Thrice

Thrice

Teppei Teranishi and Dustin Kensrue of Thrice performing at Indio, CA
Background information
Origin Irvine, California, U.S.
Genres Alternative rock[1]
Experimental rock[1]
Post-hardcore[2]
Melodic hardcore[3]
Years active 1998-present
Labels Sub City, Hopeless, Island, Vagrant
Website www.thrice.net
Members
Dustin Kensrue
Teppei Teranishi
Eddie Breckenridge
Riley Breckenridge

Thrice is an American rock band from Irvine, California, formed in 1998. The group was founded by guitarist/vocalist Dustin Kensrue and guitarist Teppei Teranishi while they were in high school.[4]

Early in their career, the band was known for fast, hard music based in heavily distorted guitars, prominent lead guitar lines, and frequent changes in complex time signatures."[5] This style is exemplified on their second album, The Illusion of Safety (2002) and their third album The Artist in the Ambulance (2003). Their fourth album Vheissu (2005) made significant changes by incorporating electronic beats, keyboards, and more mature and nuanced songwriting.[6][7] Their fifth effort was a quadruple album entitled The Alchemy Index (2007/2008), released as two sets of two CDs that together make a 4-part, 24-song cycle. Each of the four 6-song EPs of the Alchemy Index features significantly different styles, based on different aspects of the band's musical aesthetic which reflect the elemental themes of fire, water, air and earth, both lyrically and musically.[8] The band's sixth album, entitled Beggars, was released on August 11, 2009.

Each album released by Thrice has had a portion of its sales proceeds donated to a new charitable organization.[9][10]

Contents

History

First Impressions and Identity Crisis (1998–2001)

Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi knew each other from school and had played in a band together, the name of which is unknown. Teppei recruited his skate park friend Eddie Breckenridge to play bass, who then brought his brother Riley on as a drummer.[11] In 1998, Thrice announced to participants at Power Chord Academy that they had come up with the name Thrice out of desperation and an inside joke;[12] when a friend had told Dustin that he had beaten the Play Station video game Frogger twice, Dustin replied he had beaten it "thrice."

In 1999, the band self-released an EP titled First Impressions which was the product of a two-day session at A-Room Studios with Brian Tochilin.[13] Only 1,000 copies were made and the band members sold them out of their cars.[13] Working with Death by Stereo's Paul Miner, the quartet recorded 12 tracks, and by April 2000, the group had released Identity Crisis on Greenflag Records. A portion of the album's proceeds were donated to a local charity called Crittenton Services for Children and Families.[14] More support gigs and local buzz followed, and Thrice sparked the interest of Hopeless/Sub City's Louis Posen.[15] In 2001, Posen signed with the band, reissued Identity Crisis, and sent the group out on tour with Samiam. Tours with Midtown and Hot Rod Circuit followed.[4]

The Illusion of Safety (2002–2003)

Thrice re-entered the studio with producer Brian McTernan to record its Hopeless/Sub City debut, The Illusion of Safety. The album was released in February 2002 and the band toured extensively to support it, opening for Further Seems Forever and Face to Face before embarking on its first headlining tour later that year. The band again donated a portion of the album's proceeds, this time choosing a non-profit youth shelter in South Central Los Angeles, A Place Called Home. The band's donations were matched by their label.[16]

The album received generally positive reviews and garnered the attention of several major labels. The band eventually signed with Island Records, who had agreed to match Thrice's charitable donations in the same manner that Hopeless/Sub City had.[16] That fall, the band toured with Hot Water Music and Coheed and Cambria before returning to the studio.[4]

The Artist in the Ambulance (2003–2004)

In 2003, the band released its Island Records debut, The Artist in the Ambulance. The album's title is in reference to Burn Collector by Al Burian and is meant to reflect the band's desire to do more than make music and contribute to society through their charitable donations.[10] A portion of the album's proceeds were this time donated to the Syrentha Savio Endowment, a financial aid organization for breast cancer patients. First pressings of the album were packaged in a digipak-style case with postcards containing lyrics and notes from the band.[17]

The album spawned two singles, "All That's Left" and "Stare at the Sun." Both songs, and their accompanying videos, received modest airplay and the band found themselves playing at larger venues as the year progressed. A co-headlining fall tour with labelmates Thursday and opener Coheed and Cambria sold out across the United States,[18] as well as a stint on the Honda Civic Tour with Dashboard Confessional, The Get Up Kids, and Hot Water Music.[19]

Throughout 2004, the band continued to tour in support of The Artist in the Ambulance. Island Records issued a promotional disc (that features an alternate version of "The Artist in the Ambulance") in early 2004 that would become the basis for If We Could Only See Us Now, a CD/DVD package outlining the group's career.[20] Named after a lyric from "So Strange I Remember You," the CD portion contained live tracks from a performance at the Apple Store and various B-sides. A slot to promote the CD/DVD came on the 2004 Vans Warped Tour.

Vheissu (2005–2006)

Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi of Thrice performing at a Fopp instore signing in Southampton, UK

Thrice spent much of the first half of 2005 working with producer Steve Osborne on the follow-up to The Artist in the Ambulance. Thrice released Vheissu in October 2005 with "Image of the Invisible" as the first single. The album's title was taken from the Thomas Pynchon novel V.,[21] and featured a wider variety of instrumentation than used in the band's previous albums, including the use of strings, electronics, and a Rhodes Piano.[22] Many of the album's lyrics also feature biblical, spiritual, and abstract themes.

For the band's donations related to this album's sales proceeds, Thrice chose novelist Dave Eggers's charity 826 Valencia, a tutorial program for underprivileged children, which promotes literacy and aids teens develop creative writing skills.[21] In return, Eggers created the cover art for Vheissu.[23]

The band toured extensively in support of the album, including headlining the 2006 Taste of Chaos tour and performing "Image of the Invisible" on Jimmy Kimmel Live.[21] In April 2006, the band released "Red Sky" as the second single from the album.[24] The accompanying video was directed by Tim Hope, who had previously directed videos for Coldplay and Jimmy Eat World.[25] Instead of releasing just a single, Thrice opted to release the Red Sky EP in support of the single, which included two previously unreleased tracks and four live tracks.[24]

The Alchemy Index (2006–2008)

In September 2006, the band announced plans for a new album (later titled The Alchemy Index) on their official website. The album was conceived as a series of 4 EPs, each of which represents an element of nature: earth, air, fire, and water. The band maintained a studio blog titled "Alchemy Index" throughout the recording process.[26]

During the recording process, the band announced that they were leaving Island Records, citing a difference of opinion on the band's future direction as the reason for the split.[27] The band joined Vagrant Records on August 9, 2007.[28]

On October 12, 2007, Thrice released the first two songs from the Alchemy Index in their entirety through the band's MySpace page.[29] The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II was released on October 16, 2007 and sold 28,000 copies in its first week. It debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 chart,[30] and it topped at number five on the iTunes top-selling albums.[31] To promote the new album, Thrice toured with the bands MewithoutYou and Brand New, and followed with a series of Canadian shows with bands Say Anything and Attack in Black. The second half of the project, The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV - Earth & Air, was released on April 15, 2008.

The final song on each disc is written in the form of a sonnet, depicting the relationship of man with each of the particular elements. Each of these songs is in iambic pentameter, with a concluding rhyming couplet. These final couplets also contain the same vocal melody and chord progression as each other, although they are in different keys.

Thrice recently wrapped up their Spring 2008 tour with Circa Survive and Pelican.[32] The May 28, 2008 show at the House of Blues in Anaheim was filmed for a live CD/DVD titled Live at the House of Blues. The live album spans 2 CDs and a DVD with live footage and an exclusive interview in which the band answers fan-submitted questions.[33] In Fall 2008, they embarked on a tour supporting Rise Against, along with Alkaline Trio and The Gaslight Anthem.

Beggars (2009 onward)

On January 4, 2009, the band announced on its website that writing had begun for the follow-up to The Alchemy Index,[34] with the title announced as Beggars on June 15, 2009.[35] A July update to the band's website revealed the release date to be October 13, 2009.[36] However, after the album was leaked several months in advance,[37] the band announced on their website on July 23, 2009 that the album would be released exclusively to iTunes on August 11. The physical CD was released on September 15, 2009. Bonus content included two b-sides from the Beggars sessions, two remixes, and a studio rendition of their cover of The Beatles' "Helter Skelter".[38]

Feeling that the band's previous two projects (The Alchemy Index and Vheissu) had a "sleepy feeling" to them, Thrice wanted to make a record that was "a little more upbeat and energetic."[39] Thrice's members also hoped to save money and spend more time with their families by building a recording studio in guitarist Teppei Teranishi's home.[39] Originally, the band expressed interest in tracking the record live[39] (or recording the full band all at once, instead of each instrument individually and mixing together at a later time) in the home studio, however Thrice will no longer be recording in this style. Instead the band will record songs with "similar vibe[s] musically, and tonally" in the same session.[40] Several wooden devices were constructed by the band for the home studio to make the recordings "sound better."[41] The self-produced album will be released through Vagrant Records.[39]

Thrice played The Bamboozle Left festival in April,[42] and played selected dates on the summer's Warped Tour.[43] Throughout the Warped Tour shows, Thrice played "All the World is Mad," "At the Last" and "The Weight."[44]

The song "All the World is Mad" is featured in the Vagrant Song Pack for Guitar Hero, which was released on July 23, 2009. "Deadbolt" appears on Guitar Hero 5.[45]

On July 29, Brand New announced that Thrice will be playing on select dates of their Fall North American tour.[46] Multiple shows were sold out, and the band notably performed a cover of The Beatles's "Helter Skelter".[47] After this leg of the tour, Thrice began a tour with The Dear Hunter, but they had to play without guitarist Teppei Teranishi who left due to a family emergency.[48]

In 2009, while on the Vans Warped Tour in Houston, TX, the band autographed a Gibson Guitar for the non-profit Music Saves Lives and assisted in their goal of raising the nation's blood supply.

Thrice posted a poll for fans to vote for which song from Beggars to use for a music video. "All the World is Mad", "The Weight", "Circles" and "In Exile" were the choices for the poll, with "In Exile" narrowly beating "The Weight" even after some voters hacked into the system to try to choose the winner. The live-themed, black and white music video premiered on MySpace Music on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 2009, their first live video since 2002's "Deadbolt."

Thrice's Spring (2010) tour with Manchester Orchestra was unfortunately cut short on April 23 when Dustin Kensrue had to leave because of an illness in the family.[49]

In an interview with Blare Magazine on June 16, Dustin revealed that the band will be heading back into the studio "pretty soon" to start both writing and recording the new album. A name for the album nor release dates were given.[50]

Themes

There are many literary themes and references littered throughout Thrice's lyrics and song titles. Many of these themes can be attributed to the fact that Dustin, the main lyricist, reads heavily. Themes relevant to the Christian faith appear frequently in the subject matter of their songs. Particularly prominent are references to the twentieth-century Christian apologist and philosopher C.S. Lewis, with the songs "As the Ruin Falls," "The Abolition of Man," "That Hideous Strength," and "The Weight of Glory" being named after works by Lewis. The song "The Earth Will Shake" borrows heavily from Lewis's poem "The Prudent Jailor."[23] and the song "Come All You Weary" contains the line "the light's growing bright further up, further in," which is a reference to Lewis' The Last Battle.
Thrice's lyrics make frequent reference to Biblical scripture, with many lines being direct quotations of Jesus from Matthew 11:28-30. Noticeable examples are the songs "Moving Mountains," which largely derives from 1 Corinthians 13:1-3, "Of Dust and Nations," which references Matthew 6:19-20, "In Exile", whose concept is from Hebrews 11:13-16, "Image of the Invisible," which comes from Colossians 1:15, and "Child of Dust" which references Genesis 3:19. "Hold Fast Hope" comes from Jonah 1:4-16. The song "Like Moths To Flame" is about Peter's denial of Christ told in Matthew 26:26-35, 69-75. "The Messenger" comes from Isaiah 6:4-10. "Wood and Wire" somewhat derives from the verse 2 Corinthians 4:17

However, Thrice has been quite candid in saying they are not a Christian band, and not all members are Christians. [51]

In addition to the heavy religious themes in many of the songs, Thrice often incorporates Greek and Roman mythology, as seen in songs "Daedalus", "Burn the Fleet", and "The Melting Point of Wax".

Side projects

Band Members

Discography

Studio albums

Year Title Label Chart peaks
US
[54]		 US Indie
[55]		 US Heat
[56]		 UK
[57]
2001 Identity Crisis Sub City Records — — — —
2002 The Illusion of Safety — 14 20 —
2003 The Artist in the Ambulance Island Records 16 — — 109
2005 Vheissu 15 — — 119
2007 The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II Vagrant Records 24 1 — 114
2008 The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV 17 1 — 140
2009 Beggars 47 4 — —
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

EPs

Year Title Label RIAA Certification[58]
1999 First Impressions Independently released —
2003 Live from the SoHo & Santa Monica Stores iTunes exclusive —
2005 If We Could Only See Us Now Island Records Gold
2006 Red Sky —
2008 Come All You Weary Vagrant Records/iTunes —
2008 The Myspace Transmissions —

Live albums

Year Title Label
2008 Live at the House of Blues Vagrant Records

Singles

Year Title Chart peaks[57][59] Album
US Main US Mod UK
2002 "Betrayal Is a Symptom" — — — The Illusion of Safety
2002 "Deadbolt" — — —
2003 "All That's Left" 36 24 69 The Artist in the Ambulance
2003 "The Artist in the Ambulance" — — —
2004 "Stare at the Sun" — 39 —
2005 "Image of the Invisible" 24 — — Vheissu
2006 "Red Sky" — — —
2007 "Digital Sea" — — — The Alchemy Index
2008 "Come All You Weary" — — —
2009 "In Exile"[60] — — — Beggars
"—" denotes a release that did not chart.

Note: All singles have a music video except for "The Artist in the Ambulance".

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Thrice Unload Elements of 'The Alchemy Index' in Our Studio". Spinner. http://www.spinner.com/2008/01/23/thrice-unload-elements-of-the-the-alchemy-index-in-our-new-yor/. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  2. ↑ "Post-hardcore band Thrice releases opus". The Flat Hat. http://flathatnews.com/content/post-hardcore-band-thrice-releases-opus. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  3. ↑ "Thrice Biography". Altsounds.com. http://www.altsounds.com/altsounds/bands/1581/. Retrieved 2008-11-04. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Thrice Biography". AOL Music. http://music.aol.com/artist/thrice/biography/1437159. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  5. ↑ "The Illusion of Saftety". Interpunk. http://www.interpunk.com/item.cfm?Item=79136&. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  6. ↑ "Thrice - Vheissu". AbsolutePunk.net. http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=97074. Retrieved 2007-12-06. 
  7. ↑ "Thrice - Vheissu". Punknews.org. http://www.punknews.org/review/4534. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  8. ↑ "Full Review: Thrice - The Alchemy Index Vols. 1 & 2". The Album Project. http://thealbumproject.net/2007/10/15/full-review-thrice-the-alchemy-index-vols-1-2/. Retrieved 2007-12-16. 
  9. ↑ "Thrice T-Shirts and Band Merchandise". Merch.com. http://www.merch.com/products.asp?dept=726. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "Interview with Riley". Sound the Sirens Magazine. http://www.soundthesirens.com/articles/index.php?id=8,81,0,0,1,0. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  11. ↑ "Thrice Summary". MP3.com. http://www.mp3.com/artist/thrice/summary/. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  12. ↑ "Interview with Riley Breckenridge". BettaWreckonize. Archived from the original on 2005-12-12. http://web.archive.org/web/20051212030651/http://www.bettawreckonize.com/interviews/thrice.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Thrice". Net Music Countdown. http://netmusiccountdown.com/inc/artist.php?artist=Thrice. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  14. ↑ "Interview - Thrice". Modernfix.com. http://modernfix.com/?page_id=982. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  15. ↑ "Hopeless Springs Eternal". Moniter This!. http://www.monitorthis.com/index.cfm?page=music&section=articles&id=50. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Interview with Dustin". In Music We Trust. http://www.inmusicwetrust.com/articles/62h16.html. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  17. ↑ "Syrentha Savio Endowment - Press Release". Syrentha Savio Endowment. 2004-02-06. http://www.syrentha.org/news/press.php. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  18. ↑ "Coheed and Cambria". Pollstar.com. http://www.pollstar.com/news/viewhotstar.pl?Artist=COHCAM. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  19. ↑ "HCT Memorie - 2004". Honda Civic Tour. http://civictour.honda.com/heritage/?year=2004. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  20. ↑ "Thrice - The Artist in the Ambulance (Alternative Mix)". inTuneMusic. http://intunemusic.wordpress.com/2007/07/24/thrice-the-artist-in-the-ambulance-alternative-mix. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Thrice set to headline Taste of Chaos Tour". The Underground Scene. http://www.theundergroundscene.net/news.php?op=viewnews&nid=149. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  22. ↑ "Vheissu - Allmusic Review". Allmusic. http://www.artistdirect.com/nad/store/artist/album/0,,3430174,00.html. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Vheissu (liner notes), Island Records, 2005. 
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 "Thrice - Red Sky (EP)". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/discography/index.jsp?pid=436415&aid=769860. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  25. ↑ "Director Videography". Mvdbase.com. http://www.mvdbase.com/tech.php?last=Hope&first=Tim. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  26. ↑ "The Alchemy Index". Thrice. http://www.alchemyindex.com/. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  27. ↑ "Thrice and Island Records part ways". Absolutepunk.net. June 2007. http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=247621. Retrieved 2008-05-26. 
  28. ↑ "Thrice joins Vagrant Records". Punknews.org. http://www.punknews.org/article/25015. Retrieved 2007-12-17. 
  29. ↑ "Checkin In...". Thrice. 2007-10-13. http://www.alchemyindex.com/2007/10/13/113/. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  30. ↑ "Springsteen Returns To No. 1 In Slow Sales Week". Billboard.com. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003662234. Retrieved 2007-10-24. 
  31. ↑ "iTunes Store Top 10 Albums". iTunes.com. http://www.apple.com/euro/itunes/charts/top10albums.html. Retrieved 2007-10-19. 
  32. ↑ "Tour". Thrice. http://www.alchemyindex.com/tour/. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  33. ↑ [http://www.punknews.org/article/30829 "Thrice plans double live album for December." Punknews.org. October 14, 2008.
  34. ↑ "Thrice update". Idiomag.com. 2009-02-03. http://www.idiomag.com/peek/62556/thrice. Retrieved 2009-02-05. 
  35. ↑ Thrice starts mixing new album, announce title and October release
  36. ↑ http://www.webcitation.org/5iJcKna5A
  37. ↑ "Thrice Issue Statement About Leak". idiomag. 2009-07-24. http://www.idiomag.com/peek/93287/thrice. Retrieved 2009-07-24. 
  38. ↑ "And now for the rest of the story". http://www.thrice.net/?p=283. 
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 "Big grooves emerging from Thrice's tiny garage studio". OC Register. 2008-04-01. http://soundcheck.freedomblogging.com/2009/04/01/big-grooves-emerging-from-within-thrices-tiny-garage/5705/. Retrieved 2008-04-02. 
  40. ↑ "Batch 3 Rehearsal" Thrice - Studio Journal. Retrieved on April 27, 2009.
  41. ↑ Shultz, Brian. "Thrice Post Studio Update" Alternative Press website. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.
  42. ↑ Karan, Tim. "Bamboozle Left Set Times Up" Alternative Press website. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.
  43. ↑ Karan, Tim. "Kevin Lyman Reveals First Warped Tour Bands of 2009" Alternative Press website. Retrieved on April 3, 2009.
  44. ↑ YouTube Video of ALWIM"Brand New Thrice Song 2009" YouTube website. Retrieved on April 16, 2009
  45. ↑ [1]
  46. ↑ "Brand New op MySpace Music – Gratis gestreamde MP3’s, foto’s en Videoclips". Myspace.com. http://www.myspace.com/brandnew. Retrieved 2009-12-31. 
  47. ↑ Ambrose, Anthony. "inTuneMusic Online: Brand New / Thrice / Crime in Stereo @ Philadelphia 11/14". http://intunemusiconline.com/2009/11/14/brand-new-thrice-crime-in-stereo-philadelphia-1114/. Retrieved 2009-12-01. 
  48. ↑ "Important Update « Thrice". Thrice.net. 2009-11-18. http://www.thrice.net/?p=387. Retrieved 2009-12-31. 
  49. ↑ {{cite web|url=http://www.themanchesterorchestra.com/us/home|April 23 2010
  50. ↑ "Q&A: Dustin Kensrue". June 16, 2010. http://blaremagazine.com/2010/06/16/q-and-a-dustin-kensrue/. 
  51. ↑ ((Thrice Interview Pt.1 at OC Register 2:25-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v5cNfSXnek))
  52. ↑ "DustinKensrue". http://www.dustinkensrue.com/?p=20. Retrieved 2008-03-26. 
  53. ↑ "Dustin Kensrue - This Good Night Is Still Everywhere". Vagrant. http://www.vagrant.com/release/details/253. Retrieved 2008-10-31. 
  54. ↑ "Thrice - Chart History - Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved on August 20, 2009.
  55. ↑ "Thrice - Chart History - Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved on August 20, 2009.
  56. ↑ "Thrice - Charts & Awards - Billboard Albums" allmusic. Retrieved on November 6, 2008.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 "UK Chart Log: DJ T – Tzant (1994–2006)" Zobbel. Retrieved on August 20, 2009.
  58. ↑ "RIAA Search for Thrice". http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH. 
  59. ↑ "Thrice - Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles" allmusic. Retrieved on November 6, 2008.
  60. ↑ "Radio Industry News, Music Industry Updates, Arbitron Ratings, Music News and more!". FMQB. http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=16774. Retrieved 2009-12-31. 

External links

Thrice
Dustin Kensrue · Teppei Teranishi · Eddie Breckenridge · Riley Breckenridge
Studio albums
Identity Crisis · The Illusion of Safety · The Artist in the Ambulance · Vheissu · The Alchemy Index Vols. I & II · The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV · Beggars
EPs/Live Albums
First Impressions · Live from the SoHo & Santa Monica · If We Could Only See Us Now · Red Sky · Come All You Weary · The MySpace Transmissions · Live at the House of Blues
Singles
"Deadbolt" · "All That's Left" · "The Artist in the Ambulance" · "Stare at the Sun" · "Red Sky" · "Digital Sea" · "Come All You Weary" · "In Exile"
Labels
Sub City · Hopeless · Island · Vagrant
Related articles
Please Come Home
Wikipedia book Book:Thrice · Category Category:Thrice