"Every once in a while we discover a singer or a band that just makes us flip our shit. This is one of those times!" - Perez Hilton
Tremendous, incandescent British rock music is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you think of South Gate, LA. So it's a breathtaking revelation when you hear the chiming guitars and swooning vocals of The Tender Box who will release EP 2, their new EP this summer.
For their new batch of songs, the band teamed up with legendary producer Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, Cheap Trick, John Lennon) whom they met in the hallways of Hollywood’s Swing House Studios while he was taking an ear break from a new Yoko Ono session. Douglas brought out even more of their lush influence with grand string arrangements in the track 'Velvet Flames' and classic production in 'Crashing Down' that harkens back to the teen crush 80’s alt sounds of the Psychedelic Furs while still fitting seamlessly in modern rock of 2010.
Originally inspired by the post punk and synth pop groups of the 1980s, The Tender Box—Joey Medina (vocals, guitar), Raul Martinez (guitar), Steve Mungarro (bass, vocals) and Chuck Gil (drums)--have expanded on their sound as revealed on their 2007 debut album The Score. Two years followed of hard touring, love, loss, soul searching and revelation resulted in between EP2 with EP1, five songs produced by Warren Huart (The Fray, Augustana) and Jay Ruston (The Donnas, Morrissey). Cuts like 'Incomplete Design' and 'Gravity' reach for grand, lush spaces melodically and lyrically while others, 'Another Lover' and 'Beautiful Sin' keep with the original feeling of British influenced dark and danceable songs.
The Tender Box was formed by the four childhood friends in the predominantly Mexican American neighborhood of South Gate, known in music circles as the hometown for the groundbreaking Latin rap outfit Cypress Hill. Los Angeles had a small yet cultish scene of devout anglophile music fans and the boys were at the forefront of the new Indie scene becoming a hit in Hollywood. The lush and despairing decadence of Britpop appealed to their sensibilities and their own personal histories. Henceforth, The Tender Box would continue to immerse themselves in a veritable fusion of musical tastes and seemingly disparate cultures. They fine-tuned their recipe for success blending alternative rock, Latin grooves and electro dance beats seamlessly together.
After getting the right batch of songs together, the guys hit the club circuit up and down the west coast. People undoubtedly noticed. They have headlined hipster hot spots Club Moscow, Hang The DJs, Club Underground & The Viper Room, been praised by L.A.’s legendary D.J. Rodney Bingenheimer on his 'Rodney On The ‘Roq' radio show, been frequently spun on Indie 103.1 and Sirius Radio and have even landed primo licensing spots on Chevrolet and Sharpie marker commercials with their song 'Mister Sister.'
As the band continued to pound the pavement in L.A., Kobalt Music Publishing (home to One Republic, No Doubt and The Hives) came on board and the quartet headed overseas to play their first string of British dates supporting The Goo Goo Dolls on a sold out U.K. tour where they hung out with the infamous Pete Doherty (Libertines, Baby Shambles) and Mani (Stone Roses, Primal Scream). Two Canadian tours followed and iTunes chose 'Mister Sister' as the Download of the Week, resulting in over 120,000 downloads, more synch licenses from Budweiser, Sony Pictures and a performance slot on 'Last Call With Carson Daly.' From all this, The Tender Box caught the ear of Sony/Marvel who commissioned them to write the theme song to the new cartoon series, 'The Spectacular Spiderman.' They’ve also toured North America with She Wants Revenge & Kill Hannah, and their song 'Havoc' was featured in the new Shaun White Snowboarding World Stage video game.
