| Freshman 15 | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Gainesville, Georgia, U.S. |
| Genres | Pop punk Easycore Power Pop |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | Standby Records |
| Website | Official Myspace |
| Members | |
| Davey Fortner Davey Hoogerwerf Leo Teran Mike Baker |
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Freshman 15 is an American pop punk band from Gainesville, Georgia.[1] The band was formed in 2002[2] but at that time they were named Xzamen.[1] They changed to the name "Freshman 15" in 2007.[1] The band formed as Xzamen was composed of Davey Fortner (vocals/guitar), Jeremy Smith (guitar/vocals), B.J. Formella (bass/vocals), and Breck Blanchard (drums).[1] In early 2009, Davey Hoogerwerf (formerly of Red Car Wire) became the new bassist and vocalist, replacing Formella.[1] Not long after, drummer Dave Tantao (formerly of We Are the In Crowd) also joined the band followed by guitarist Rob Felicetti (currently of Patent Pending). In 2011, drummer Leo Teran as well as guitarist and vocalist Mike Baker replaced Tanto and Felicetti.[3]
In August 2008, the Ohio based label Standby Records[1] signed the band on for a full length record. The result was Freshman 15's debut album, Throw Up Your Hands For One Night Stands, released January 20, 2009. The album was generally well-received by critics. The band toured in support of Throw Up Your Hands... for most of 2009 and began working on new material in 2010, releasing 3 singles via their myspace and facebook pages. An EP titled Talk of the Town had a planned release of August 2010 but was pulled by the label in an effort to have the band concentrate on another full length record. Dates and arrangements for the new record are yet to be announced.
Lead singer and guitarist Davey Fortner writes the lyrics and the majority of the bands music.[2] In Fortner's words, "Most of our songs are about girls with a choice few [songs] about how screwed the industry is these days. And it's hard to say if I will ever move on to write about other stuff".[2]
Recently the band competed in Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 14 in Los Angeles, California at the Key Club in West Hollywood. Freshman 15 competed along with four other bands. Each band was picked as a finalist due to their performances on the Ernie Ball Stage on the 2010 Vans Warped Tour. Over 200 hundred bands competed, but only 5 were selected as finalists. Freshman 15 has been confirmed for the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.
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