MAKING APRIL
“It came out really well for what we didn’t know. It just worked out,” says Sean Scanlon, lead singer and pianist for the exciting, melodic rock band Making April. To say that Making April's music “worked out” is a modest understatement on Sean’s part, considering the once unsigned band sold one hundred thousand downloads from their debut EP “Runaway World.”
100, 000 downloads in this music climate - how? When you have the musicianship and focused determination that Sean, Greg Federspiel (Bass) and Steven McCaffrey (Lead Guitar) have, it comes as no surprise at all.
Making April began their rise in the hamlet of Verplanck, New York. Steve and Sean met first, as kids, and had a shared interest in learning how to play music by ear. Sean and Greg eventually hooked up in middle school and formed a punk band while Steve formed a Ska band of his own. Both bands ruled their territory with a rocking ferociousness until life stepped in and pointed everyone in the direction of college - three different colleges, actually. With Sean and Greg going out for business degrees, and Steve trying to make it as a college baseball pitcher, the horizon did not look too bright for the band to even form at all.
That is until Steve transferred to SUNY Albany, where he coincidentally attended the same accounting class as Sean. Soon it became obvious to both that they should start jamming together again. With mutual interests in NOFX, Green Day and Blink 182, Sean and Steve worked together on a few acoustic songs and headed in to a random studio in Albany to record “Driveway.” Even though they weren't 100 percent pleased with it, the guys put the song online to see if any one would care. Care they did, as the song garnered some local buzz, driving them back into the studio to create a three-song demo that included “Chase You Down”, “All of Yours” and a re-recorded “Driveway." After the initial demo sessions, Greg officially joined the band in the summer of 2005. The perfect balance was achieved, and it looked as if both talent and fate were pointing them in the right direction.
Anxious to start building their online fan base, Sean, Steve and Greg were determined to name their project by April of 2005. When March came to an end and the band was still nameless, they looked to their situation for a simple answer. “We’re trying to make a name by April” … and in turn, “Making April” was born.
Buoyed by fan reaction, the threesome went back into the Studio again where they would record their fourth demo song, “These Are the Nights." The band seriously began promoting their demo, playing shows and writing new material. They had enough music to head back into the studio for a fourth time and record eight songs in ten days.
What came from these recordings is a band that creates tight, expertly crafted songs rife with melodic vocals, timeless songwriting, rock infused piano and catchy choruses. In other words, what emerged was the sound of Making April: A band not afraid to tug at your heart with lush synth-strings, while maintaining an honest, barebones truthfulness and simplicity with their lyrics. The memorable choruses and unflinching look into the sorrows and joys of being in a relationship demand that you that you not only hear what they are saying, but sing along.
After creating a Paypal account and selling some music via the internet, the music coordinator of MTV’s hit show Laguna Beach dialed up, requesting “These Are the Nights” for their program. Stoked, to say the least, the band was about to turn a corner in their career and move closer to their goal of reaching a wider audience. Wanting to take full advantage of their good fortune, the band secured their spot on iTunes through a UK distributor and the single went on to sell one-hundred thousand downloads, eventually pushing them into My Space’s “top ten unsigned bands." It was at this moment the band had the realization that it was truly possible to make a living in music.
Soon after, word got out to Universal Republic Records, who quickly took note of the band’s strong following and enthusiastic live shows. “The day we signed was both unique and exciting,” says Greg, “We knew it was a feeling that most bands don’t get to experience; it feels great to have a team like Universal Republic working behind you.”
With audiences nationwide singing along with their lyrics from venue to venue, Making April is only too happy to build that fan base from the ground up. Whether through communicating with them directly at gigs, on MySpace, or with their Blogger account, which details the triumphs and craziness of their current road experience, Making April are committed for the long haul: “We’re feeling good, we feel like we’re in motion - we’re building from the ground up and trying to connect with every fan.”
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