The Promise Ring
The Promise Ring was an American rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that is recognized as part of the second wave of emo. Among various other EPs and singles, the band released four studio albums during their initial run: 30° Everywhere (1996), Nothing Feels Good (1997), Very Emergency (1999), and Wood/Water (2002). Their first two albums solidified their place among the emo scene; their third effort shifted toward pop music, while their final record was much more experimental in nature. The band initially broke up in 2002 and has reunited sporadically since then to perform live, but no new material from the band has since been released. They were last active for a live performance in 2016.
The Promise Ring
- 1995–2002
- 2011–2012
(one-off reunions: 2005, 2015, 2016)
- Dan Didier
- Jason Gnewikow
- Davey von Bohlen
- Scott Schoenbeck
- Matt Mangan
- Scott Beschta
- Tim Burton
- Ryan Weber
The Promise Ring was formed in 1995 by guitarist Jason Gnewikow and drummer Dan Didier. Cap'n Jazz guitarist Davey von Bohlen joined the band soon thereafter and became the band's vocalist. The trio remained the Promise Ring's core members throughout its history. The band has employed a host of other bass guitarists throughout its existence, but their last bassist Scott Schoenbeck has remained with the group the longest.
History[edit]
Formation (1995)[edit]
The Promise Ring was formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from the aftermath of two groups in February 1995: guitarists Jason Gnewikow and Matt Mangan (both from None Left Standing), and drummer Dan Didier and bassist Scott Beschta (both from Ceilishrine).[1] Mangan moved to Indianapolis soon after the group formed,[2] prompting the band to invite Cap'n Jazz guitarist Davey von Bohlen as Mangan's replacement.[3] Bohlen was friends with Gnewikow prior to this, but Didier and Beschta became new acquaintances to him after joining the group.[2] The band recorded a three-track demo which included "Jupiter", "12 Sweaters Red" and "Mineral Point" that March,[4] and played their first show shortly afterward.[5] In June, the group went on a 10-day tour of the East Coast; Bohlen soon returned to tour with Cap'n Jazz to support the release of their debut, Shmap'n Shmazz. After the ninth day of that tour, Cap'n Jazz broke up,[2] and Bohlen was able to focus his time on the Promise Ring.[1]
Musical style[edit]
The Promise Ring's style has been described at various points throughout their career as emo,[1][87] indie rock,[1][87] pop-punk,[87] power pop,[88][89][90] and indie pop.[91] The group began as a continuation of the founding members' previous bands: emo bands None Left Standing, Ceilishrine, and Cap'n Jazz, all of whom played a particular kind of emo localized in the Midwestern United States.[1] The Promise Ring became known as part of "second wave" emo,[92] which was more geographically diverse than the first; Theo Cateforis wrote in Grove Music Online that the Promise Ring became leaders of this period alongside Austin, Texas-based Mineral and Seattle, Washington-based Sunny Day Real Estate.[93] Over the duration of their original run, the Promise Ring would progressively distance themselves from the genre, moving towards pop between Nothing Feels Good[11] and Very Emergency[94][95][96] and starting from scratch on Wood/Water with their new label.[43][44]
Their debut record 30° Everywhere carried post-hardcore and punk rock influences,[2][11] and has been praised as a benchmark and blueprint for emo as a whole.[40] Though the band reportedly did not like the album in retrospect,[2][97] it was praised for its "very catchy, very intense, [and] very powerful" material.[98] The group opted for a cleaner, more pop-oriented sound on Nothing Feels Good, which contrasted 30° Everywhere and the punk-like approach Bohlen used in Cap'n Jazz,[11] with critics noting a shift toward power pop[11][15][99] in addition to the band's already established emo sound.[100][101][102] Nothing Feels Good is noted for pushing the band to the forefront of the emo scene,[24] which helped to forge the way for subsequent landmark releases by their peers, such as Something to Write Home About (1999) by the Get Up Kids and Bleed American (2001) by Jimmy Eat World.[101]
Nothing Feels Good and the Boys + Girls EP foreshadowed the Promise Ring completely shifting toward pop,[103] which was fully displayed on Very Emergency.[94][95][96] The sessions with Riley sparked another stylistic turn, differing significantly from that of Very Emergency;[51][45] Wood/Water, the only full-length to follow the band's releases on Jade Tree, was an alternative country,[52][104] indie rock,[105][106] and pop album,[107] with elements of roots rock, alternative pop,[13] and psychedelic pop.[48]
Studio albums