Through Being Cool
Through Being Cool is the second studio album by American rock band Saves the Day, released on November 2, 1999, by Equal Vision. The songs on Through Being Cool were written while the band members attended New York University. The album was recorded in 11 days and represented the band's transition from a melodic hardcore sound to a more pop punk style. It was produced by Steve Evetts at Trax East Recording Studio in South River, New Jersey. The band's members dropped out of college to tour alongside Snapcase, New Found Glory, Hot Water Music, and Face to Face, among others. A music video was filmed for the song "Shoulder to the Wheel."
For the Devo song, see Through Being Cool (Devo song).Through Being Cool
Eventually selling 50,000 copies, the success of Through Being Cool helped Saves the Day to sign with Vagrant Records. It was named one of Alternative Press' 10 most influential albums of 1999. To celebrate the album's 15th anniversary, the band played the album front-to-back on tour and Equal Vision re-pressed the album on vinyl. Vocalist Chris Conley considers it "the most important record that we did."
Background[edit]
Saves the Day formed in late 1997. Their debut album, Can't Slow Down, was released through Equal Vision in August 1998.[1] The album helped the band to gain fans, mainly in the New Jersey area.[2] The band promoted the album with two tours helping to expand its fan base.[1] Initially, they were heckled at each appearance. Drummer Bryan Newman said that the group was "totally out of place" among the other bands on the tour.[3] Saves the Day had three different lineup changes while touring in support of Can't Slow Down, leaving vocalist Chris Conley and Newman as the only original members remaining.[3]
Saves the Day's guitarist, Justin Gaylord, had left at the end of their first full tour of the United States. Dave Soloway, who had driven the band to their gigs during high school, was added to the band as Gaylord's replacement.[3][nb 1] Conley described Soloway as a kid who "came from bluegrass and his family would sit around singing folk songs and stuff at home."[3] Guitarist Ted Alexander was the band's roadie, and spent so much time with the band that they eventually "just gave him a guitar".[3] Sean McGrath, bassist on the band's first album, was kicked out of the band and the group sought a replacement.[4][3] Around the time, Saves the Day was playing gigs with local bands, one of which Eben D'Amico was in.[3] Conley called him a "sick" bassist and eventually asked him if he would like to join Saves the Day.[3] With this lineup, the band entered Shoulder to the Wheel studios in March 1999 and recorded an acoustic EP, I'm Sorry I'm Leaving.[5] The EP was released in mid-1999 on Immigrant Sun Records, and only 500 copies were pressed.[6]
Recording[edit]
Through Being Cool was recorded with producer Steve Evetts in June 1999 at Trax East Recording Studio[7] in South River, New Jersey.[3][nb 2] Evetts always kept the band "in line" and was "definitely the guru of the whole thing", according to Newman.[3] Unfortunately, the experience of recording in a studio nearly led to Newman having a breakdown, as he was not used to the environment; he later noted that the entire process "was intense".[3] Recording and mixing was done over a total of eleven days. The band, attempting to finish the album, pulled all-nighters, relaxing in the control room, and sleeping in the lounge. In an interview with Alternative Press, Conley that while other people might have thought the group was trying to rush through production, he and his band members were actually "just having a blast".[9] The recording sessions also included two additional half-day sessions, which were booked due to Conley losing his voice recording the vocals.[3] Eventually, when it came time to track the album, Conley and the band were "really psyched" at how the songs were sounding.[9] Evetts also engineered the album, while Alan Douches mastered it at West West Side.[7]
Release and touring[edit]
When the band gave the finished album to Sandshaw, he said that the Equal Vision staff "couldn't stop listening to it" and were determined to get the band "the exposure they deserved."[3] Sandshaw thought it was going to be a game-changing album.[3] Dropping out of college to give the album live exposure, the band built a big fan base along the east coast.[2][nb 4] In October and November 1999, Saves the Day went on tour with Snapcase and Kid Dynamite.[14] Through Being Cool was released on November 2[15] on Equal Vision Records.[16][nb 5] The band played a release show with The Get Up Kids, At the Drive-In, and Midtown.[3] In January 2000, the band toured alongside Piebald and New Found Glory,[18] and then with Snapcase in late January until early February.[18] Saves the Day also played in February with Hot Water Music.[18] In February, the band filmed the music video for "Shoulder to the Wheel" with director Darren Doan.[19] The video was filmed at Soloway's parents' house and featured the band's friends.[3] The group played songs to get people into the mood before miming along to "Shoulder to the Wheel".[3] The video was released to television stations on April 7.[20] The band was uncomfortable with Doan's ideas during the making of the video, and Newman said the group "hated it as soon as [they] saw it".[3]
The band went on a North American tour in 2000 with H2O between March and May.[1] On this trip, the band got into an accident with their van that almost ended their career.[21] They rejoined the tour on the Seattle date.[22] By the time this run had ended, the album had sold nearly 50,000 copies – a massive number for Equal Vision.[2] In an issue of CMJ New Music Report dated May 2000, it was announced that due to the success of Through Being Cool,[23][nb 6] Saves the Day had signed with Vagrant Records.[16] Rich Egan, founder of Vagrant,[24] became their manager.[2] Egan "fell in love" with the band because their lyrics were "so honest, so cut and dried."[2] The band performed on a few Warped Tour dates[23] in early August.[25] Following this, the band played shows with Face to Face, New Found Glory, and Alkaline Trio in late August[25] to early October.[26] They again joined Face to Face from late October to mid November.[27]