John Nolan (musician)

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John Nolan
John Nolan.jpg
Nolan playing in Straylight Run on April 7, 2005, at the Irving Plaza in NYC
Background information
Born (1978-02-24) February 24, 1978 (age 45)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, singer-songwriter
Instrument(s)
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • keyboards
  • piano
Years active1999–present
Labels Doghouse
Website johnnolanmusic.bandcamp.com

John Thomas Nolan (born February 24, 1978) is an American musician best known as the guitarist and co-lead vocalist of Taking Back Sunday, and the former lead singer, pianist, and guitarist of Straylight Run. [1]

Contents

Nolan left Taking Back Sunday in 2003 along with bassist Shaun Cooper, with whom he formed Straylight Run. During March 2010, he and Cooper rejoined Taking Back Sunday, reforming the Tell All Your Friends -era lineup. Nolan is also a solo artist and has recorded an album called Height and "Live at Looney Tunes."

Biography

John Thomas Nolan was born in Baltimore, Maryland, then at three, moved to Rockville Centre, Nassau County, New York, United States. [2] As member of the band Taking Back Sunday he performs lead guitar, vocals and keyboards, in Straylight Run he performs lead vocals, piano, and guitar.

Taking Back Sunday

In 1999, John was recruited into Taking Back Sunday by Jesse Lacey. He later would invite Adam Lazzara to join the band. In 2002 the band would release their debut album, Tell All Your Friends. He would leave the band in 2003 to pursue a different musical direction, along with personal differences with other band members. [3]

In late March 2010, he and Shaun Cooper rejoined Taking Back Sunday. [4] In 2011, the band released a self-titled album that peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200, the first since Nolan's rejoining. In 2014, the band released Happiness Is, which debuted at number 10 in the Billboard 200 and went to number 1 on Billboard's top independent albums chart, becoming Nolan's highest-charting album. [5]

Straylight Run

In 2003, John would go on to form Straylight Run with his sister Michelle DaRosa, drummer Will Noon and former Taking Back Sunday bassist Shaun Cooper. In 2004 the band released their self-titled debut album which peaked at number 100 in the Billboard 200, and number 4 in the Billboard Independent Albums chart. [6]

From 2004 to 2009 Straylight Run would release two albums and four EP's. The band's 2007 record, The Needles The Space would debut at number 72 in the Billboard 200, marking the band's highest position on that chart. [6] The band's 2005 Prepare to be Wrong EP charted at number 168. [6]

On February 16, 2010, it was announced that Straylight Run was on "hiatus", with a live album to be released in the future. [7]

Solo

Nolan announced on his MySpace blog on May 1, 2009, that he had decided to work on some solo material, some of which can be found on his MySpace [8] and Bandcamp profiles. [9] His first solo album, Height, was released on October 27, 2009, on Doghouse Records. John toured the Midwest and east coast with Person L and Brian Bonz in November and in January with support from Gabriel the Marine and Ocean is Theory.

In 2014 Nolan provided the song "Here Comes the Wolf" to the soundtrack of the Jason Michael Brescia film, Bridge and Tunnel. [10] The song was nominated for several awards in the film festival circuit, and was the recipient of "Best Original Song" at the 2014 Long Island International Film Expo. [11] He also provides backup vocals and co-songwriting credit on the Gabriel the Marine track "Round and Round." [12]

On July 27, 2015, Nolan released his second solo album, Sad, Strange, Beautiful Dream. The album was made possible by a successful PledgeMusic campaign.

Personal

Nolan currently lives in the NoDa neighborhood of Charlotte, North Carolina with wife Camille, son John, and daughter Greta. [13] Nolan lives down the road from bandmate Adam Lazzara, who is a North Carolina native. [14] [15]

Discography

With Taking Back Sunday
With Straylight Run
Solo

Videography

Gear

It has been noted that John uses a Fender Telecaster Deluxe due to its feel, but prefers the sound of a Gibson Les Paul. [19] He uses a Big Bite pedal into a Marshall JCM800 amplifier to create his crunch tone. [20] He also uses a Fender '72 Telecaster Thinline on occasion. [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taking Back Sunday</span> American rock band

Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in 1999. The band's members currently are Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell (drums), accompanied by Nathan Cogan (guitar) for their live performances. The band's former members include Lacey, Reyes, bassist Matthew Rubano, and guitarist-vocalists Fred Mascherino and Matthew Fazzi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Straylight Run</span> American emo band

Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, Straylight Run and The Needles the Space, as well as three EPs, Prepare to Be Wrong, About Time, and Un Mas Dos. In 2010, the band announced that they would be going on indefinite hiatus, but might reunite in the future. Two of the members, John Nolan and Shaun Cooper, previously played in Taking Back Sunday and have since rejoined the band.

<i>Where You Want to Be</i> 2004 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Where You Want to Be is the second studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. While touring to promote Tell All Your Friends (2002), guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper left the group and were replaced by Fred Mascherino and Matt Rubano, respectively. After a co-headlining tour with Saves the Day in fall 2003, the band began working on Where You Want to Be. Dismissive of several early songs, they wanted to "grow musically with this [new album]." In March 2004 recording of Where You Want to Be began, with Lou Giordano as producer. The band recorded at Mission Sound in Brooklyn, New York for two weeks before moving to Water Music in Hoboken, New Jersey, finishing recording by April.

<i>Tell All Your Friends</i> 2002 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Tell All Your Friends is the debut studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday, released on March 26, 2002, through Victory Records. Forming in 1999, the group underwent several lineup changes before settling on vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist and vocalist John Nolan, guitarist Eddie Reyes, bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Mark O'Connell. Taking Back Sunday released a five-song demo in early 2001, after which they toured the United States for most of the year. They rented a room in Lindenhurst, New York, where they wrote and demoed songs. In December 2001, the band signed with Victory Records; they began recording their debut album with producer Sal Villanueva at Big Blue Meenie Recording Studio in New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Lazzara</span> American singer

Adam Lazzara is an American musician. He is the lead vocalist of the rock band Taking Back Sunday. Along with singing lead vocals, Lazzara plays guitar and occasionally the harmonica.

Michelle DaRosa is an American musician, formerly of the band Straylight Run, for whom she was a vocalist, guitarist, and pianist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fred Mascherino</span> American musician (born 1974)

Frederick Paul Mascherino is an American musician best known for his work as lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist in alternative rock band Taking Back Sunday. He is currently active with bands The Color Fred and Say Anything. Fred is also known for working with Terrible Things. He also runs the record label Heading East Records. He is vegan and straight edge.

<i>Straylight Run</i> (album) 2004 debut studio album by Straylight Run

Straylight Run is the self-titled debut studio album by American indie rock band Straylight Run. It was released on October 12, 2004, through Victory Records. The band was formed by guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper, after both of them left Taking Back Sunday in early 2003. They recruited Breaking Pangaea drummer Will Noon and John's sister Michelle Nolan, to complete the line-up. The band recorded some demos and toured throughout the remainder of 2003 before beginning work on the album. Straylight Run tracked it at Apple Head Studios in Woodstock, New York, between March and June 2004, with producers Michael Birnbaum and Chris Bittner.

<i>Louder Now</i> 2006 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Louder Now is the third studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. In April 2005, the group had begun writing material for the album. Two months later, they signed with Warner Bros. Records and contributed a song to the Fantastic Four soundtrack. Soon afterwards, the group rented a room in Manhattan where they composed songs for Louder Now. They came up with 20 songs, discarding half of them and recording demos of the remainder. The group began recording Louder Now with Eric Valentine in September 2005 at Barefoot Studios in Los Angeles, California. After Warner Bros. told them they did not need to rush, they recorded new demos. Recording ended on New Year's Day, 2006, and was followed by a tour of the UK, Australia and the U.S.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Sapone</span> American record producer

Mike Sapone is an American record producer, composer, audio engineer, and mixer whose credits include producing records for bands such as Brand New, Taking Back Sunday, Boston Manor, The Front Bottoms, Mayday Parade, Grouplove, Anxious, Sincere Engineer, Sorority Noise, An Horse, Oso Oso, O'Brother, Cymbals Eat Guitars, and Public Enemy.

Breaking Pangaea was an American emo pop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. The band gained a small but passionate following from early 2000 to 2003, especially among college students.

<i>The Needles the Space</i> 2007 studio album by Straylight Run

The Needles the Space is the second studio album by American indie rock band Straylight Run. With the release of the Prepare to Be Wrong EP in late 2005, the group completed their contract with independent label Victory Records. Recording for their next album took place at Red Wire Audio and Sapone Studios in August and September 2006 with engineers Bryan Russell and Mike Sapone. By the end of the year, they were shopping the record to potential labels, eventually settling with major label Universal Republic by early 2007.

<i>Taking Back Sunday</i> (album) 2011 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Taking Back Sunday is the fifth studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. After returning home from touring the Soundwave festival in February and March 2010, guitarist Matthew Fazzi and bassist Matthew Rubano were dismissed from the group. They were replaced by guitarist John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper, both of whom were former members of the band. Later in March, the band began writing material for their next album in El Paso, Texas. The following month, demos were recorded with the aim to release a new album later in the year. Recording began in October with producer Eric Valentine at Barefoot Recording in Hollywood, California and finished in January 2011.

<i>New Again</i> 2009 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

New Again is the fourth studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. When guitarist Fred Mascherino left the group after the Projekt Revolution tour ended in September 2007, band members took a break after years of touring. New Again was recorded in October and November 2008 at several studios in New York and California with David Kahne and Matt Squire as producers. Matthew Fazzi of Facing New York joined Taking Back Sunday in early 2008. He was praised by vocalist Adam Lazzara and the group's manager for incorporating new instruments into the group's sound. Guitarist Eddie Reyes called the album "one of the most aggressive records we've ever written". Towards the end of 2008, the group revealed the album's title, went on a US tour, and made "Carpathia" available for streaming.

Destry is an indie folk band centered on Michelle DaRosa.

Gabriel the Marine was an American rock band from Long Island, New York. The band was composed of guitarist and vocalist Mike Desmond and guitarist Dominick D'Agostino, bassist Tom Costa, and drummer Tom Davis. Following its inception into the independent rock scene in 2008, the band embarked on their first U.S. tour in the summer of 2009 with A Love Like Pi and Asteria, and later opened for artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Mew, Glassjaw, Jack's Mannequin, The Sleeping, As Tall As Lions, Bayside, Mae, Anberlin, I Am the Avalanche, The Dear Hunter, and many others.

<i>Happiness Is</i> (Taking Back Sunday album) 2014 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Happiness Is is the sixth studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. Before the release of their self-titled album in mid-2011, the group had started working on its follow-up. Throughout the rest of the year, and 2012, band members mentioned in interviews they had various song ideas and tracked demos with producers Marc Jacob Hudson and Mike Sapone. In early 2013, the group spent two weeks in West Virginia, during which they wrote songs for the new album. Satisfied with how the demos turned out, they decided to bring in Hudson and Sapone to record their new album. In June and July, the band recorded at Rancho Recordo in Fenton, Michigan with Hudson.

<i>Tidal Wave</i> (Taking Back Sunday album) 2016 studio album by Taking Back Sunday

Tidal Wave is the seventh studio album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday. During the touring cycle for Happiness Is (2014), the group worked on material for their next record. Following a holiday show in late 2015, guitarist John Nolan was expecting his second child and wished to be nearby. As a result, vocalist Adam Lazzara was informed by engineer Mike Pepe of a studio close by that he worked at, Sioux Sioux Studio in Charlotte, North Carolina. With the members living between Lazzara and Nolan's houses, they persuaded producer Mike Sapone to join them. In January 2016, the group were writing at the studio, and by March, they started recording. One change the group experienced was the ability to track every instrument, and subsequently listen to it back. This enabled the group to listen to the proceedings objectively, rather than talking solely about a single part.

<i>Twenty</i> (Taking Back Sunday album) 2019 compilation album by Taking Back Sunday

Twenty is a compilation album by American rock band Taking Back Sunday, released on January 11, 2019, through Craft Recordings. Its release marks the band's 20th anniversary, and it includes two new recordings, "All Ready to Go", and "A Song for Dan". The band embarked on a world tour in support of the album.

References

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