The Juliana Theory
was an American rock quintet from Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania. The Juliana Theory signed to Christian record label Tooth & Nail Records despite not being a Cristian band as such. [1] The group later singned to Epic Records for the release of the album Love. The Juliana Theory realeased their final studio album on independant label Paper Fist before disbanding in 2006.
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THE JULIANA THEORY TICKETS
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History
Formation
The Juliana Theory was formed in
1997 by
Joshua Fiedler and Neil Hebrank (formerly of the band Noisome) along with
Chad Monticue (former singer for Pensive), Jeremiah Momper, and
Brett Detar (who also split his time as a guitarist for
Zao and Pensive at the time).
Detar, Monticue and Walters were childhood friends while Kosker and Fiedler met Detar as classmates at a nearby high school. The members formed The Juliana Theory in 1997 as a side-project while they played in other bands. "We really started out as a joke," recalls Detar. "Slowly, we started to like the music we were making in The Juliana Theory more than the music we were making in our regular bands. Eventually, everyone committed to make this their full-time band".
[2]
According to an interview on the website Tapout Zine, there was never a real concept behind the band's name. "We used to have an elaborate story that we told involving sociology students and a huge experiment involving music and people's responses to it, but we got tired of telling the story. The band was supposed to be a side project that wouldnt last and we just came up with a name before our first show. It has no meaning at all".
[3] In an interview lead singer Brett Detar told Lina Lecaro of the Los Angeles Times that the band’s name was "pretty stupid," adding, "Let's just say this: Every band has a name and for better or worse, this is ours".
[4]
Their first performance was at a concert at
Saint Vincent College booked by Christopher Pecoraro, as an opening act, but their fame grew quickly. They were spotted by Brandon Ebel of
Tooth & Nail Records on the Cornerstone Music Festival impromptu stage, which showcased unsigned talent. A split EP with the band
Dawson High on Arise Records marked the band's recorded debut. Shortly after The Juliana Theory signed a multi-album deal with Seattle-based Tooth & Nail records.
[5]
The Tooth & Nail Years
After spending time on the road touring, the band signed with the independent record label Tooth & Nail. The label released The Juliana Theory's debut studio album "Understand This is a Dream" on March 23, 1999.
[6] Around this time
Joshua Kosker, originally of the group
Dawson High, replaced Momper when he left the band after the band's first record was released. The following year The Juliana Theory and Tooth & Nail released the follow-up record "Emotion is Dead" (2000). Together, the albums sold around 130,000 units.
[7]
After the release of Emotion is Dead, Tooth and Nail and the Juliana Theory clashed heads in terms of creative and promotional areas of the groups marketing. "Most things that we asked them to do for us they couldn’t do or didn’t do. Now, almost everything we asked for at the time is just protocol for the label. They do all of the stuff we wanted them to do back then very well now." The group left to find a new label shortly afterwards.
[8]
The Epic Era
In 2001, the Juliana Theory signed a recording contract with Epic/Sony. Dates on the 2001 Warped Tour followed. On October 23 of the same year, the Juliana Theory released six new songs as the Music from Another Room EP on Tooth and Nail records.
[9]
A change in the line up meant that original drummer
Neil Hebrank was replaced by
Josh "Chip" Walters before the recording of
Love
, the band's third-full length album for Epic Records.
[10]
Recorded at locations in California and also at lead singer Brett's home Studio at Greensburg, Pennsylvania, the Love album was produced by Jerry Harrison of
Talking Heads who also worked with successful acts
Live and
No Doubt.
[11] Love respectively sold over One Hundred Thousand albums with little radio or label support behind it. This led to over 260 tour dates the year of it's release and the record debuted on Billboard 200 chart at number 71 and remained in the top 200 for 5 weeks.
[12]
The band soon parted ways with
Epic Records after the release of the Love album and signed a deal with
Rykodisc. In a MySpace blog written by Detar, he explains that after a change in management and direction of the label, "...at the last second we wormed our way out of the deal and headed into the studio with our own funds and with the help of Josh Karchmer, our manager."
[13]
Paper Fist
Following the separation of the group from
Epic Records the band subsequently began their own label affiliated with
Abacus Recordings called Paper Fist (in reference to The Juliana Theory song, "To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children").
[14] Their 4th studio album
Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
was released on
September 13,
2005.
[15]
Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
was produced and recorded by John Travis and was co-produced by frontman Brett Detar. The album was recorded at Seedy underbelly Studios, Valley Village California between November 2004 and December 2004 and also at studio 66 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania between the months of December 2004 and January 2005.
[16]
The 2 CD release of
Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
features a 25 minute making of documentary filmed by the band, Jeff Calhoun and Jason Hopkins. In the documentary Brett shared that around 30 pieces of music and 25 complete songs were made in preparation of the finished record.
In the documentary they band claim that the record is driven by the four songs, four pillars (or the quadrology) which hold the rest of record, the songs they specify include: This Is A Lovesong... For The Loveless, This Valentine Aint' No Saint, French Kiss Off and Shotgun Serenade.
Chad shares in regard to the album "I can honestly say we made a record about love, cars, drinking, and drugs and sex and murder, all those things are elements of our record and I think thats pretty cool, what else do you want to listen to?, theres nothing better to listen to". Brett also shares that the record benefits from having "bite and venom" and that "the album lyrically packs alot more punch".
The DVD features four previously unreleased exclusive tracks only available with the 2 CD set. The songs are Over The Earth, Slowly Flying Solo, Opposite Parallel Poles and Can't Suspend It.
[17]
Breakup
On
February 9,
2006, After years of touring and recording "The Juliana Theory Is Dead" was the official statment from the band on their official website and also on the band's myspace page. Reasons cited for the groups disbandment include issues with record labels Tooth and Nail and Epic. As of
August 2009 the post has received 1057 Kudos.
[18]
Post-Breakup
An official Myspace blog posted on
February 8,
2007 gave an update on Josh Fiedler starting new band Vesta and Josh "Chip" Walters playing drums for Zao whenever they play live.
[19]
In 2008 Juliana Theory Alumni Joshua Fiedler, Joshua Kosker and Chad Alan Monticue began writing and recording music with a new band called Vesta. The group played their first show on April 25th, 2009 in Bowling Green, Ohio
[20] A fall release is being recorded and self released by the band. The recording is being done by Pittsburgh musician and recording engineer,
Jonathan Gunnell.
[21]
An
August 16,
2009 Drive By Media story teased that The Juliana Theory may be reforming after comments left by the official Juliana Theory Twitter page suggested "good things are coming. we promise".
[22]
Band Members
- Brett Detar - vocals, guitars, keyboards, programming
- Chad Alan (Chad Monticue) - bass, backing vocals
- Joshua Fiedler - guitars, backing vocals
- Joshua Kosker - guitars, backing vocals
- Josh "Chip" Walters - drums
Former Members
- Neil Hebrank - drums 1997-2000 (joined Confident Years)
- Jeremiah Momper - guitar 1997-1999
Discography
Studio Albums
- Understand This Is a Dream
(1999), Tooth and Nail Records
- Emotion Is Dead
(2000), Tooth and Nail Records
- Love
(2003), Epic Records U.S. #71 [23]
- Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat
(2005), Abacus Recordings
EPs
- The Juliana Theory / Dawson High Split
(1998), Arise Records
- The Juliana Theory / Onelinedrawing / The Grey AM 3 Way Split
(2000), Onedaysavior Records
- Music from Another Room
(2001), Tooth and Nail Records
Live and Compilation Albums
- Live 10.13.2001
(2003), Tooth and Nail Records
- A Small Noise
(2006), Tooth and Nail Records
Special Edition Instant Live CDs
- Troubadour - West Hollywood Ca 11/3/05
(2006), Instant Live Rec.
- Scrappy's - Tucson Az 11/8/05
(2006), Instant Live Rec.
- Numbskull - San Luis Obispo Ca 11/2/05
(2006), Instant Live Rec.
- Neckbeard's - Tempe Az 11/7/05
(2006), Instant Live Rec.
- Chain Reaction - Anaheim Ca 11/5/05
(2006), Instant Live Rec.
References
- YouTube interview
- [1] modernrock.com
- [1] bedofnailz.com
- ''Los Angeles Times'', February 27, 2003, p. E12.
- http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/juliana-theory/734074 artistdirect.com
- [1]
allmusic.com
- [1]
modernrock.com
- [1]
bedofnailz.com
- [1] artistdirect.com
- [1] sing365.com
- [1] legacyrecordings.com
- http://www.billboard.com/artist/the-juliana-theory/334508#/artist/the-juliana-theory/chart-history/334508 billboard.com
- [1] myspace.com
- punknews.org
- myspace.com
- Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat Inlay Card, p12
- Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat Making of Documentary
- myspace.com
- myspace.com
- idiomag.com
- myspace.com
- Drive By Media
- Billboard, Allmusic