Something Corporate (also known as SoCo) was an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1998. Their last line-up included vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, guitarists Josh Partington and Bobby Anderson, bassist Kevin Page and drummer Brian Ireland.
Following their formation, Something Corporate recorded demos that were eventually released as an independent, minor studio album entitled Ready... Break. Soon after, they were signed to MCA Records but were released under the Drive-Thru Records banner for their debut EP Audioboxer. Their first single, "If You C Jordan", was their most successful, peaking at number 29 on the Alternative Songs chart. Their first album released through the major label was Leaving Through the Window (2002) which premiered at Number 1/Hot Shot Debut on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart on June 8, 2002 and eventually peaked at number 101 on the Billboard 200.
Something Corporate went on hiatus in 2004 and no longer had any recording contracts with their record labels. During the hiatus, McMahon found success in his side-project Jack's Mannequin. Something Corporate briefly reunited in October 2006 (at a Jack's Mannequin show) to play a short set. In December 2009, Something Corporate officially announced their reunion to tour in 2010 and released a greatest hits album. McMahon announced during an August 3, 2010 visit to Milwaukee that the band had collectively sold over 1 million total records in the band's ten years of existence.
History
Formation and early releases
In September 1998, three former members of the band Left Here; vocalist and pianist Andrew McMahon, bassist Kevin "Clutch" Page, and drummer Brian Ireland, merged with lead guitarist Josh Partington and rhythm guitarist Reuben Hernandez, to form Something Corporate. The band independently released a demo CD titled Ready... Break in September 2000. On March 27, 2001, Something Corporate announced an official change to the band's lineup; Hernandez was replaced by William Tell.
The band signed with MCA Records and Drive-Thru Records and released the band's official debut effort, an EP titled Audioboxer (2001). It was promoted nationwide through tours, in-store performances at Tower Records stores and a television appearance on The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn on February 25, 2002. The EP featured the single "If U C Jordan", with its music video starring American Pie's Chris Owen.
Major label debut and follow-up
In May 2002, Something Corporate released their debut major label album, Leaving Through the Window. It contained the singles "I Woke Up in a Car" and "Punk Rock Princess". The album hit number one on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart and number 101 on the Billboard 200. Something Corporate released a half-hour home video on DVD, titled A Year in the Life in November 2002. Furthermore, they released the B-sides compilation EP Songs for Silent Movies, only available in Japan.
In October 2003, Something Corporate released their second full-length record, North. The album debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200. They launched the album with an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, performing the songs "If U C Jordan" and "Space", the latter of which became the only single from the album. In February 2004, it was confirmed that William Tell had left Something Corporate to pursue a solo career. Bobby Anderson, formerly of the band River City High, became Tell remplacement. On May 20, 2004, Something Corporate filmed their concert at the Ventura Theater in Ventura, California. The footage was released as their second DVD, Live at the Ventura Theater.
Hiatus
In summer 2004, the band grew exhausted from spending years on the road and decided to take a break. The band promised the break would not be a permanent one in a 2005 interview with Concert Pipeline. McMahon said "I think for all of us it just got to the point where we were like 'Let's just go be our own people for a minute'-- not out of a desire to leave the band or break up Something Corporate-- quite the opposite. Let's reconnect with all the things that spawned the band in the first place." During the hiatus, McMahon and Anderson formed a side project named Jack's Mannequin. The band released an album entitled Everything in Transit in August 2005. The day that recording for the album was completed, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He has since gone into remission. In 2008, McMahon released a second album with Jack's Mannequin, The Glass Passenger. The album debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200, surpassing the success he achieved with Something Corporate. Partington also formed the band Firescape, who have released an EP and studio album.
On October 14, 2006 the band reunited to perform three songs; "Konstantine", "I Woke Up in a Car" and "Hurricane". They played as the "special guest" at the Bamboozle Left festival in Pomona, California. In 2007, it was said that Something Corporate's status as a band could be described as is in "suspended animation". McMahon told Alternative Press that he is more "nostalgically charged" than "creatively charged" to make another Something Corporate record.
In a February 2009 interview with Lansing State Journal, Andrew McMahon discussed the future of Something Corporate. He said, "As for releasing a full-length with a tour in the classic sense, I don't see that happening. But we're all great friends, and I do see us putting together new material and hitting the road. The fans have been so supportive and such a huge part of our lives that I would feel horrible not to at least give them something."
Reunion
On December 3, 2009 it was announced on AbsolutePunk.net that they would be playing the Bamboozle Left Festival in Anaheim, California on March 28, 2010. On February 22 at the House of Blues in Chicago, Andrew McMahon announced that Something Corporate will be at Bamboozle Chicago on May 15. On March 29, 2010, AbsolutePunk.net reported that Something Corporate will also be playing Bamboozle Right in East Rutherford, New Jersey on May 1.
In February 2010, Andrew McMahon announced that Something Corporate was planning a greatest hits release for the spring of 2010. The band returned to the studio to re-record two old songs which originally appeared on their canceled "Galaxy Sessions" album: "Letters to Noelle" and "Wait". Adam Young of Owl City produced a new remix of the song, I Woke Up in a Car. The greatest hits album, named Played in Space: The Best of Something Corporate was released on April 27, 2010. On May 15, 2010, Something Corporate announced their August 2010 Reunion Tour on their website.
Band members
|
|
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US |
US Heat. |
|||
| 2000 | Ready... Break
|
— | — | — |
| 2002 | Leaving Through the Window
|
101 | 1 | — |
| 2003 | North
|
24 | — | 152 |
Extended plays
| Year | EP details |
|---|---|
| 2001 | Audioboxer
|
| 2003 | Songs for Silent Movies
|
Compilations
| Year | Album details | US |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Played in Space: The Best of Something Corporate
|
155 |
Live & Video albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2002 | A Year in the Life
|
| 2004 | Live at the Ventura Theater
|
| 2004 | Live at the Fillmore
|
Singles
| Year | Song | Peak chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Alt. |
UK |
|||
| 2002 | "Forget December" | — | — | Non-album single |
| "If You C Jordan" | 29 | 68 | Leaving Through the Window | |
| "Hurricane" | — | — | ||
| 2003 | "Punk Rock Princess" | — | 33 | |
| "Space" | 37 | — | North | |
| 2004 | "Ruthless" | — | — | |
Non-album tracks/unreleased albums
- Galaxy Sessions (2001)
- "Just like a Woman" (Bob Dylan cover) - released on Listen to Bob Dylan: A Tribute (2005)
[ Source: Wikipedia ]