Thursday

Members: Geoff Rickly, Tom Keeley, Steve Pedulla, Tim Payne, Tucker Rule, Andrew Everding

Active: 1997 - Present

HISTORY

Thursday is a post-hardcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, formed in 1997. The band released their first full-length album Waiting in 1999 on New Jersey-based indie record label Eyeball Records. The band came from a DIY background, and their first album can be compared to that of Four Hundred Years and early Cursive.

Thursday emerged from the underground indie scene at the turn of the 21st century, attracting the attention of Victory Records. Garnering significant commercial radio airtime with the single "Understanding in a Car Crash" from their breakthrough second album Full Collapse, the band landed a major label record deal with Island Records. The result of this deal was War All the Time, the group's third album, which was released in September 2003.

Thursday's sound is based upon both post-punk atmospherics and hardcore's visceral instrumentation. Droning and chiming guitar riffs layered atop heavy bass lines echo Thursday's British influences such as The Cure, The Smiths, and Joy Division, as well as New York City's Sonic Youth. This element serves as a connection between Thursday and presently popular art rock bands like Interpol and Cursive. Odd time signatures, tempo and key changes, and multi-sectional song structures also play a prominent role, akin to progressive rock bands such as Yes and Rush.

Lyrically, vocalist Geoff Rickly concentrates on the struggles of living in the world today using violent imagery coupled with beautiful and shimmering phrases. Rickly cites Denis Johnson, Michael Palmer, Jim Carroll, and William Burroughs as major influences. Furthermore, some of the more memorable imagery from Full Collapse and War All The Time are borrowed from the book White Noise by Don DeLillo, a novel that Rickly has recommended to fans via the band's website. The band even included part of the poem "I Speak of the City," by the late, influential Mexican writer Octavio Paz, in the booklet of their newest album, A City by the Light Divided.

Thursday have played with other modern rock groups including At the Drive-In, Boy Sets Fire, Hot Water Music, Sparta, and AFI, as well as with goth rock/New Wave legends The Cure. The band has also appeared on the Vans Warped Tour, billed on the main stage in 2002 and 2004. They have also been announced for 2006's bill.

Thursday has finished recording their new album with Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Mogwai, Sleater-Kinney) at Tarbox Road Studios in Cassadaga, New York. The original idea, a two disc concept album entitled A City By Light Divided (a poem by Octavio Paz), was scrapped after troubles within the band and a new lyrical direction. The new album was released on May 2, 2006. The album will be released on May 8th in the UK. Thursday will also be doing some small shows around the country in an attempt to hold on to their DIY roots. The first single is entitled "Counting 5-4-3-2-1" and is available on the internet

According to a January 10th interview, Geoff has contacted fellow bands Cursive, Converge, The Blood Brothers, and The Blackout Pact (as well as two other currently unnamed bands) to collaborate on a song entitled "In A City By The Light Divided" for Thursday's new album. According to Converge's official website, they have agreed. Not much has been said about the undertaking and whether or not any of the other bands have confirmed their involvement in the project.

In April of 2006, 2 Samples were leaked onto the internet, of Sugar in the Sacrament, and We Will Overcome, off of their upcoming album.

On April 18th, 2006, the entire album was released onto their MySpace site.

ALBUMS

1999 - Waiting

2001 - Full Collapse

2002 - Five Stories Falling (EP)

2003 - War All the Time

2006 - A City by the Light Divided

SINGLES

2001 - "Understanding in a Car Crash" Full Collapse

2002 - "Cross Out the Eyes" Full Collapse

2003 - "Signals Over the Air" War All the Time

2003 - "For the Workforce, Drowning" War All the Time

2004 - "War All the Time" War All the Time

2006 - "Counting 5-4-3-2-1" A City by the Light Divided