OneRepublic
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| OneRepublic | |
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 OneRepublic performing at the Burswood Dome, Perth, Western Australia, March 2008
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
| Genre(s) | Pop rock Rock Alternative rock Piano rock |
| Years active | 2002-present |
| Label(s) | Mosley/Interscope |
| Associated acts | Timbaland Greg Wells Ryan Tedder |
| Members | |
| Ryan Tedder Zach Filkins Eddie Fisher Brent Kutzle Drew Brown |
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| Former members | |
| Tim Myers | |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Vocals, Guitar, Cello, Bass Guitar, Drums, Glockenspiel |
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OneRepublic is an American rock band formed in Colorado. After a few years of moderate success, they have since drawn mainstream attention with the release of their single "Apologize," which has sold in excess of 5 million singles worldwide. The song, according to SoundScan Data, is one of only two songs that have reached 3 million legal downloads in history. [1] A remix was featured on Timbaland's Shock Value and the band's debut album, Dreaming Out Loud, which was released in the United States on November 20, 2007, with international release dates staggered throughout early 2008. As of April 1, 2008, Dreaming Out Loud has been certified Platinum (in excess of 1 million units sold). [2] The band's second single, "Stop and Stare," has also crossed the 2 million mark in terms of worldwide single sales.[citation needed] They are currently gearing up for the release of their 3rd single, "Say (All I Need)."
Contents |
[edit] Band members
[edit] Current members
- Ryan Tedder – Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Glockenspiel (2002–present)
- Zach Filkins – Guitar, Vocals (2002–present)
- Eddie Fisher – Drums, Percussion (2002–present)
- Drew Brown – Guitar, Glockenspiel (2002–present)
- Brent Kutzle – Bass Guitar, Cello, Vocals, Keyboards (2007–present)
[edit] Former members
- Tim Myers – bass guitar (2003–2007)
[edit] History
[edit] Early works and success
Since the summer of 2006, OneRepublic has consistently been ranked as one of the top musical acts on MySpace,[3] due to heavy promotion within the online community. The band was formed by songwriter and Grammy-nominated record producer Ryan Tedder and his high school friend, Zach Filkins, in Colorado Springs.
Even at a young age, Tedder wanted to make music for a living. He first caught public attention, including that of super producer, Timbaland, after winning a talent search in 1999.[4][5] A few phone calls were made, and soon Tedder was learning from Timbaland himself. He eventually sold his car to buy recording equipment, becoming Timbaland's protege and developed as a producer.
After two years, Tedder and Timbaland parted ways since Tedder wanted a career as an artist. For a while, he worked under the nom de plume 'Alias,' earning a name for himself by producing and writing songs for various artists, even getting a Grammy nomination for his work on Paul Oakenfold's "A Lively Mind".[6]
In 2002, Tedder and Filkins moved to Los Angeles to put together a band. They were first signed to Columbia Records. After a few line-up changes, they finally solidified with Tedder on vocals, Filkins on guitar and backing vocals, Eddie Fisher on drums, Brent Kutzle on bass and cello, and Drew Brown on guitar. Known initially as Republic, they later changed the name to OneRepublic.
Shortly after turning in their first number of recordings, they were dropped by Columbia Records, though, just as quickly, the band was beginning to get exposure on MySpace, becoming the number one unsigned act on the site. [7] The band caught the attention of a number of labels, including Timbaland's. The band signed to the Mosley Music group, becoming the first rock band signed to the label. [8][9]
[edit] Mainstream breakthrough: 2007—present
OneRepublic's song, "Apologize," was prominently featured on Timbaland's 2007 release, Shock Value. The song was released as the single in its original form on the band's album, debut. In addition, the single has gone 3x Platinum (marking three million copies sold in the U.S) and 5 million copies worldwide. [10][citation needed] It peaked at number three on the U.K. Official Top 40 Week on November 11, 2007.[11] The song is the biggest radio airplay hit in the history of Top 40 radio in North America, racking up an astounding 10,693 spins in one week, breaking the previous record by 370 spins.[12]
The band performed "Apologize" live on Fox's So You Think You Can Dance on August 2, 2007, and with Timbaland on an episode of One Life to Live in October 2007. It was also played at the end of the three television shows-- Cold Case episode "Sabotage," Smallville's "Hero," Hollyoaks and Gossip Girl episode "Hi, Society." They performed "Stop and Stare" and "Mercy" live on the Smallville episode, "Hero," which aired March 13, 2008. On May 21, 2008, the band appeared on the American Idol Season 7 finale performing a duet of "Apologize" with finalist David Archuleta.
The band is generally known for their collaboration with producer Timbaland, specifically for his remix of their song, "Apologize." Tedder also reciprocated by remixing Timbaland's "The Way I Are," drastically changing the song's vibe by adding a rock vibe into the synth-driven melody. The less polished version was leaked on the Internet before the final version ended up on Tedder's MySpace page.
The follow-up single to "Apologize" is "Stop and Stare," as announced on their MySpace page. This song was performed on the Australian version of So You Think You Can Dance on April 7, 2008. In 2008, they toured with The Daylights, Maroon 5 and Brandi Carlile.
OneRepublic will be headlining the Isle Of MTV 2008 at the Floriana Granaries, Malta, on June 25, 2008.
[edit] Covers
On tour, the band has been noted to cover popular songs. Some covers include:
- "Umbrella" by Rihanna- Like a number of acts in 2007, OneRepublic covered Rihanna's hit single, "Umbrella." The band included it in their set list shortly after going on tour.
- "Bitter Sweet Symphony" by The Verve - OneRepublic's version features the string hook at the beginning by Brent Kutzle on cello. During the second chorus Tedder adds his own signature use of falsetto, singing it at a noticeably higher pitch than the original.[13]
- "Last Goodbye" by Jeff Buckley - OneRepublic's version of the late Jeff Buckley's "Last Goodbye" has had mixed reception. Fans of Jeff Buckley have not responded favorably to the cover. Although Tedder's vocals have been received well, the choice of covering the song in general has been subject to harsh criticism. The song is available as a single and a video from iTunes and is featured on strippedmusic.com. [14]
- "Don't Go Away" by Oasis - OneRepublic chose to perform this song when strippedmusic.com asked them to do a cover of a particular band or artist they considered great. The video for this song is available exclusively on iTunes.
- "Mercy" by Duffy - During their visit to the United Kingdom, they started including the song, due to its current popularity and chart performance. The song was also recorded on BBC Radio 1 after the band was interviewed, garnering it more airplay. [15] The song will also serve as the b-side for the UK release of their 3rd single, "Say (All I Need)."
In the band's version, Tedder occasionally adds a few verses from Amy Winehouse's hit song, "Rehab," along the bridge in some of their performances. Tedder has said in an interview that they performed the song because "It is the absolute opposite of anything we would ever do (musically)." [16]
- "Oh Holy Night" - OneRepublic also covered this Christmas classic during one of their shows a few days before Christmas.
- "Always Where I Need To Be" by The Kooks - OneRepublic performed this song in the Star Bar at Radio 1 Big Weekend. Tedder and Filkins played the acoustic guitar while Kutzle played the cello and Brown was on the the Glockenspiel. Fisher was absent.
[edit] Critical and public reception
OneRepublic has often been compared to acts such as Maroon 5, The Fray, Keane and Coldplay. All of them are known for their use of keyboardists and falsetto in the pop-rock genre. Tedder says "We’re heavily influenced by a lot of old Brit rock, up to current Brit rock. But there are definitely worse bands to be compared to."[17]
There have also been a few misconceptions regarding the band. They have been mistaken for a boy band, and even their ethnicity was unclear to some. Some have even thought that Timbaland wrote "Apologize." [18]
In general, the critics have had mixed to positive reviews about Dreaming Out Loud. Although Digital Spy initially rated the album 2/5 stars, they later gave 4/5 stars for "Stop and Stare." [19][20] Rolling Stone's official review of the band also gave them 2/5 stars,[21] and has an average user rating of 4/5 stars. Rolling Stone also placed the band in their "Artists to Watch" list, which featured 10 artists that, according to the magazine, "...are bringing the future of music, today." Entertainment-Focus comments about the band's song, "Tyrant," “…the slightly-harder sounding Tyrant which has a strong melody reminiscent of U2 at their best.”[22][23][24]
[edit] Musical style and influences
Tedder describes OneRepublic's music as being heavily influenced by the Beatles, for the songwriting craft and melodic inventiveness, and U2, for the uplifting vocal delivery and emotional undercurrents. Throughout songs like "Apologize," "All We Are," and "Mercy," Tedder aspires to move his listeners the way Bono does onstage. "You go to a U2 concert and it's like church," he says. "I want to make people feel like that. I don't want someone to say, ‘oh, he has a nice voice.' I want that person to walk away and feel like he or she has had a religious experience." [25][26]
Although not a Christian band by genre, the band members all profess their faith openly in the album’s credits. The album "possesses definite influences of spirituality and deeper thinking."[27]
The band says that Dreaming Out Loud introduces a group committed to the idea that people want real songs, with real truths, not marketing strategies. [28]
Tedder has said of Coldplay, "Their influences are our influences." He also states, "The big difference, though, is that I come from a much wider hip-hop and urban background. I’ve been producing, writing and performing urban stuff, and I try to bring that into the group because we’re not trying to be a British band."
Drew Brown adds, "We aren’t all die-hard Coldplay fans, but because of the comparisons, we’ve done our research, and I’m sure we’ve got a large handful of common influences." [29]
[edit] Dreaming Out Loud, Live! Tour
[edit] Discography
[edit] Studio albums
[edit] Singles
- 2007 - "Apologize (remix)"
- 2008 - "Stop and Stare"
- 2008 - "Say (All I Need)" (TBR)
[edit] References
- ^ Timbaland/OneRepublic Shatter Top 40 Radio Airplay Record
- ^ RIAA - Recording Industry Association of America - May 31, 2008
- ^ One Republic shows the world the power of promotion on My Space | infonews.co.nz New Zealand's local news community
- ^ One Love : Who the hell is OneRepublic? And what's this about them being from the Springs? : Local News : Cover Story : Colorado Springs Independent : Colorado Springs
- ^ MySpace.com - OneRepublic - City of Angels, California - Rock / Alternative / Pop - www.myspace.com/onerepublic
- ^ Ryan "Alias" Tedder
- ^ BBC News | Entertainment | Talking Shop: Ryan Tedder
- ^ Rocky road to the top - Los Angeles Times
- ^ Your Music Zone - Canadian Christian Music, Concert Listings, and News
- ^ OneRepublic's "Apologize" Hits 3 Million Download Sales | Digital Media Wire
- ^ MySpace.com - OneRepublic - City of Angels, California - Rock / Alternative / Pop - www.myspace.com/onerepublic
- ^ Timbaland/OneRepublic Shatter Top 40 Radio Airplay Record
- ^ YouTube - OneRepublic - Bittersweet Symphony (NL)
- ^ YouTube - OneRepublic - Last Goodbye -Jeff Buckley Live! @ Stripped
- ^ YouTube - OneRepublic on Sound
- ^ YouTube - OneRepublic on Sound
- ^ MTV Buzzworthy Blog » Exclusive Interview: Buzzworthy Talks To OneRepublic
- ^ Timbaland/OneRepublic Shatter Top 40 Radio Airplay Record
- ^ Music - Singles Reviews - OneRepublic: 'Stop And Stare' - Digital Spy
- ^ Music - Album Review - OneRepublic: 'Dreaming Out Loud' - Digital Spy
- ^ One Republic: Dreaming Out Loud : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone
- ^ Music Focus Releases - Album Reviews - OneRepublic - Dreaming Out Loud
- ^ One Republic: Dreaming Out Loud : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone
- ^ OneRepublic: Artist to Watch 2008 : Rolling Stone : Rock and Roll Daily
- ^ One Republic on purevolume™
- ^ OneRepublic - ReverbNation
- ^ The Chimes | Music Review: OneRepublic's "Dreaming Out Loud" « Biola University
- ^ MySpace.com - OneRepublic - City of Angels, California - Rock / Alternative / Pop - www.myspace.com/onerepublic
- ^ MTV Buzzworthy Blog » Exclusive Interview: Buzzworthy Talks To OneRepublic
[edit] External links
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