The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American rock band formed in Middleburg, Florida, in 2003.[1] The band's current members include Ronnie Winter (lead vocals), Joey Westwood (bass), Josh Burke (lead guitar), Randy Winter (rhythm guitar), and John Espy (drums). They have released five studio albums to date.
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus | |
|---|---|
 The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus performing at the 2009 Soundwave Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Middleburg, Florida, U.S.[1] |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | |
| Members |
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| Past members |
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| Website | theredjumpsuitapparatus |
The band is best known for their 2006 major-label debut Don't You Fake It. Its lead single "Face Down" became their biggest success, and "False Pretense" and "Your Guardian Angel" were successful follow-up hits. Don't You Fake It is the band's only RIAA-certified album (Platinum), and all of its singles have also received awards from various institutions.
History
edit2003–2004: early years
editOriginating in Florida, childhood friends Ronnie Winter and Duke Kitchens started the band while attending an AP Music Theory class in 2001.[2] The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was officially formed in 2003 after the addition of other members who were then in other bands. The band name was chosen by the band voting for random words they threw on a wall.[3]
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus worked with Vision Sound studios in Orange Park, Florida, which released a "6 song EP CD that was spread throughout different countries to promote the band in 2005".[2] The band began to become more popular as they used certain social media, namely Myspace, to advertise their music.[2] While popular in their local scene, the band found it difficult to secure label support. This is why the band took 18 months to write songs before going into the live scene.[2] They built a fan base with continued live shows, which attracted the attention of Jason Flom of Virgin Records in 2005, after which they began work on their first album.[2]
2005–2007: Don't You Fake It
editIn 2006, they released their first LP, Don't You Fake It, with the singles "Face Down," "False Pretense", "Your Guardian Angel", and "Damn Regret". The album was certified gold on November 27, 2006, by the RIAA for sales shipments exceeding 500,000 copies.[4]
In February 2007, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus headlined the US Take Action Tour organized for the prevention of youth suicide, along with bands such as My Chemical Romance and Rise Against.[5][6] From 2006 to 2008, the band performed several headliner and supporting shows with bands like Thirty Seconds to Mars,[6] Madina Lake, The Audition, Saosin,[7] Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Taking Back Sunday, Lorene Drive, The Used, Monty Are I,[8] Amber Pacific,[9] Boys Like Girls, Halifax, Emery, A Static Lullaby,[10] and So They Say.[6]
On May 3, 2007, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus performed at Fort Rucker, Alabama, to help benefit the rebuilding of Enterprise High School after it was destroyed by a tornado on March 1, 2007.[11]
2008–2009: Lonely Road
edit
In June 2007, the band was writing new material. [12] Their sophomore album Lonely Road[13] was released on February 3, debuting in the fourteenth spot on the Billboard 200, and was produced by Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Daughtry, Less Than Jake, Hoobastank, P.O.D., The All-American Rejects, Seether, and Cold).
In October 2008, Matt Carter replaced former guitarist Elias Reidy. Carter had worked as a tech for the band previously and had jammed with them. Now, Carter was asked to take Reidy's spot, and he agreed to play with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. In an interview with a Jacksonville newspaper, Ronnie was asked whether Carter was officially in the band, to which he responded, "I don't know. I guess he's in the band. We're taking it slow." Carter played with the band from then on.[14]
In support of this album, the band went on many tours in the winter of 2008 and the spring of 2009 with bands such as Shinedown, Framing Hanley, and Tickle Me Pink.
On March 20, 2009, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus released an EP titled Shock Session, featuring acoustic versions of "Pen & Paper", "You Better Pray", and "Face Down".
At the end of May 2009, they announced along with Hollywood Undead, Mest, and The Sleeping that they would be doing a summer tour for the months of June and July, playing mostly club and small venue shows. They rejoined Monty Are I for an August 2009 tour throughout Canada and California.
2010–2012: The Hell or High Water EP and Am I the Enemy
edit
On January 29, 2010, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus announced via their Twitter page that they would have a new EP out in late July/August.
In February 2010, the band parted ways with their label Virgin Records, citing the poor promotion of Lonely Road. They decided to release music independently. According to lead singer Ronnie Winter, "At this point we want to stay completely 100% independent for as long as possible."[15] The first such song was "Valentine," which was released for free on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2010.
On June 22, 2010, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus announced via Myspace blog that their upcoming EP release would be titled The Hell or High Water, and that the first song from it, "Choke", would be released on June 28, 2010, as a free download. The EP was recorded in the band's studio in Middleburg, Florida, and was mixed and mastered by Paul Lapinski.[16] This was their first release following their departure from Virgin Records, and was released on August 24, 2010. The full-length album following the EP was scheduled to be out in early 2011.[17][18]
In November 2010, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus entered the studio to record their third full-length album, Am I the Enemy, finishing in December 2010 with producer John Feldmann.[19] The album's first single, "Reap", was released via YouTube on March 24, although the song itself was not released to iTunes until April 26.[20] The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus later released two other songs from their new album on their YouTube channel, "Salvation" and "Fall from Grace". A June 7 announcement on the band's Facebook page said the new album, Am I the Enemy, would be released on August 30, 2011. It was to contain twelve songs.[21]
On July 11, 2011, lead singer Ronnie Winter announced that guitarists Duke Kitchens and Matt Carter had left the band "to focus on their personal lives", and longtime Red Jumpsuit Apparatus fan Josh Burke joined as lead guitarist.[22] This was followed by a YouTube video on July 17 welcoming Burke as the official lead guitarist of the band, replacing Carter.[23] Ronnie's brother, Randy Winter, was later added as the second guitarist, filling in for Duke Kitchens.
2013–present: Et Tu, Brute? EP, 4, The Awakening and The Emergency EP
editOn March 15, 2013, the band released an EP titled Et Tu, Brute?. The EP was produced by David Bendeth (producer of Don't You Fake It). Prior to its release, the band released two of the songs on their page.[24]
On October 11, 2013, the band revealed their fourth studio album, titled 4, was 'coming soon' via their Facebook page. They also revealed that David Bendeth would be producing the LP. Three days later, again through Facebook, the band announced Matt Carter was returning to the band and would be playing lead guitar for 4.[25] On January 1, 2014, the band announced that 4, as well as the rest of their discography, would be released July 4, 2014.
This band planned to perform their first rock show in India at the 2016 edition of Saarang, the cultural fest of IIT Madras, on January 9, 2016. In a November 27 post on their official Instagram page, RJA announced their anniversary tour dates. They were one of the first official bands announced for 2017's Rock on the Range in Columbus, Ohio.
In an April 2017 interview, Winter said that after their anniversary tour, the band would head to the studio in southern California to record The Awakening. It would be co-produced by him and his wife, and was to be released in the same year.[26] However, according to coverage by Alternative Press of a post and comments on the band's Facebook page in July 2017, the new record would be released in 2018, along with a new single and tour in the fall of 2017.[27] It was released on March 30, 2018.[28]
On August 28, 2020, the band released The Emergency EP.[citation needed]
Controversy
editIn April 2014, a photograph of Matt Carter playing with The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at a live show was posted to the band's Facebook page. The photo had been altered and cropped out the watermark of the Australian photographer, Rohan Anderson. Rohan contacted the band, explaining that the photo was being used without permission, and requesting the photo be removed or a licensing fee be paid. A member of the band responded, refusing to remove or pay for the photo, and through further exchanges went on to ridicule Rohan and threaten him with legal action.[29][30][31]
On April 21, the band then posted a link to the message exchange with Rohan on their Twitter account, asking fans to retweet the post using the hashtag "rohanisatool". This was received negatively on Twitter, with fans of the band expressing their disappointment at The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus infringing on the work of another artist, and using the hashtag in support of Rohan. Three hours later, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus removed their previous tweet, posting a new one claiming that the issue was due to a misunderstanding by them, and had been resolved with the band agreeing to pay a licensing fee for Rohan's picture, and apologising.[29][30][31]
Musical style
editThe Red Jumpsuit Apparatus has generally been regarded as alternative rock,[6][1][32] pop-punk,[33][34] emo,[35][36] post-hardcore,[1][6][37] screamo,[1][32] and emo pop.[1]
Members
edit|
Current members
Former members
Former touring musicians
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Timeline
edit
Discography
edit- Don't You Fake It (2006)
- Lonely Road (2009)
- Am I the Enemy (2011)
- 4 (2014)
- The Awakening (2018)[27]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at AllMusic
- ^ a b c d e [1][dead link]
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus – Interview with Vocalist Ronnie Winter". October 7, 2010. Archived from the original on December 13, 2010. Retrieved January 24, 2011.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Turns Gold: "Don't You Fake It" Is Certified Gold". Virgin Records. PR Newswire. November 27, 2006. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012.
- ^ TICKETS: Dave Matthews Band to play MGM Grand on March 23-24, Las Vegas Review-Journal
- ^ a b c d e "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus's Concert History". Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ "Kaddisfly touring with Saosin, Ozma, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - News". Alternative Press. April 11, 2007. Archived from the original on August 25, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Aubin Paul (August 16, 2006). "Tours: The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus / Monty Are I". Punknews.org. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ "Drummer of Amber Pacific arrested in Philadelphia - News". Alternative Press. October 20, 2007. Archived from the original on April 15, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Emery Set For Take Action! Tour". Billboard. December 7, 2006. Retrieved April 14, 2017.
- ^ Lewis, Kim (May 11, 2007). "Concert brings thousands together for Enterprise High". The Southeast Sun. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Hoarding New Songs, Billboard.com
- ^ The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus To Release Lonely Road In February Archived February 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, Komodo Rock.com
- ^ Red Jumpsuit Apparatus releases new CD today, performs tonight, Jacksonville.com
- ^ "Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Goes Independent". Lazyrocker.com. July 12, 2010. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "The Skinny van The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus op Myspace". Blogs.myspace.com. June 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 10, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ Lucy, Evan (August 23, 2010). "Alternative Press | Reviews | The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - The Hell Or High Water EP". Altpress.com. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS RELEASE NEW EP, "THE HELL OR HIGH WATER EP", ON AUGUST 24TH". The Audio Perv. August 20, 2010. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "<<>> The..." Facebook. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "Red Jumpsuit Apparatus release new song | News". Kill Your Stereo. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ MusicRemedy.com / (July 8, 2011). "Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Are Not The Enemy On 3rd Album". Musicremedy.com. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "Alternative Press | News | Exclusive: A note from Ronnie Winter about Red Jumpsuit Apparatus changes". Altpress.com. July 11, 2011. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus welcomes Josh Burke". YouTube. July 17, 2011. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved March 31, 2012.
- ^ Mitchell Pavao, Brett Woitunski. "PureVolume".
- ^ "It's true! Never thought we would say... - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Facebook". facebook.com.
- ^ Alex Sievers (April 11, 2017). "Feature Interview: Ronnie Winter Of The Red Jumpsuit Appratus". Kill Your Stereo. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
- ^ a b Kika Chatterjee (July 21, 2017). "Miss May I announce tour and other news you might have missed today". Alternative Press. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
- ^ "The Awakening by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus on iTunes". iTunes Store (AU). March 30, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
- ^ a b Cade, D. L. (April 21, 2014). "Band Responds in the Worst Way Possible After Stealing Photographer's Work". PetaPixel. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Khan, Maaz (April 21, 2014). "How a Band Responded in the Most Immature Manner Possible After Stealing a Photographer's Work". DIY Photography. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ a b Scumbags of the Internet #7, retrieved June 2, 2023
- ^ a b Apar, Corey. "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Don't You Fake It". AllMusic. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus". Punknews.org.
- ^ "O2 Academy Newcastle - The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Event information". o2academynewcastle.co.uk. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Biography". MTV. Archived from the original on August 6, 2006.
- ^ Leahey, Andrew. "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus Lonely Road". AllMusic. Retrieved November 22, 2017.
- ^ "The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus". BMI. January 11, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2012.
External links
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