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Boys Like Girls:
Unafraid to wear their heart on their collective sleeve, Boston-based pop/rock outfit Boys Like Girls feature singer/guitarist Martin Johnson, bassist Bryan Donahue, drummer John Keefe, and guitarist Paul DiGiovanni (the last two being cousins). After Boys Like Girls posted some early demos online, the band's catchy hooks and youthful enthusiasm had gathered them quite a following by 2005's end, while also catching the attention of industry players like booking agent Matt Galle (My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday) and producer Matt Squire (Panic! at the Disco, Northstar), who both contacted the band about working together. Following a national PureVolume-sponsored tour with Hit the Lights and A Thorn for Every Heart, Boys Like Girls entered the studio with Squire to record their debut album. The resulting self-titled effort appeared in August 2006 on Red Ink.
Good Charlotte:
In 2000 Good Charlotte released their self titled debut album under Epic Records. Landing a spot as MTV as VJ's for All things Rock, the twins got mad exposure which only boosted the groups image. With the release of the Young and the Hopeless the band found themselves whirling quickly to the top once again, but this time with major mainstream success. Successful touring kept the alternative punk band flying high for the release of their 2004 album, The Chronicles of Life and Death, which once again proved to cement their reputation as a thriving rock band.
Metro Station:
The electro-rock outfit Metro Station is comprised of Trace Cyrus (vocals, guitar), Blake Healy (keyboards, synthesizer), Mason Musso (vocals, guitar), and Anthony Improgo (percussion). As is often the case in the band's native Hollywood, Metro Station owes its formation to a handful of well-placed connections. Co-frontman Cyrus is the stepson of country star Billy Ray Cyrus, and his half sister, Miley Cyrus, plays the title character on Disney's Hannah Montana. Similarly, Musso's younger brother plays the role of Oliver Oken in Hannah Montana, and the two older-sibling musicians met at the urging of their respective mothers. After adding keyboardist Healy to the lineup, the trio recorded a single -- the teenage anthem "Seventeen Forever" -- and were surprised by its sudden chart success at MySpace.com. The group's Internet presence attracted the attention of percussionist Improgo, who took note of the band's mix of '80s-styled electro and pop. Improgo soon joined Metro Station as the band's drummer, and the group set off to play shows in the L.A. area. However, it was MySpace that would (again) prove to be their biggest asset, as an intern at Red Ink discovered the band while perusing the website's music listings. A record deal with Red Ink followed in late 2006 -- the very same year as Metro Station's formation -- and the quartet headed to New York City to record its first full-length album. Featuring production from Motion City Soundtrack's Josh Cain and Justin Pierre on the leadoff single "Kelsey," Metro Station's self-titled debut was released in September 2007.
Ace Young:
After years of pursuing a career as a musical artist, Ace Young first flashed onto the national scene as a finalist on season 5 of American Idol. Persistent weekly exposure to some 40 million viewers made Ace one of the most recognizable male faces ever to appear on America's most widely watched television program.
Following Idol, Ace traveled the country performing to 60 sold out arenas across the nation. With the help of Idol, the Tour, and his own work ethic, Ace was in position to fulfill his dream of a career in music. While interest from labels followed, they were pressing Ace for immediate release to capitalize on his Idol fame, but Ace felt that rushing to market would not allow him to produce the album he envisioned. Since he was performing 6 or more gigs a month with his band across the US for income, he could afford to be patient.
Next, Ace then made a short list of producers and songwriters that he respected and hoped to collaborate with and began reaching out to them. Incredibly, he was able to arrange a meeting with the first person on his list, Desmond Child, producer and songwriter behind hits from many artists Ace really admired. After two meetings Ace and Desmond agreed to share the album cost equally and form a partnership making Desmond the Executive Producer. Together they came up with a plan to produce an album that molded the breadth of Ace's musical influences into one record where each song would stand alone - a Rock/R&B/Funk collaboration drawing from Ace's experiences and observations of life.
It became clear that this album was a throwback to methods and processes involved in creating the great albums of the seventies and eighties: amazing live Rock and R&B musicians, a 30 piece string section, live horns and talented contemporary producers. Over sixteen months this adventure took Ace from Los Angeles to New York, Florida, Nashville and Stockholm, Sweden to write with Desmond Child and other renowned hit-makers including Andreas Carlsson. Also included is a song written specifically for Ace by Diane Warren.
As the album was coming to completion Ace was rewarded with a Grammy nomination for his co-write on Daughtry's triple platinum hit single "It's Not Over". As Ace wrote on seven of the songs on his own album, this nomination further validated the authenticity of his talent.
In the process of completing the album independently, Ace built a strong seasoned executive team of music professionals. He has now partnered with PAZZO Music to release his album through Fontana/Universal in June 2008. Many music industry insiders believe that Ace and his team may have created a model for the future of the recording industry.