremy...
on November 4.
Common Existence
The band announced on September 30, 2008 that they'd signed with Epitaph RecordsEpitaph 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...
. Regarding their new label, the band said the following: "It's a great feeling to have a label encourage you to be more socially conscious and politically active."
Thursday finished recording and mixing their full-length album entitled Common Existence
Common Existence
Common Existence is the fifth full-length album from post-hardcore band Thursday. It was released on February 17, 2009 on Epitaph Records. The band began recording at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios on August 11, 2008...
which was released on February 17, 2009 under 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...
. In a March 2009 interview, Rickly explained the album's title refers to humanity's shared experience, and that many of the songs were influenced by the words of his favorite poets and authors.
Cormac McCarthy has also influenced Rickly.
Thursday headlined the 2009 Taste of Chaos Tour with support from Bring Me the Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon
Bring Me the Horizon are a British metalcore band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. Bring Me the Horizon constits of Oliver Sykes as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist Lee Malia, rhythm guitarist Jona Weinhofen, bassist Matt Kean and drummer Matt Nicholls...
, Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jackson Massucco...
, Pierce The Veil
Pierce the Veil
Pierce the Veil is an American post-hardcore band from San Diego, California. Formed in 2006, the group was founded by brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes after the disbandment of the group Early Times which was formed out of the San Diego punk rock scene...
, Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats
Cancer Bats are a hardcore punk/sludge metal band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.-Background:Cancer Bats originated in May 2004 with singer Liam Cormier and guitarist Scott Middleton, former member of Toronto heavy metal band At the Mercy of Inspiration...
and a local act. Thursday was not well received on this tour due to the majority of the audience members showing up at tour dates for Bring Me the Horizon. Tom Keeley approximated about 90% of the audience would leave before their set, and described the tour as an "awful experience."
No Devolución
Thursday entered the studio to record No DevoluciónNo Devolución
No Devolución is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Thursday. The record was released through Epitaph Records on April 12, 2011...
in July 2010. Their second release for Epitaph Records was recorded at Tarbox Road Studios in Fredonia, New York with Dave Fridmann, who previously produced A City by the Light Divided and Common Existence with the group. Vocalist Geoff Rickly commented on the style of the new album, stating, "In style, this record feels like a radical departure from our earlier records but in substance it feels like a return. The songs are more vulnerable than they've been in a long time. [...] It's very atmospheric and mood oriented so far." Geoff Rickly has stated that the primary lyrical theme is devotion. Thursday debuted "Turnpike Divides" at their annual holiday show on December 30, 2010 at the Starland Ballroom. No Devolución was released on April 12, 2011.
"Indefinite hiatus"
On Tuesday November 22, 2011, Thursday posted a statement on their webpage and a tweet reading "Thanks & Love" expressing their intention to stop producing music together. However, the band have not stated explicitly in the article that they are breaking up or on an indefinite hiatus.The following is excerpted from the article:
Genre and musical style
Thursday has been credited as one of the bands most responsible for the mainstream of emoEmo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
and post-hardcore
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...
alongside bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
, which has been stated to be one of the main influences for Thursday's sound. The band is also credited for helping to popularize 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...
in the early 2000s.
Logo
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
logo on their albums and merchandise. The dove is believed to have been conceived by Tom Keeley on a tour bus
Tour bus
A tour bus service is a bus service that takes visitors sightseeing, with routes around tourist attractions. Double-decker buses and/or open top buses are commonly used, for their good views....
sometime before Full Collapse
Full Collapse
Full Collapse is Thursday's second album and their debut on Victory Records. It combines post-hardcore influences with melodic elements and personal, emotional lyrics. The album helped to establish Thursday as an immensely popular group in the indie and alternative rock music scenes...
was recorded.
Lyrics from "Cross Out the Eyes
Cross Out the Eyes
"Cross Out the Eyes" is the second single from Full Collapse, Thursday's first release on Victory Records.-Personnel:Thursday*Geoff Rickly - vocals*Tom Keeley - guitar, vocals*Steve Pedulla - guitar, vocals*Tim Payne - bass...
" find the band referencing the dove:
As well as:
It is unknown whether these lyrics were inspired by the dove art or vice-versa. Since the dove's conception, however, it appears on every disc that Thursday has released in some form, though it is not mentioned lyrically aside from "Cross Out the Eyes". There is also a dove present in the "Cross Out the Eyes" video, which Darren Doane, in the commentary for XDOANEX, said was the hardest prop he's ever had to procure for a music video.
The band also has adopted a new logo – a red bullseye
Bullseye (target)
The bullseye, or bull's-eye, is the centre of a target , and by extension the name given to any shot that hits the bullseye...
with a small chevron below it – for A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided
A City by the Light Divided is the fourth full-length album by Thursday, released by Island Records on May 2, 2006. It reached #20 on The Billboard 200.Vocalist Geoff Rickly comments on the album's intent:...
. This logo appeared on merchandise related to the album, and is seen faded in the background of the cover for Kill the House Lights
Kill the House Lights
Kill the House Lights is a compilation album by New Jersey rock group Thursday. The album includes many unreleased versions of older songs as well as three new songs. It also includes a DVD with a documentary on the band and live performances. The name of the record derives from a lyric from the...
.
Band members
Current members- Andrew Everding – keyboards, synthesizer (2003–present)
- Tom Keeley – guitar (1997–present)
- Tim Payne – bass guitar (1997–present)
- Steve Pedulla – guitar, backing vocals (2000–present)
- Geoff RicklyGeoff RicklyGeoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly Geoffrey William Rickly (born March 8, 1979 is the lead singer and songwriter of Thursday, an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They have released six studio albums. Rickly grew up in Dumont, New Jersey...
– lead vocals (1997–present) - Tucker Rule – drums (1997–present)
Touring members
- Lukas Previn (Acid Tiger) – bass guitar
Past members
- Bill HendersonBill Henderson (guitarist)Bill Henderson was the guitarist for the post-hardcore band Thursday during their Waiting years; he also contributed backing vocals. He is/was also a member of The Procedure, Purpose, x One Way x, and Between The Wars, and Helcaraxe, other bands related to the post-hardcore scene in New...
– guitar (1997–2000)
Discography
Studio albums- Waiting (1999)
- Full CollapseFull CollapseFull Collapse is Thursday's second album and their debut on Victory Records. It combines post-hardcore influences with melodic elements and personal, emotional lyrics. The album helped to establish Thursday as an immensely popular group in the indie and alternative rock music scenes...
(2001) - War All the Time (2003)
- A City by the Light DividedA City by the Light DividedA City by the Light Divided is the fourth full-length album by Thursday, released by Island Records on May 2, 2006. It reached #20 on The Billboard 200.Vocalist Geoff Rickly comments on the album's intent:...
(2006) - Common ExistenceCommon ExistenceCommon Existence is the fifth full-length album from post-hardcore band Thursday. It was released on February 17, 2009 on Epitaph Records. The band began recording at Dave Fridmann's Tarbox Road Studios on August 11, 2008...
(2009) - No DevoluciónNo DevoluciónNo Devolución is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Thursday. The record was released through Epitaph Records on April 12, 2011...
(2011)