“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 1, their new EP this April.
Originally inspired by the post punk and synth pop groups of the 1980s, the band—Joey Medina (vocals, guitar), Ric Moon (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 have resulted in the five new 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. 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 the two worlds effortlessly.
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 and Hang The DJs, 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 a primo licensing spot on a Canadian Chevy commercial which featured their song “Mister Sister” – all before finishing The Score.
As the band continued to pound the pavement in L.A., Kobalt Music Publishing (home to Richard Ashcroft, No Doubt and The Hives) came on board and the quartet went back into Swing House studios to record their debut album. Their full album The Score can now be found through Swing House Quality Recordings. In the winter of 2006 U.K. label, So Sweet Records released the album track, "Mister Sister," as a limited edition single. To support the single's release, the boys headed overseas to play their first string of British dates supporting The Goo Goo Dolls on a sold out U.K. tour. Two Canadian tours followed and in early 07 iTunes chose the single as the Download of the Week, resulting in over 120,000 downloads and synch licenses for Banana Republic, Budweiser, Sony Pictures and more. The band also caught the ear of Sony/Marvel who commissioned them to write the theme song to the new cartoon series, “The Spectacular Spiderman.” Look for The Tender Box to appear at the 2009 South By South West Music Festival in Austin, TX in a coveted support slot for Echo & The Bunnymen, followed by a U.S. and U.K. tour later this summer.
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