* En anglais uniquement
Led by powerhouse vocalist
Cassadee Pope,
Hey Monday debuted their fizzy emo-pop sound with 2008's
Hold on Tight. The band formed in West Palm Beach, FL, where
Pope was first discovered at a regional music conference. Although still in high school, the singer drew attention from A&R execs with her voice, which recalled the radio-ready wail of
Avril Lavigne and
Paramore's
Hayley Williams. She then formed a band with fellow teenagers Jersey Moriarty (bass),
Elliot James (drums), and guitarists
Mike Gentile and
Alex Lipshaw. Shedding their original name (
Blake) in favor of
Hey Monday, the group eventually won over A&R exec Jay Harren, who signed the band to
Columbia Records.
Hey Monday then entered the recording studio with S*A*M & Sluggo, the production team behind albums by
Metro Station and
the Academy Is..., and readied the release of their debut record.
Hold on Tight arrived in October 2008 under a joint partnership with
Columbia and
Pete Wentz's own label, Decaydance. The group spent the next year touring, supporting
Fall Out Boy and
All Time Low as well as spending some time as a headlining act. Near the end of 2009, drummer
James left the band and was replaced by Patrick McKenzie. The band then spent the first half of 2010 recording new songs (with session drummer
Stacy Jones behind the drum kit), and released the six-song EP
Beneath It All in August. ~ Andrew Leahey