The Stereo are back after 20 years of not being a band and I’m happy they are back because their debut album Three Hundred was something that was played constantly in college in 1999. I even got a chance to see them play Skater’s World (Wayne, NJ) around then too (or was that Animal Chin?). Their new album Thirteen will be out May 13th and you can hear the first single right now! The single is called “Kings of No Hope” and it’s like the band took a time machine back to 20 years. Can’t wait to hear the rest!
Their first new song “Kings Of No Hope” is out now via digital service providers. Sharing the title Kings Of No Hope, the 5-part podcast series features members of Fall Out Boy, Dashboard Confessional, Less Than Jake, Motion City Soundtrack, New Found Glory, I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, Jeff Rosenstock and Fun.
Everyone from Patrick Stump to Chris Carrabba to Jack Antonoff have cited The Stereo as a musical influence. “I think that there’s about 600 to 1,000 bands currently that owe their career to The Stereo,” vowed Jack Antonoff. The Stereo’s talent and influence are undeniable which is evident by their hugely successful low-key Kickstarter campaign which raised over $30k so far and has grown to be the #3 most funded music project on Kickstarter.
The 5-part podcast series, Kings Of No Hope, chronicles the ups and downs of The Stereo through a detailed examination of the band’s history. From the great heights of touring 14 countries and playing with their musical heroes, to the terrible lows of bad blood, drama and missed opportunities, co-founder Rory Phillips looks to answer one central question about the band that influenced many, but was heard by few – WHAT HAPPENED? By way of interviews with both past and current members of the band along with Chris Carrabba (Dashboard Confessional), Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Vinnie Fiorello (Less Than Jake, co-founder of Fueled By Ramen), Chad Gilbert (New Found Glory), Andrew Dost (Fun.), Jeff Rosenstock, Ryan Seaman (IDKHOW) and more.
The Stereo formed in 1999 when Jamie Woolford, formerly of Animal Chin, and Rory Phillips, formerly of The Impossibles, were brought together by Fueled By Ramen Records co-founder (and current head of Interscope Records) John Janick.
They released their debut album Three Hundred that same year to acclaim from fellow musicians and fans in the indie music scene. Phillips would be kicked out before year’s end as The Stereo forged ahead under Woolford’s leadership. In 2000, they released New Tokyo Is Calling, a 5-song EP recorded with indie super producer and Jawbox frontman J. Robbins.
Numerous lineup changes and inter-band turmoil surrounded the release of their second LP, No Traffic in 2001. Following a house cleaning of all existing members except Woolford, The Stereo persevered with the release of their third album, Rewind + Record, in 2002.
Continuing to receive praise from their peers, but not the attention from fans or the music industry they craved, the last overhaul of the band self-imploded in a fireball of early internet drama in March 2004.
In 2011, the band reunited for the Fueled By Ramen 15th Anniversary Show in New York City. Showcasing a new lineup that featured the return of co-founder Rory Phillips, Rewind + Record-era bassist Chris Serafini, and powerhouse new drummer Sam Hardwig.
Finding a camaraderie missing from earlier iterations of the band and after sharing new music ideas for the first time in decades, Woolford and Phillips solidified the new roster and began work on The Stereo’s fourth LP, THIRTEEN.
