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Saves the Day is a rock band that was formed in 1997 in Princeton, New Jersey.

History

Saves The Day originally performed in the New Jersey area under the name Sefler as a five-piece band. The name change came sometime around late 1997. Of the original lineup, only Chris Conley remains today. The band has gone through numerous lineup changes over the years and has only recorded two consecutive albums (Through Being Cool and Stay What You Are) with the same lineup, with Conley and guitarist David Soloway the only permanent fixtures.

The band's first proper release, Can't Slow Down, was recorded and released through Equal Vision Records in 1998 while the members were still in high school.

Using the band's own resources, they released a 5-song acoustic EP, I'm Sorry I'm Leaving EP in early 1999. Later that year, they released their second full-length with Equal Vision, Through Being Cool, which saw the band further refining their melodic hardcore sound. The band began drawing attention from some of the larger independent labels, eventually signing with Vagrant Records.

In 2001, the band began moving away from their roots with the release of Stay What You Are. The album had a poppier feel with more intricate guitar work and arrangements rather than the previous power chord-based sound. The band scored a major hit with a video for the song "At Your Funeral," and made appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn. The band also released a video for "Freakish," featuring Muppet-esque puppets, in April of 2002. Shortly after the album's release, guitarist Ted Alexander left the band and Conley took over guitar duties. This was original drummer Bryan Newman's last recording with the band, who also left shortly after the album's release.

With the success of Stay What You Are, the band signed with major label Dreamworks Records who would co-release their next album with Vagrant, who still had the band under contract. With the 2003 release of In Reverie, the band further experimented with their sound and featured less macabre lyrics than their past albums. The drastic change in sound was divisive among fans, and the album received little support from Dreamworks. The song "Anywhere with You" was released as a single, but went largely unnoticed. Conley later had the following to say about the album:

" completely abandoned it three days after it was released, saying that we made the wrong record."

Shortly after its release, Dreamworks was absorbed by Interscope Records, who would eventually drop the band from its roster.

The band fulfilled their contractual obligations with Vagrant with the 2004 release of Ups and Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides. The album was a collection of b-sides and also included the I'm Sorry I'm Leaving EP and featured a song from the band's days as Sefler. The album was dedicated to former bassist Sean McGrath, who died in 2004 at age 28 after a 2-year battle with intestinal cancer. McGrath recorded with the band on Can't Slow Down and left during the writing of Through Being Cool. The band was relatively inactive in 2004, during which time they set up their own studio, the Electric Ladybug.

In early 2005, the band began writing their follow-up to In Reverie without a label. During the writing process, longtime bassist Eben D'amico left the band. He was replaced by Glassjaw bassist Manuel Carrero. Conley offered frequent updates on the recording process via the band's website, at one point describing the new album's sound as "The Beatles from Hell". The band finished the new album, titled Sound the Alarm in October 2005, still without a label to release it.

The band announced on January 30, 2006 that they had re-signed with Vagrant, who would release Sound The Alarm in April. The album marked a return to the band's darker lyrics and drew more from their hardcore influences than In Reverie had. During the Sound The Alarm recording sessions, the band also recorded an EP of acoustic versions of several songs from past albums, which was sold on tour throughout 2006 as Bug Sessions Volume One.

The band toured extensively throughout 2006 and early 2007 in support of Sound the Alarm. In February 2007, they announced they already demoed 13 new songs for a new album, already titled Under the Boards, which was released on October 30 through Vagrant Records.

On March 28, 2007, after four-and-a-half years with the band, drummer Pete Parada left the band and joined The Offspring. Carrero's Glassjaw bandmate Durijah Lang has taken over drum duties, and even recorded on Under the Boards. In a recent interview Chris Conley said the next Bug Sessions will be a collection of live songs recorded on their 30-date acoustic tour. Volumes 2 and 3 of the tour-exclusive EPs will be available on the band's The Bamboozle Roadshow tour at $7 for one, or $10 for both.

Discography

Singles

• "Shoulder to the Wheel" (2000)
• "At Your Funeral" (2002)
• "Freakish" (2002)
• "Anywhere with You" (2003)
• "Eulogy" (2006)
• "The End" (2006)
• "'Can't Stay the Same" (2007)

Compilation appearances

• The Rebirth Of Hardcore:1999 on Supersoul Records, Good Life Recordings, Temperance Records (1999) (features "The Art of Misplacing Firearms")
• Punk Uprisings: Incompatible, Vol. 2 (1999) (features "Shoulder to the Wheel")
• City Rockers: A Tribute to The Clash (1999) (features cover of The Clash's "Clash City Rockers")
• Equal Visions Records Sampler (2000) (features "Always Ten Feet Tall")
• Vagrant Records: Summer Sampler (2000) (features "Holly Hox, Forget Me Nots")
• Another Year on the Streets (2000) (features "A Drag in D Flat" and "Sell My Old Clothes, I'm Off to Heaven")
• Another Year on the Screen Vol. 1 (2002) (features "At Your Funeral")
• Another Year on the Streets Vol. 2 (2002) (features "Ups and Downs" and "Nightingale")
• Kerrang! The Album 4 (2002) (features "At Your Funeral")
• Welcome To Vagrant Records (2003) (features "At Your Funeral")
• Living Tomorrow Today: A Benefit for Ty Cambra (2003) (features "A Drag in D Flat")
• Another Year on the Streets Vol. 3 (2004) (features "When It Isn't Like It Should Be")
• A Compilation to Beat Cancer (2004) (features "Don't Go Outside")
• Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (2005) (features cover of Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer")
• Warped Tour 2006 Compilation (2006) (features "The End")
• Madden NFL 2007 Compilation (2007) (features "Head For The Hills")

Related Bands

• Little League / Kill Verona - Sean McGrath
• Mouthpiece - Sean McGrath
• Hands Tied - Sean McGrath
• Five Star - Sean McGrath, Anthony Anastasio
• Purpose - Anthony Anastasio
• Another Victim - Ted Alexander
• Humble Beginnings - Eben D'Amico
• Yearly - Eben D'Amico
• Settle - Eben D'Amico
• The Stryder - Eben D'Amico, Durijah Lang
• Engine - Pete Parada
• Face to Face - Pete Parada
• Jackson/Jackson United - Pete Parada
• The Offspring - Pete Parada
• Burn - Manuel Carrero
• Stillsuit - Manuel Carrero
• Glassjaw - Manuel Carrero, Durijah Lang
• Classic Case - Durijah Lang
• Two Tongues - Chris Conley, Dave Soloway

References

1. Interview with Skratch Magazine, Issue 122.
2. Punknews.org | Saves The Day posts recording update; promises "The Beatles from Hell"
3. News: The Offspring

External links

• Saves the Day
• Template:MySpace-music
• Saves The Day MP3 Site
• Saves The Day fansite
• Synthesis Magazine interview
• another Synthesis Magazine interview
• Saves The Day Interview - October 12th, 2007
• Saves the Day Fanlisting

• 1990s music groups
• 2000s music groups
• American indie rock groups
• New Jersey musical groups
• Emo musical groups
• Quartets
• Musical groups established in 1997