Silverstein (band)
Silverstein is a Canadian rock band from Burlington, Ontario, formed in 2000. Their band name is a reference to the famous children's author Shel Silverstein, whom the band had admired and whose work they had read as children. They have released a total of eleven studio albums, seven EPs, a compilation album and a live DVD/CD.
The band achieved moderate success with their second studio album, Discovering the Waterfront, which was nominated for a Juno Award and reached No. 34 on the Billboard 200 charts, with the following two albums charting at similar positions. Silverstein has sold over one million albums worldwide.
Silverstein's lineup remained unchanged from May 2001 to July 2012, then consisting of lead vocalist Shane Told, lead guitarist Neil Boshart, rhythm guitarist Josh Bradford, bassist Billy Hamilton, and drummer Paul Koehler. In September 2012, the band had announced that Neil Boshart had been fired and replaced by Paul Marc Rousseau, who also joined Billy Hamilton on backing vocals.
The band left long-time record label Victory Records in 2010. Following a period with Hopeless Records and another with Rise Records, they are now signed to UNFD. The band released their tenth studio album, A Beautiful Place to Drown, in March 2020. This was nominated for a 2021 Juno award in the "Best Rock Album" category. Misery Made Me, the band's eleventh studio album, was released in 2022.
History
Early years and ''When Broken Is Easily Fixed'' (2000–2004)
Silverstein formed in February 2000. They self-released their first EP, Summer's Stellar Gaze, in August that year. After several lineup changes, the band acquired Billy Hamilton, a local fan who learned of the band's need for a bassist on the Internet message board "The 905 Board". In December 2000, he joined the band after Told helped him learn the music for the songs. Following a rehearsal on Boxing Day in 2000, he officially debuted with Silverstein. The next spring, original guitarist Richard McWalter left the band to move to Victoria, British Columbia, to study engineering. He was then replaced by Neil Boshart, childhood friend of Shane Told. The new lineup recorded a second EP, When the Shadows Beam, in preparation for their first tour in Eastern Canada. The band signed to Victory Records in October 2002 with a complete lineup as Hamilton attempted to complete his secondary education one semester early.The following January the band went into the studio to record their first full-length debut album, When Broken Is Easily Fixed. It was recorded at Unity Gain and Mount Fairview studios, with producer Justin Koop and was released on May 20, 2003, through Victory Records. Six songs were re-recorded versions from Silverstein's previous EP's; Summer's Stellar Gaze and When The Shadows Beam. When Broken Is Easily Fixed sold over 200,000 copies, surpassing the expectations of the band.
''Discovering the Waterfront'' (2005–2006)
In August 2005, the band's second studio album, Discovering the Waterfront, was released through Victory Records. It was the first album to be produced by Cameron Webb, and marked the beginning of a long relationship between the band and the American producer. It also marked a shift in sound from When Broken Is Easily Fixed, with faster-paced and more energetic songs, and with the band also incorporating more punk rock aspects into their music. Told's clean and unclean vocals had matured since their previous effort. Discovering The Waterfront opened the band up to a wider audience, with the music video for the first single "Smile in Your Sleep" receiving airplay on stations such as FUSE and IMF. The album sold 26,229 copies in its first week.In 2005, the band performed on the Never Sleep Again Tour with bands such as Aiden, Hawthorne Heights and Bayside—a tour during which Bayside's drummer John "Beatz" Holohan was then killed in a road accident. The song, Here Today, Gone Tomorrow, on their following album, Arrivals and Departures, was written about Holohan's death, and his relationship with the band. In January–February 2006, they toured with fellow Canadians Simple Plan in Europe. They then toured Canada with the Taste of Chaos Tour, and also toured Europe, Japan, and Australia. They also performed at the Give It A Name festival at Earls Court & MEN Arena in Britain, opening the main stage.
The band also toured on the 2006 Vans Warped Tour, debuting on the main stage in support of Discovering the Waterfront and a compilation album, 18 Candles: The Early Years. The Early Years compiles the band's first two self-financed EPs along with various alternate versions of songs from their first two studio albums, including a dance remix of "Smile In Your Sleep" and an acoustic version of "My Heroine". Discovering the Waterfront was re-released in September 2006 with an extra song, the band's cover of Lifetime's "Rodeo Clown" and a DVD including music videos, a making of featurette and a live set from the Never Sleep Again Tour, in Chicago.
In 2006, Silverstein was nominated for a Juno Award in the "Best New Band" category, but lost to Bedouin Soundclash.
In the fall of 2006, they headlined the Never Shave Again Tour, along with Aiden, It Dies Today, and He Is Legend.
''Arrivals & Departures'' (2007–2008)
The band's third full-length album, Arrivals And Departures, was released on July 3, 2007, and was designated by AP Magazine as one of the most eagerly anticipated CDs of 2007. Mark Trombino produced the CD. The album sold 27,000 copies in its first week. Silverstein also contributed a new acoustic version of their song "Red Light Pledge" to the Punk Goes Acoustic 2 compilation, released May 8, 2007, through Fearless Records.Upon completion of their third studio album, the band played a few shows in the spring, and then engaged in an all-summer tour with Rise Against. They also toured the United States in Fall 2007 with From Autumn to Ashes and then went on a month-long European tour with Blessthefall.
Following tours of Australia and Japan in January 2008, they played their first "Cross-Canada" headlining tour with Protest the Hero, Ill Scarlett and The Devil Wears Prada, which sold out across the country. In addition, they completed a U.S. tour with A Day to Remember, Protest the Hero and The Devil Wears Prada, during which Protest the Hero dropped off the tour and Pierce the Veil took over for them on a few show dates. After heavy touring for their album, Arrivals and Departures, in Canada, the US, the UK, and other areas in Europe during late 2007 and early 2008, which included the band's 1000th show in Paris, the band took the summer off. In a news post on their site, Silverstein's Paul Koehler said the band was "taking a bit of downtown time to write a new album!"
In October and November 2008, the band toured the United States with Chiodos, Escape the Fate, Alesana, and A Skylit Drive, during which they performed the newly written song "Broken Stars", also made available as a demo on their Myspace page. The band played a South American tour in February followed by one show in Hawaii and festival dates in Australia.
''A Shipwreck in the Sand'' (2009–2010)
On December 14, 2008, the band announced by Myspace bulletin that their fourth album would be released by March 31, 2009. The name of the new album, A Shipwreck in the Sand, was announced on January 29, 2009, when the band concluded a viral marketing campaign by announcing the track listing via an album website, also revealing it would be a concept album. Along with the demo of "Broken Stars", which the band had been performing during their final U.S. tour in support of "Arrivals and Departures", short clips of the songs "Vices", "Born Dead" and "American Dream" were made available on MySpace. On March 17, the band filmed a music video for "Vices" with director Robby Starbuck. Later, on March 23, 2009, the band posted the full album to stream on their official MySpace page.A Shipwreck in the Sand was released on March 31, 2009, and sold nearly 17,000 copies in its first week. The iTunes version of the album includes four bonus cover songs, "Help!", "Go Your Own Way", "Three Miles Down", and "Total Bummer".
Silverstein contributed a cover version of "Apologize", originally recorded by OneRepublic, to the Punk Goes Pop 2 compilation album.
After three shows in Ontario, the band embarked on a U.S. tour with Norma Jean, Before Their Eyes, and Blessthefall. The band then played several shows on the continent of Europe, and completed a UK tour supporting the Welsh band The Blackout, along with We Are The Ocean, Hollywood Undead, and The Urgency. The band completed a small-market tour in Ontario and the Midwestern United States, and played a brief stint on Warped Tour, followed by a show in Anchorage, Alaska, and a cross-Canada tour with A Day To Remember, Ten Second Epic, I Am Committing A Sin and an appearance on some dates by Kingdoms. They played Europe supporting Billy Talent starting November 16 in Bielefeld, Germany, through December 4, 2009, in Winterthur, Switzerland. They played four shows in Toronto from March 18 to 21, 2010, with each show featuring an album in full. They have also announced that they will be playing on the Toursick tour with A Day To Remember, August Burns Red, Enter Shikari, Veara, and Go Radio from March–May 2010.
On March 15, 2010, Silverstein announced through their official MySpace blog that they would be filming four exclusive Toronto shows, during which they would be playing their entire discography, to be released as a live DVD, revealed on April 23 to be titled Decade and was released on June 8, 2010.
The following summer Silverstein headlined the Scream It Like You Mean It tour, along with Emery, We Came As Romans, Dance Gavin Dance, I Set My Friends On Fire, Sky Eats Airplane, Ivoryline, and Close to Home. The first date of the tour also featured the bands The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I, and Your Demise and took place at the Starland Ballroom.