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What It Is to Burn
What It Is to Burn is the debut studio album by American rock band Finch. It was released on March 12, 2002, through MCA and Drive-Thru Records. After finalizing their line-up, Finch signed to Drive-Thru. Recording for the album took place between June and September 2001 with producer Mark Trombino. A music video for "Letters to You" was released in January 2003. The title-track "What It Is to Burn" was released as the lead single in January 2003, followed by the single "Letters to You" in April of that year. "New Beginnings"/"What It Is to Burn" was released as the third and final single on a double A-side in August 2003. "Letters to You" charted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart, while "What It Is to Burn" charted within the top 40 of the US Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock charts.
Initial accompanying tours for promotion consisted of several stints in the United States and the United Kingdom with the likes of Moth, the Starting Line and New Found Glory. The band later appeared on the 2002 Warped Tour and at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. What It Is to Burn is primarily a pop punk and emo release, that was also classed as hardcore punk and post-hardcore. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics.
On the US Billboard 200, What It Is to Burn charted at number 99, while it reached number 177 on the UK Albums Chart. As of October 2007, the album has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. It has since been viewed as a landmark release for the emo and post-hardcore scenes. Finch embarked on a celebratory 10th anniversary tour in 2013 across the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Finch originally formed under the name Numb, with Nate Barcalow on vocals, Alex Linares on guitar, Derek Doherty on bass and Alex Pappas on drums. The members, who had met each other through mutual friends, had all been in a prior band, the HIVs, which had broken up after writing two songs. Guitarist Randy Strohmeyer was invited to join Finch after they saw him play with his band Evitca Fresh. Strohmeyer became friends with Drive-Thru Records' owner Richard Reines, following a fan letter he had sent in a few years earlier about the Rx Bandits. Strohmeyer had suggested that the label check out his former band, which they showed no interest in.. Reines was skeptical about Strohmeyer's new band but due a favor that he felt in debt with him, decided to invite Finch to record a studio session, a session that happened sometime in mid 2000 and which they recorded an early version of the song "Awake". Upon hearing the songs that they have been working on, Reines was impressed by their sound and reportedly offered a contract to the band on the spot after inviting his sister, Stefanie Reines, co-owner of Drive-Thru Records, to witness the band play. The band was then scheduled on November 26th, 2000 to play at a "Drive-Thru Records Night" show where they were formally introduced to the label. It is reported that they played for an audience of 700 people at the Chain Reaction, Anaheim, California. A month after this show, the band released some self produced demos, among these demos there were early versions of the songs "Letters to You" (known as "I Want" at the time), "Grey Matter", "Ender", "New Kid", "Perfection Through Silence", and a never officially released song titled "Song 3". Another song that was recorded during this session was a cover of "With or Without You" by U2. All of these demo songs were recorded at Pappa's basement.
Pre-production and demos were done at DML Studios in Escondido, California, in February and April 2001. Finch began recording What It Is to Burn in June of that year at Big Fish Studios in Encinitas, California, with producer Mark Trombino. Strohmeyer was a fan of Trombino's production work, while Pappas enjoyed Bleed American (2001) by Jimmy Eat World, which Trombino produced. The Reines' sent Finch's demos to Trombino, who was interested in producing them. The band started tracking guitars for the album in July 2001.
Strohmeyer used Fender guitars and Marshall amplifiers, while Linares used ESP guitars and Mesa amplifiers. Trombino with the guitar effects on What It is to Burn. Recording continued throughout 2001, going into August and September. Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw performs guest vocals on "Grey Matter" and "Project Mayhem". Doherty, Linares and Strohmeyer first met Palumbo at a Deftones show, and later when they played with Earth Crisis, and kept in contact with him. While they were recording for the album, the band asked Palumbo if he wanted to participate, prompting in him flying out to the band. Trombino completed programming before he mixed the recordings at The Robot Factory in Los Angeles, California; Stephen Marcussen mastered the tracks at Marcussen Mastering.
Musically, What It Is to Burn has been classed as emo, hardcore punk, pop punk, post-hardcore, and nu metal with sporadic touches of electronic music. The album received comparisons to the music of Glassjaw, New Found Glory, Linkin Park, and Blink-182. Barcalow switches between crooning and screaming on What It Is to Burn; though he has a pop punk-inspired vocal delivery, his screams were compared to the likes of Palumbo and Deftones frontman Chino Moreno. The writing process revolved around Finch jamming. Linares said they could sometimes write a song in two hours, and at other times take a whole day. Collectively, Strohmeyer said it took a year to write all the material on the album, which was done at either Strohmeyer or Pappas' home. He also said that if they did not go with Trombino, they would be "less electronics", adding that he was "such a genius when it comes to programming [...] he came up with some of the most amazing beats". They had an acoustic song, "Once Upon My Night Stand", which was dropped as it did not fit the atmosphere of the album.
The opening track, "New Beginnings", begins with a distorted guitar fading in, before the song shifts to aggressive power chords and octave parts. The song sets the tone for What It Is to Burn with its memorable melodies and tuneful choruses. Barcalow said "Letters to You" was about the "emotion of being away from somebody and missing them and trying to keep them happy through communication because you can’t physically see them". His vocals on the song border on near-screamo in places. Despite the track having three-part harmonies, it was written when the only members in the band who could sing were Barcalow and Strohmeyer. Palumbo's singing voice on "Grey Matter" recalled Bad Brains frontman H.R. "Awake" was one of Finch's oldest songs, which Barcalow said is about a couple resolving an argument. "Project Mayhem" initially existed as a two-minute track, before Trombino altered it into the final version, and incorporated programming. "Ender" begins with a subdued intro that steadily coalesces by the third minute, when it progresses with a constant piano part, and ends with an ambient instrumental section. "What It Is to Burn" is written from the perspective of a man in hell sending a letter to his partner. Barcalow said it dealt with loneliness and being able to relate with someone that is also experiencing that same emotion.
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What It Is to Burn
What It Is to Burn is the debut studio album by American rock band Finch. It was released on March 12, 2002, through MCA and Drive-Thru Records. After finalizing their line-up, Finch signed to Drive-Thru. Recording for the album took place between June and September 2001 with producer Mark Trombino. A music video for "Letters to You" was released in January 2003. The title-track "What It Is to Burn" was released as the lead single in January 2003, followed by the single "Letters to You" in April of that year. "New Beginnings"/"What It Is to Burn" was released as the third and final single on a double A-side in August 2003. "Letters to You" charted at number 39 on the UK Singles Chart, while "What It Is to Burn" charted within the top 40 of the US Alternative Songs and Mainstream Rock charts.
Initial accompanying tours for promotion consisted of several stints in the United States and the United Kingdom with the likes of Moth, the Starting Line and New Found Glory. The band later appeared on the 2002 Warped Tour and at the Reading and Leeds Festivals. What It Is to Burn is primarily a pop punk and emo release, that was also classed as hardcore punk and post-hardcore. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics.
On the US Billboard 200, What It Is to Burn charted at number 99, while it reached number 177 on the UK Albums Chart. As of October 2007, the album has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide. It has since been viewed as a landmark release for the emo and post-hardcore scenes. Finch embarked on a celebratory 10th anniversary tour in 2013 across the US, Europe, Japan, and Australia.
Finch originally formed under the name Numb, with Nate Barcalow on vocals, Alex Linares on guitar, Derek Doherty on bass and Alex Pappas on drums. The members, who had met each other through mutual friends, had all been in a prior band, the HIVs, which had broken up after writing two songs. Guitarist Randy Strohmeyer was invited to join Finch after they saw him play with his band Evitca Fresh. Strohmeyer became friends with Drive-Thru Records' owner Richard Reines, following a fan letter he had sent in a few years earlier about the Rx Bandits. Strohmeyer had suggested that the label check out his former band, which they showed no interest in.. Reines was skeptical about Strohmeyer's new band but due a favor that he felt in debt with him, decided to invite Finch to record a studio session, a session that happened sometime in mid 2000 and which they recorded an early version of the song "Awake". Upon hearing the songs that they have been working on, Reines was impressed by their sound and reportedly offered a contract to the band on the spot after inviting his sister, Stefanie Reines, co-owner of Drive-Thru Records, to witness the band play. The band was then scheduled on November 26th, 2000 to play at a "Drive-Thru Records Night" show where they were formally introduced to the label. It is reported that they played for an audience of 700 people at the Chain Reaction, Anaheim, California. A month after this show, the band released some self produced demos, among these demos there were early versions of the songs "Letters to You" (known as "I Want" at the time), "Grey Matter", "Ender", "New Kid", "Perfection Through Silence", and a never officially released song titled "Song 3". Another song that was recorded during this session was a cover of "With or Without You" by U2. All of these demo songs were recorded at Pappa's basement.
Pre-production and demos were done at DML Studios in Escondido, California, in February and April 2001. Finch began recording What It Is to Burn in June of that year at Big Fish Studios in Encinitas, California, with producer Mark Trombino. Strohmeyer was a fan of Trombino's production work, while Pappas enjoyed Bleed American (2001) by Jimmy Eat World, which Trombino produced. The Reines' sent Finch's demos to Trombino, who was interested in producing them. The band started tracking guitars for the album in July 2001.
Strohmeyer used Fender guitars and Marshall amplifiers, while Linares used ESP guitars and Mesa amplifiers. Trombino with the guitar effects on What It is to Burn. Recording continued throughout 2001, going into August and September. Daryl Palumbo of Glassjaw performs guest vocals on "Grey Matter" and "Project Mayhem". Doherty, Linares and Strohmeyer first met Palumbo at a Deftones show, and later when they played with Earth Crisis, and kept in contact with him. While they were recording for the album, the band asked Palumbo if he wanted to participate, prompting in him flying out to the band. Trombino completed programming before he mixed the recordings at The Robot Factory in Los Angeles, California; Stephen Marcussen mastered the tracks at Marcussen Mastering.
Musically, What It Is to Burn has been classed as emo, hardcore punk, pop punk, post-hardcore, and nu metal with sporadic touches of electronic music. The album received comparisons to the music of Glassjaw, New Found Glory, Linkin Park, and Blink-182. Barcalow switches between crooning and screaming on What It Is to Burn; though he has a pop punk-inspired vocal delivery, his screams were compared to the likes of Palumbo and Deftones frontman Chino Moreno. The writing process revolved around Finch jamming. Linares said they could sometimes write a song in two hours, and at other times take a whole day. Collectively, Strohmeyer said it took a year to write all the material on the album, which was done at either Strohmeyer or Pappas' home. He also said that if they did not go with Trombino, they would be "less electronics", adding that he was "such a genius when it comes to programming [...] he came up with some of the most amazing beats". They had an acoustic song, "Once Upon My Night Stand", which was dropped as it did not fit the atmosphere of the album.
The opening track, "New Beginnings", begins with a distorted guitar fading in, before the song shifts to aggressive power chords and octave parts. The song sets the tone for What It Is to Burn with its memorable melodies and tuneful choruses. Barcalow said "Letters to You" was about the "emotion of being away from somebody and missing them and trying to keep them happy through communication because you can’t physically see them". His vocals on the song border on near-screamo in places. Despite the track having three-part harmonies, it was written when the only members in the band who could sing were Barcalow and Strohmeyer. Palumbo's singing voice on "Grey Matter" recalled Bad Brains frontman H.R. "Awake" was one of Finch's oldest songs, which Barcalow said is about a couple resolving an argument. "Project Mayhem" initially existed as a two-minute track, before Trombino altered it into the final version, and incorporated programming. "Ender" begins with a subdued intro that steadily coalesces by the third minute, when it progresses with a constant piano part, and ends with an ambient instrumental section. "What It Is to Burn" is written from the perspective of a man in hell sending a letter to his partner. Barcalow said it dealt with loneliness and being able to relate with someone that is also experiencing that same emotion.