Roses Are Red is set to release their much anticipated sophomore album, What Became Of Me via Trustkill. The album has been the focus of much buzz, including national tastemaker Alternative Press naming it one of the “Most Anticipated Albums of 2006”. Pushing the momentum gained by 2004’s debut Conversations (over 20,000 scanned in the U.S.), the group has stepped up their musical arsenal. What Became Of Me is laden with melodic guitar-riffing rock, relentless hooks and singer songwriter sophistication. The group of Rochester, NY natives including Vincent Minervino (vocals), Tom Zenns (guitar), Shaun Murphy (guitar), Kevin Mahoney (bass) and Michael Lasaponara (drums) were holed up with producer Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive) at his Salad Days Studio arranging this catchy confectory. While the songs on the new album deliver the FM goods of a radio band, Roses Are Red have built a reputation as exciting live performers while relentlessly touring. Most recently, the group was on the “Trustkill Takeover Tour” with label-mates Bullet For My Valentine which immediately followed the band’s featured slot on 2006’s Take Action Tour with Matchbook Romance.
Speaking on all the success of the band Minervino explains “Our work ethic remains the same since the first day we started, we work day and night to promote this band.” Starting four years ago the band formed out of the independent music scene of Rochester “We were all in different bands that played together.” Minervino recalls “Out of each of those bands we were the driving force so we combined like some supergroup of sorts.” Initially Minervino was the drummer of the group but once they went into the studio to record their first demo, they realized the original vocalist wouldn’t take the music where it needed to go. With Lasaponara taking over the drum throne, Minervino took over for his first time doing vocals in a band. Locally it didn’t take the band long to gain a following but getting out of Rochester wasn’t so easy. “We recorded a demo and booked and financed a five week summer tour on our own.” Sleeping in the van, the group would spend the days driving from town to town and going to local malls and beaches to sell their album to passer-by’s and inviting them to their show.
Their debut for Trustkill, Conversations, was released in 2004 and quickly struck a resounding chord with not only rockers and punk kids, but their girlfriends as well. The band was snatched up for Underoath’s European tour, chosen to appear on 2005’s Warped Tour dates as well as stints with Millencollin, Silverstein and Boys Night Out. This criss-crossing of coasts was not without its headaches, including the wheels falling of their van while they were driving in Texas leaving a flurry of sparks and almost ending in an explosion. All this life experience and danger has enriched the band’s musical growth. Whereas the band used to focus on making the live show a spectacle with kicks, leaps and synchronized guitar acrobatics, the emphasis now is on making the audience leap around. “We have grown up as people and songwriters. I think people who like our band now will be very pleased with the direction we’ve taken. And I also think people who didn’t care about our music before will take notice of the difference of our new material.” What Became Of Me is slated for release June 13, 2006 on Trustkill Records.
