We Are Augustines
Encyclopedia
We Are Augustines is an American indie rock
group based in Brooklyn
, New York
and consisting of guitarist Billy McCarthy, bassist Eric Sanderson and drummer Rob Allen.
, McCarthy and Sanderson decided to continue producing the songs that were originally supposed to comprise Pela's second studio album. The album, titled Rise Ye Sunken Ships, was released digitally on June 6, 2011.
The band derived its name from the month of August
. Both McCarthy and Sanderson were born in August, as was McCarthy's brother, James. James' story is one of the major influences behind their first album. Pela also dissolved very quickly ("In the span of two weeks") in August, 2009. Originally, the new band was named Augustines. Due to other bands with the same name, they changed the name to We Are Augustines.
. With all the issues surrounding the band, "Pela was unable to survive the storm," Sanderson said.
After deciding to part ways with the other two members of Pela, McCarthy and Sanderson eventually decided to finish the album. Having been through a terrible experience with the music labels and industry, "We knew that we wanted to proceed independently, but actually taking that on was a whole other challenge." With support from the indie music community, specifically John Richards
of KEXP
, they were able to finish the record. The album was produced by Dave Newfield, who is best known for his work with Broken Social Scene
. Their first performance of the new material, still under the original name Augustines, was for Richards and KEXP at the Cutting Room Studios on October 18, 2010. They released Rise Ye Sunken Ships independently on June 6, 2011 as a digital-only copy on iTunes
.
Prior to the release of their first album, the band announced that Rob Allen had joined the band as the full-time drummer.
Rise Ye Sunken Ships was released in CD format in North America, Australia, and New Zealand on August 23, 2011. The band will be beginning a UK tour in support of the album in October of 2011.
The single Chapel Song was featured in a commercial for REI.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
group based in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and consisting of guitarist Billy McCarthy, bassist Eric Sanderson and drummer Rob Allen.
History
Following the break-up of their former band PelaPela
Pela was an American indie rock band from Brooklyn known for their intense live performances.-History:Pela's history goes back to the early ’90s when lead vocalist and guitarist Billy McCarthy met Christopher Herb. As best friends they worked at a mall together after dropping out of high school,...
, McCarthy and Sanderson decided to continue producing the songs that were originally supposed to comprise Pela's second studio album. The album, titled Rise Ye Sunken Ships, was released digitally on June 6, 2011.
The band derived its name from the month of August
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...
. Both McCarthy and Sanderson were born in August, as was McCarthy's brother, James. James' story is one of the major influences behind their first album. Pela also dissolved very quickly ("In the span of two weeks") in August, 2009. Originally, the new band was named Augustines. Due to other bands with the same name, they changed the name to We Are Augustines.
Formation And Debut Album
The material for their debut album had originated while with Pela. McCarthy had written dozens of songs and Sanderson contributed many demos of his own. They had close to 40 songs to pick from. Even though the album was nearly complete, they were unhappy with the results and wanted to re-record the material. "We had to do it twice because it just wasn’t strong," Sanderson said. Throughout the recording (and re-recording) process, the band fought with its record label, its manager and amongst themselves. Soon after, McCarthy learned his brother James had committed suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. With all the issues surrounding the band, "Pela was unable to survive the storm," Sanderson said.
After deciding to part ways with the other two members of Pela, McCarthy and Sanderson eventually decided to finish the album. Having been through a terrible experience with the music labels and industry, "We knew that we wanted to proceed independently, but actually taking that on was a whole other challenge." With support from the indie music community, specifically John Richards
John Richards
John Richards may refer to:*John Richards , Irish judge*John Richards , Bishop of St David's*John Richards , Bishop of Ebbsfleet...
of KEXP
KEXP
KEXP-FM is a public radio station based in Seattle, Washington, that specializes in alternative and indie rock programmed by its disc jockeys. Its broadcasting license is owned by the University of Washington, which operates the station in a partnership with Paul Allen's Experience Music Project...
, they were able to finish the record. The album was produced by Dave Newfield, who is best known for his work with Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock band, a musical collective including as few as six and as many as nineteen members, formed in 1999 by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Most of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto...
. Their first performance of the new material, still under the original name Augustines, was for Richards and KEXP at the Cutting Room Studios on October 18, 2010. They released Rise Ye Sunken Ships independently on June 6, 2011 as a digital-only copy on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Prior to the release of their first album, the band announced that Rob Allen had joined the band as the full-time drummer.
Rise Ye Sunken Ships was released in CD format in North America, Australia, and New Zealand on August 23, 2011. The band will be beginning a UK tour in support of the album in October of 2011.
The single Chapel Song was featured in a commercial for REI.