| You, Me, and Everyone We Know | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | YM&EWK, YMAEWK |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Genres | pop rock, Indie Rock, Powerpop |
| Years active | 2006—2011 |
| Labels | Doghouse Records/Top Shelf Records |
| Website | myspace.com/ youmeandeveryoneweknow |
| Members | |
| Ben Liebsch |
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| Past members | |
| Rico Vigil Augustine Rampolla Mike Ghazarian Kyle Gibson John Farrell Dan Lee Paul Martinez Ryan Sherrill Mike O'Rourke Aaron Stern Noel Milford |
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You, Me, and Everyone We Know was a pop rock band from Washington, D.C.,[1] fronted by singer-songwriter Ben Liebsch. They released their debut EP Party for the Grown and Sexy in 2006. Their second EP, So Young, So Insane, was released on November 18, 2008, and their first full length, Some Things Don't Wash Out, came out in October 2010.[2]
The band announced on April 20, 2011 that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus, following the cancellation of a recent tour. Band members Rico Vigil, Augustine Rampolla, Mike Ghazarian, John Farrell, and Kyle Gibson announced the break-up via a note on Facebook, citing that singer Ben Liebsch made decisions that were "irreparable." Ben stated in the same note that the future of the name of the band was uncertain, and that "only time will tell."[3]
Despite the break-up, the band released their EP "Things Are Really Weird Right Now" on May 3.[4]
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The band formed in 2006 consisting of lead singer Ben Liebsch, guitarists Ryan Sherrill and Noel Milford, bassist Dan Lee, and drummer Paul Martinez. Before You, Me, and Everyone We Know, Martinez and Sherrill were in a well-known D.C. band. That same year, You, Me, and Everyone We Know recorded their debut EP, Party for the Grown and Sexy with Trevor Simpson. The album received mostly positive reviews, with The Daily Chorus calling the work "a beacon that proves there are still bands that really enjoy the music they create" and gave the album an 8/10. Die Shellsuit, Die! gave the album a 9/10 and called the band "one of the funniest, most cheery, cheekily upbeat, smile inducing, rock-out-tastic fun poppy melodic pop-punk bands out there right now. Ever."[5][6]
After releasing their debut EP, You, Me, and Everyone We Know was noticed by Drive-Thru Records' co-founders Richard Reines and Stefanie Reines, who offered to manage the band. While supporting the record, the band toured with acts including I Am the Avalanche, Piebald, Phantom Planet, Four Year Strong, and Plane and Pilot.[7][8] However, in 2007, Dan Lee was replaced by bassist Mike O'Rourke, formerly of The Alpha Couple.[9]
You, Me, and Everyone We Know toured with The Color Fred, The Pink Spiders, and Paper Rival beginning October 26, 2007. Before the tour, they announced that work was beginning on recording a full-length album.[10] In January 2008, Rico Vigil joined the band to play keyboard. Also in January, the band confirmed an upcoming full-length album.[11] The band recorded two extra tracks, "Livin' th' Dream" and "Dirty Laundry", again with Trevor Simpson and, on January 28, 2008, re-released Party for the Grown and Sexy along with new artwork. The new version was made available online to download for free.[12]
In late April 2008, You, Me, And Everyone We Know toured with Socratic and Say No More on the Drive-Thru Records Small Fries Tour.[13] Then, in June, the band toured with Just Surrender, Every Avenue, and The Morning Light.[14] After the tour, it was announced that drummer Aaron Stern, formerly of Matchbook Romance,[15] had replaced Paul Martinez. Before Stern joined, You, Me, and Everyone We Know, without a drummer, was forced to play a few acoustic sets before finding guest drummers to fill in (including Steve Miller of Just Surrender).[16] Shortly thereafter, the band played two dates of Warped Tour 2008, July 1 and 2.[17] They began a tour with The Dear Hunter, Lydia, and Eye Alaska in August 2008.[18] Before a week was up, the band's van ignited and much of their possessions were destroyed. However, their instruments survived and You, Me, and Everyone We Know continued the tour.[19]
Prior to a tour with Sing it Loud and Take Cover (during September and October 2008), the band announced their upcoming, sophomore EP So Young, So Insane in September 2008. You, Me, and Everyone We Know stated that it will be released November 18, 2008, and that the band will work with Joshua Cain of Motion City Soundtrack and Jordan Schmidt to record the album. The band also announced a nationwide tour with Karate High School and I Set My Friends On Fire during November and December 2008.[20][21][22] Before the tour started, Liebsch announced that O'Rourke and Sherrill left the band before recording So Young, So Insane.[23]
They toured with Forgive Durden, and Anarbor from May 5, 2009 through June 6, 2009 playing 28 shows in 33 days covering 18 states, from Pennsylvania through Washington State. Joining the band was Augustine Rampolla, a young talented guitar player and singer/songwriter from Reisterstown, Maryland. The tour with Forgive Durden and Anarbor was filled with many high energy performances in which the members of YMEWK brought their high energy to bear on the performances of their touring partners, including Ben lending his vocal abilities on Forgive Durden's Razia's Shadow performance. The tour culminated in Seattle with a spectacular high energy performance by all three bands at the highly popular Chop Suey music venue.
The band continued to tour throughout the Midwest and back toward their home state on the East coast with Asteria and Take Cover.
In November 2009, You, Me and Everyone We Know streamed two of their recording sessions via ustream.tv where viewers could hear new material the band was working on, possibly for the long-awaited full length album. At a show in December at Mojoes Rock House they performed a new song that was heard during the streams.
In 2010, the band went on "The Avatour" with Breathe Electric, We are the In Crowd, and Stay. In October 2010, the first album, Some Things Don't Wash Out was released.[2] The band was scheduled to tour with Hellogoodbye, Now Now Every Children, and Gold Motel in 2011.
2011 in a tour with We Are the In Crowd, The Downtown Fiction, Allstar Weekend as well as headlining band The Ready Set in the Glamour Kills Tour.
April 20, 2011 was the day it was revealed on the band's Facebook page that the band went on an infinite hiatus. 5 members (Farrell, Rampolla, Vigil, Ghazarian & Gibson) left, leaving the one singer (Liebsch) alone in the band. Soon after, Liebsch wrote a batch of paragraphs explaining how he's sorry and everything from the break up. He included that he had an alcohol problem. He'd steal money (not much in the beginning) from the bands funds to buy drinks. Then another member on the bands official Tumblr announced that Liebsch did not have a drinking problem. And he stole money for other things than drinks. Despite the ex-members' statements, most fans and other touring bands had noted Liebsch's drinking as more than just social. Liebsch has stated to be sober since the exodus of the other members.
Augustine Rampolla and Kyle Gibson have started a new band: The Little Indians and Rico Vigil and Mike Ghazarian have formed a group called Boxer, Farrell has recently been touring with the band HelloGoodbye. Augustine Rampolla has also performed in for HelloGoodbye for several dates in the fall of 2011.
You, Me, and Everyone We Know's music falls under the rock and pop genres. The band's influences include Joe Cocker, Andrew W.K., and Schuylar Croom, lead vocalist of the band He Is Legend. You, Me, and Everyone We Know is frequently compared to the band Say Anything, for various reasons, notably the similarity of Leibsch's voice to Max Bemis's, where both voices are very strange and idiosyncratic; the prominence of shouted gang vocals; and the highly sexual content of the lyrics, unusual for rock music in the pop rock vein. They have also been compared to others such as The Format, fun. and Panic! at the Disco.[1][7] Of the band's lyrics and music, Liebsch has said, "A lot of the stuff is a mix of what sits in the back of your head", and, "Most of the songs are more cautionary tales then anything else. In the end we're trying to write exciting music that's catchy and throws you for a loop at the same time."[7]
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