Front Porch Step | |
---|---|
Birth name | Jake McElfresh |
Also known as | Front Porch Step |
Born | 1991 (age 32–33) Newark, Ohio, U.S. |
Genres | Acoustic rock, indie rock, emo revival |
Instrument(s) | Acoustic guitar |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels | Pure Noise |
Front Porch Step is the solo acoustic project of Jake McElfresh of Newark, Ohio. [1]
Front Porch Step began in 2012. In 2013, Front Porch Step signed to Pure Noise Records and released his debut album Aware. In 2013, he supported Never Shout Never on four of their tour dates. [2] In the summer of 2014, Front Porch Step played on the Vans Warped Tour. In the fall of 2014, Front Porch Step played on the Pure Noise Records Tour with State Champs, Handguns, Forever Came Calling, Brigades and Heart to Heart. [3] In February and March 2015, Front Porch Step planned to go on his first headlining tour, with support from Have Mercy, Alcoa, Hotel Books, and Head North. Due to sexual harassment allegations, McElfresh has suspended his tour until further notice. [4] Front Porch Step was going to partake in the 2015 Vans Warped Tour, which is held annually throughout the summer, but was removed from the tour due to the allegations brought up against him. [5]
On June 2, 2016, after a year long hiatus due to sexual harassment allegations, Mcelfresh returned with the release of a song called 'Help Me Hurt' to Spotify. [6]
McElfresh has been accused by several young people of sexual harassment through mobile phones, including sending nude pictures of himself to underaged girls. [7] This led to a petition demanding he be removed from the 2015 Warped Tour. His record label, Pure Noise Records, and Kevin Lyman, creator of the Warped Tour, announced they were aware of the allegations. [8]
On January 4, 2015, McElfresh announced via his Facebook page that he had suspended all current tour dates, including Warped Tour, due to the allegations. [9] On April 3, 2015, McElfresh issued a public statement via Facebook. In it, he explained that when growing up, he had self-esteem issues and "certainly was not a ladies man," and when he finally got his breakthrough with music, he was surprised at how much attention from female fans he received. He admitted that he had corresponded through text messages with women, some of whom were underaged, but claimed that the conversations were "not as one sided as they seem," pointing out that no charges had been brought against him. He also stated that even though some of the conversations were sexual in nature, "(he) only had conversations with willing participants". McElfresh then admitted that [he] "wondered if (he) wanted to be alive anymore" in the few months after the allegations were brought up, and took a break from social media after being dropped by his label and removed from all tours, considering it the "greatest thing (he) could have ever done". He also stated that he intends to return to music in the summer. [10]
On July 1, 2015, McElfresh performed his first show since the allegations were brought, at the Acoustic Basement at the Nashville, Tennessee stop of Warped Tour. [11] Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman stated that he had spoken with McElfresh's personal counselor, who said that the performance would be a part of his therapy, he would not be paid for the show, and he would not appear at any other stops of the tour. Lyman stated that he allowed McElfresh to perform the show because he has not been charged with a misdemeanor, stating that "If he was a legitimate danger to anyone, he simply wouldn't be here. [12] " Many bands tweeted their opinions of the situation, practically all in distaste. [13] McElfresh also dealt with a concertgoer in the crowd who publicly criticized him, saying "The difference between you and me is that I know who I am, and I am very proud of that. So you can go ahead, watch my set. Thank you very much. Thanks for the ticket money, dude. [14] "
The controversy was the subject of a song by Stray from the Path entitled "D.I.E.P.I.G.", which attacks musicians who use their fame to abuse young girls. [15]
On June 2, 2016, McElfresh released his first single in over a year, "Help Me Hurt", a Christian song vaguely addressing the allegations and asking God for forgiveness.
Year | Album | Chart positions |
---|---|---|
Top Heatseekers | ||
2013 | Aware [16] [17]
| 39 |
2017 | I Never Loved Before I Found You. [18]
| |
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2014 | Whole Again [19]
|
Year | Album details |
---|---|
2017 | Burned
|
2017 | Stones
|
2020 | You Look Nothing Like My Dreams
|
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring music festival to date in North America. The festival visited Australia in 1998–2002 and again in 2013.
Stick to Your Guns is an American hardcore punk band from Orange County, California. Members of the band include lead vocalist Jesse Barnett, bassist Andrew Rose, guitarists Chris Rawson and Josh James, and drummer Adam Galindo. They are currently signed with Pure Noise Records.
Issues was an American metalcore band based in Atlanta, Georgia, founded in 2012. The band consisted of guitarist and vocalist AJ Rebollo, bassist and vocalist Skyler Acord, and drummer Josh Manuel. They were known for their combination of metalcore, nu metal, pop and contemporary R&B.
Handguns is an American pop punk band originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and later based in Baltimore.
Neck Deep are a Welsh pop-punk band from Wrexham, formed in 2012. Founded after vocalist Ben Barlow met former lead guitarist Lloyd Roberts, the pair posted a song online under the name Neck Deep. The song soon gained attention online, resulting in the addition of rhythm guitarist Matt West, drummer Dani Washington/Abasi, and bassist Fil Thorpe-Evans. They released a pair of EPs, Rain in July (2012) and A History of Bad Decisions (2013), both recorded by Barlow's older brother Seb, before signing with Hopeless in August 2013.
Rain City Drive is an American post-hardcore ensemble from Palm Coast, FL.
State Champs is an American pop-punk band from Albany, New York, formed in 2010. They are currently signed to Pure Noise Records and have released three EPs and four full-length albums. Their 2013 debut album The Finer Things debuted at number 2 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. They released an acoustic EP titled The Acoustic Things in October 2014 and their second studio album Around the World and Back one year later, in October 2015. In May 2017, they released a deluxe version of the album. Their third album, Living Proof, was released in 2018. In May 2022, the band released their fourth studio album, Kings of the New Age.
Pure Noise Records is an American punk rock record label based in Nashville, Tennessee. It was founded by Jake Round in 2009 while he was an editor at AMP; the previous fall, friends of his in the band No Bragging Rights told him they were looking for a new label, and Round expressed interest in releasing the album himself. Prior to this Round had a short stint as an intern at Fat Wreck Chords. While the label began as a home operation, and had only put out five albums by the end of 2010, by 2014 some of the label's roster were main-stage acts at Warped Tour, and others had sold nearly 50,000 copies of their albums. Overall, the label's catalog had sold over 280,000 records as of March 2014. Among the label's signings are Vanna and Hit the Lights. In March 2017, Pure Noise Records partnered with Sony Music to create a new music label called Weekday Records.
Knuckle Puck is an American rock band, formed in 2010 in the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The group released several EPs, one of which, While I Stay Secluded (2014), peaked at number 5 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The band released a split EP with the UK band Neck Deep. The group signed to Rise in 2014 and released its debut album, Copacetic, through the label in 2015.
The Finer Things is the debut studio album by American pop punk band State Champs.
Sorority Noise was an American rock band from Hartford, Connecticut. The band consisted of members from the bands Old Gray, Prawn (McKenna), Small Circle, and En Route (Singer).
Tilian Pearson, also known mononymously as Tilian, is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer born in Clearwater, Florida. Since 2012 he has been the third clean vocalist for the post-hardcore band Dance Gavin Dance. Pearson began his music career as the lead vocalist and guitarist in the progressive rock band Tides of Man, releasing an extended play and two studio albums before leaving in 2010.
Rotting Out is an American hardcore punk band from the San Pedro community of Los Angeles in California.
The Story So Far is the third studio album by American pop punk band The Story So Far. The album was released through Pure Noise in May 2015. The album charted at number 23 in the U.S. and at number 70 in the UK.
Life's Not out to Get You is the second studio album by Welsh pop punk band Neck Deep. Following the success of their debut album, Wishful Thinking (2014), the majority of the band members quit their day jobs and vocalist Ben Barlow dropped out of university. Working with Jeremy McKinnon, Andrew Wade and Tom Denney, the band recorded their second album between December 2014 and January 2015. Following recording the band immediately went on tour.
Pull the Thorns from Your Heart is the sixth studio album by American post-hardcore band Senses Fail. In March and April 2015, the group supported Bayside on their headlining US tour. It was released on June 30 through Pure Noise Records.
Roam were a British rock band from Eastbourne in England. The band consists of vocalist Alex Costello, bass guitarist Matt Roskilly, lead guitarist and backing vocalist Alex Adam, rhythm guitarist Sam Veness, and drummer Miles Gill.
Knocked Loose is an American metalcore band from Oldham County, Kentucky, formed in 2013 and currently signed to Pure Noise Records. The band released its debut studio album, Laugh Tracks, in September 2016 through Pure Noise Records which was followed by A Different Shade of Blue in 2019. Their 2021 EP ATear in the Fabric of Life incorporated elements of death metal and was released to widespread critical acclaim.
Like Pacific is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario, formed in 2010. Their debut studio album Distant Like You Asked was released in February 2016, and charted at number 25 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart.