Straylight Run: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• The New Amsterdams
• Circa Survive
• Something Corporate
• Jets to Brazil
• The Hush Sound
• The Silent Type
• Brand New

• Counting Crows
• The Beatles
• Refused
• Fiona Apple
• Radiohead
• Neil Young

• Taking Back Sunday
• Breaking Pangaea

Formed:

May 1, 2003 in Long Island, NY

Genres:

Rock Music, Emo

Decades Active:

2000's

In the early 2000s, emorock outfit Taking Back Sunday was steadily gaining popularity among a new generation of punk rock fans, due in part to the dynamic songwriting and vocal team of Adam Lazzara and John Nolan. However, as their powerful debut, Tell All Your Friends, kept gaining momentum, restlessness among band members grew as well, leading to the eventual departure of guitarist/ vocalist Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper. Regrouping together under the name Straylight Run, the two completed the band by recruiting Nolan's sister Michelle (vocals/ keyboards) and exBreaking Pangea drummer, Will Noon. Forming in May 2003, Straylight Run turned its back on the aggressive, two vocalist attack of Taking Back Sunday a formula many young bands were in turn adopting and expanding upon and opted for a more indie rock approach with pensive, dreamy, and often pianodriven tunes. The group soon recorded several demo tracks that they released for free download on their website. The accessibility of the songs, coupled with the past reputation of its chief songwriter, began an early and quickly growing buzz around the band. The band signed to Victory in April 2004, releasing their selftitled debut six months later. The album contained new songs along with rerecordings of their online demos. Months of touring followed with various bands including Hot Rod Circuit, Say Anything, Northstar, Rooney, and Minus the Bear, while their first single "Existentialism on Prom Night" gradually worked its way into rotation on alterative rock radio, MTV2 and Fuse. Straylight Run next combined their acoustic stirrings with more socially aware lyrics on October 2005's Prepare to Be Wrong EP.

- Corey Apar, All Music Guide