The Speaks
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| The Speaks | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Washington, D.C. |
| Genre(s) | Rock, Hard rock, Indie rock |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Label(s) | Warner Music Group Philippines |
| Website | TheSpeaks.com |
| Members | |
| Rafael Toledo Derek Lee Cal Stamp Jerry Delino Archie Dela Cruz |
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| Former members | |
| Johnny Abelende Ben Tufts Siegfried Fuster Myk Menez Ted Quiroz |
|
The Speaks is a five-man band from the Metro Washington, DC area.[1] They have played to audiences of up to 25,000+ people, shared the stage with Jimmy Eat World, and are working with high-profile Dragonfly Studios (Dave Matthews Band, N-Sync, SR-71).
In January 2005, The Speaks signed a distribution/production/publishing deal with Warner Music Group – Philippines.
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[edit] Highlights
- Mid-Atlantic Songwriting Contest Winner
The Speaks received the Silver Award at the 23rd Annual Mid-Atlantic Songwriting contest in the rock category for the song “High.” “High” competed against thousands of entries from around the region.
- Played with The Rod Garcia Band at Bagio Aid
- Nomination for Best Rock Duo/Group, Best Rock Recording
The Speaks were nominated for two Wammies at the 20th Annual Washington Area Music Association Awards in 2006. The Best Rock Recording nomination was for their album, "Life’s A Joke."
- Z104 Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Z-104, a DC/MD/VA area radio station, named The Speaks - Breakthrough Artist of the Year. The Speaks were also named one of the top 5 local bands by The Washington Post. In addition, the hit single, “High,” was named one of the top 15 local songs, and the import version of "Life's a Joke" was named one of the Top 10 Best Albums by Entertainment DC.
- Philippines “Bring it Back” Tour
Last year The Speaks went on a 3-week tour where the band rocked out in front of thousands of fans, and even received a key to the city of Manila from the Mayor. With 16-20 hour days full of press conferences, radio/mall/tv/autograph sessions and shows, The Speaks definitely brought it back to the motherland.
- The Speaks sign distribution deal with Warner Music Group (Asia)
In January 2005, The Speaks signed a distribution/production/publishing deal with Warner Music Group – Philippines. The release date of the localized cd, “Life’s A Joke,” was in April 2005, and their first hit single “Life’s A Joke” has been on the top 30 countdown for over 5 months! The second single release and music video for “High” has hit #1 for at least 7 weeks.
- 1st Place – DC101 “Last Band Standing” Competition
The Speaks competed against hundreds of top rock bands from the DC/Baltimore area, and prevailed as the #1 Band in the area to perform with national acts such Chevelle, Switchfoot, The Donnas, Jimmy Eat World, Cake, and Thousand Foot Krutch at the 25th Annual DC101 Chili Cook-Off. There were over 30,000+ people. Judges included music industry reps, and local celebrities.
- 1st Place -- JAXX “World’s Largest Battle of the Bands”
The guys competed against hundreds of other bands from WV to PA -- over the course of 6 months -- to win one of the largest - (60% judging/40% fan vote) true live music competitions on the East coast. Their rabid fan-base resulted in record-breaking crowds for both the Semi-Final and Final rounds.
- 1st Place -- D.C. Hard Rock Café/SoBe “Ultimate Altitude Buzz” Battle of the Band Finals
- 2nd Place -- National Competition
The band beat out over 100+ other at the Washington, D.C. Hard Rock Café to be crowned regional champions, and to represent DC/Baltimore in the National Finals. Additionally, The Speaks now have a guitar permanently displayed as part of DC's Hard Rock Cafe memorabilia.
- #1 in the United Kingdom 8 weeks straight on FiletopiaLive
The gang was discovered by DJs in London, England. Working for one of the world’s premier independent online radio stations, they have been listener favorites ever since – a sign of their growing global fan-base. “Life’s a Joke” debuts at #1 and remains on top for 8 straight weeks!
- XM Radio Airplay – featured on R>A>D>A>R Report
The Speaks were hand-picked as one of several unsigned artists to be selected worldwide and featured on XM Radio’s weekly R>A>D>A>R Report (XM 52 – Radio Unsigned) as one of "the 12 most notable artists in the United States."
[edit] Music Videos
- "Life's A Joke" – Produced by DCNrg / Directed by Joe O’Ferrell. Released on MTV Philippines (Asia) and MYX (Asia)
- "High" – Produced by NLM Group / Directed by Cullin Tobin - MTV Europe Nominated Best Music Video Director. Released in MTV Asia, MYX (Asia), MTV Chi (US) Channel V (Asia) and TFC (North America).
