* En anglais uniquement
Slightly twisting the pop-punk formula,
Somerset churns out a power punk combination of rock, grit, and aggression that never loses sight of basic pop sensibilities. Forming in Minneapolis, MN, in September 2002, the group comprises Forrest Olsen (vocals/ guitar),
Claudio Rivera (drums), Matt Broadbent (bass), and
Michael Warren (guitar). They recorded their first demos within a week of forming, and four months later, finished and self-released the five-song EP This Thought Process. An EP under their belt, the band booked their first tour and hit up college radio. Working next with producer
Chris Fudurich (
Nada Surf,
RX Bandits), several more demos were finished by fall 2003 and released the following spring online for free and also as a three-song "mini-EP." An East Coast tour followed during which
Warren abruptly left the band midway through. Undeterred, the remaining members quickly recruited friend JT Viele for guitar and backing vocal duties, and within a week, they were back on the road and headed to the West Coast. That November,
Somerset recorded their debut full-length (again with
Fudurich) and -- through an early friendship with editor Scott Heisel (of punknews.org and later Alternative Press magazine) -- became the first band signed to the fledgling Punknews Records, an offshoot label of the popular news website.
Pandora appeared in August 2005 to largely positive response.
Somerset took a brief break the next summer while
Rivera worked as
Motion City Soundtrack's Warped Tour drum tech, but by mid-August, they'd regrouped for shows with new songs in tow. ~ Corey Apar