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Yellowcard is an American Rock music band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Mackin and Key, who was previously a guest vocalist, are the only remaining original members. Primarily a Pop punk group, their music is recognized for having a distinct and unique sound in its genre due to their prominent use of a violin. The group's most-recognized singles include "Ocean Avenue", "Only One", and "Lights and Sounds". Released in 2003, "Ocean Avenue" and its parent album of the same name are both certified double platinum and platinum in the US respectively by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); "Only One" and the band's 2006 album Lights and Sounds have been certified gold.
During their first two decades together, the band released ten studio albums, with the last, Yellowcard, released in 2016. Following this release and supporting tour, the quartet disbanded. The band announced a reunion in May 2022 and resumed their recording and touring career, beginning with the Childhood Eyes EP, released in 2023. Their eleventh studio album Better Days followed in 2025.
Yellowcard's original lineup featured Ben Dobson on vocals, Todd Clary on guitar and vocals, Ben Harper on guitar, Warren Cooke on bass, and Longineu Parsons III on drums. Modern Amusement frontman Ryan Key appeared as a guest, on background vocals, as did violinist Sean Mackin. Key had also been in California band Craig's Brother.
Yellowcard recorded their first LP, Midget Tossing, at the Music Factory in Jacksonville Beach with Michael Ray FitzGerald at the board. Where We Stand, the band's second album, featured the same lineup as Midget Tossing, while Mackin was brought in for more songs. Soon, however, the band fired Dobson and replaced him with former guest vocalist Key. This changed the band's style from hardcore punk to pop punk.
In early 2000, Yellowcard recorded the Still Standing EP. Soon after it was released, Todd Clary left the band. Key then filled both Clary's and Dobson's duties, guitar and vocals respectively. After sending the new EP to friend Steve Lubarsky at Lobster Records, the band signed its first recording contract in June 2000 and in November, headed west to Camarillo, California, to begin working on another full-length album. The group released its third album, One for the Kids (Lobster Records), in 2001 and followed up with The Underdog EP (Fueled by Ramen Records) in 2002. Both of these were well received by fans. However, soon after The Underdog EP was released, Warren Cooke left for personal reasons on July 16, 2002. The band then asked Pete Mosely from Inspection 12 to play bass, and he joined the band four days later.
Yellowcard released its first single from Ocean Avenue, "Way Away". The song did well on MTV2 and rock radio, peaking at No. 25 on the modern-rock charts. The song created enough buzz to cause the band's mainstream explosion. In the middle of the band's first headlining tour, Peter Mosely decided to leave Inspection 12 and asked if he could rejoin Yellowcard. Because Mosely had been an integral part of the writing for Ocean Avenue and had also been friends with most of the band's members since high school, Lewis was asked to leave on March 1, 2004, and Mosely was reinstated as the bass player.
In late 2003, Yellowcard finally broke through with a hit single, "Ocean Avenue", in part due to the song premiering on MTV's Total Request Live. Radio eventually picked up on the single, with it peaking at No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100 during the summer of 2004. The band experienced its peak popularity during the second half of 2004. They were cover features on Alternative Press magazine, a headliner of the 2004 Warped Tour, performed "Ocean Avenue" and won the MTV2 award at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards, and were featured in the season 2 premiere of One Tree Hill with their song "Empty Apartment". The band was featured episode 3 in season 8 of MTV's Real World/Road Rules Challenge (later abridged to "The Challenge"), performing "Way Away" while cast members trashed a mock hotel room for a "rock star redecoration" challenge. The album's first track, "Way Away", appeared on the soundtracks of SSX 3 and Madden NFL 2004. The album's second track, "Breathing", also appeared in Electronic Arts's and FlatOut 2. Following the success of "Ocean Avenue", the band released the single "Only One", a rock ballad which also did fairly well on TRL and radio. Ocean Avenue sold close to two million copies in the U.S. alone.
During this time, Yellowcard contributed songs to various other soundtracks. The first, "Gifts and Curses", appeared in the hit film Spider-Man 2. Another, a cover of Lagwagon's "Violins", was featured on Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 compilation album. At the 2005 MTV Movie Awards, Yellowcard performed a cover of the song "Don't You (Forget About Me)" during a special tribute to the movie The Breakfast Club.
On August 13, 2013, an acoustic version of Ocean Avenue was released in honor of the album's 10th anniversary.[2]
In the months following, many problems had arisen between the bandmates, with Key stating, "The fame went to our heads." After months of increasing tension stemming from Ben Harper's increased involvement with his indie label Takeover Records, Harper was removed from Yellowcard.[3] He was replaced by Ryan Mendez from the band Staring Back.
Lights and Sounds was finally released on January 24, 2006. A loose concept album, the theme centers around Yellowcard's negative feelings towards Los Angeles. Prior to the release of Lights and Sounds Ryan Key said that this ambitious album would probably alienate a large portion of the group's fan base, and that he was "100 percent okay with that." 20 songs were recorded for the album, 14 of which are on the CD, plus a B-side available on import versions, CD singles, and at the iTunes Store, called "Three Flights Down". The opening track, "Three Flights Up", was the first instrumental track on a Yellowcard album since "Interlewd" on the band's first album, Midget Tossing. Those two and "Convocation" from their 2014 release, Lift a Sail, are the only instrumental tracks the band has released on an album.
The title track, "Lights and Sounds", was the first single, released a week before the album. It peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks. It is also featured on the video games Burnout Revenge, Burnout Legends and . In its first week of release, the album sold just over 90,000 copies, but it only went on to receive gold status. High first week sales are most likely the result of high anticipation of the album, as it was the follow-up to the highly successful Ocean Avenue; low total sales backup Key's statement about the album being very ambitious and different in sound from Ocean Avenue. On May 6, 2006, the second and final single and video of the album, "Rough Landing, Holly", was released. The single was not as well received as the first, and after its first week of release, it quickly dropped on the charts.
In May 2006, Ryan Key had surgery on his vocal chords after having problems with his singing. He had started having problems in December 2005. He was mute for a week and could not sing for more than a month. Yellowcard, after canceling some shows and receiving some time off from touring, joined the Virgin Mega Tour for the summer of 2006.
The first Yellowcard show since October 2006 took place on March 29, 2007, at the Troubadour in Hollywood, California. At the show, lead singer Ryan Key announced to a sold-out crowd that the new album would be titled Paper Walls. He said he would "probably get in trouble for it", but went on to announce the title anyway; Key also announced the album title during a concert at Southern Connecticut State University. During the Troubadour show, the group played two songs from its new album ("Fighting" and "The Takedown"). Yellowcard played an acoustic set the next night at the Troubadour and premiered two new songs, "Shadows and Regrets" and "Light Up the Sky".
In the teaser of an interview with Jason Tate of absolutepunk.net released on June 17 (one month before the release of the album), Key described the album as
... very much a record of hope and finding yourself again. It's after you've come through all of that – going to the height of it – and picking yourself back up again. And by "hitting rock bottom", I don't mean in record sales or fame or any of that shit. I mean personally – emotionally ... Paper Walls is the story, the feeling, of what it's like to be out of those holes, looking back, no regrets, but smarter and having grown through them.
The whole interview was released on July 17, the release date of the album.
Yellowcard announced on May 15 via Myspace that the first single from Paper Walls would be "Light Up the Sky". This song was released to iTunes and radio on June 5. Soon after its release, Paper Walls became the second most popular album on iTunes and the most popular album in the alternative section. On July 9, Yellowcard released Paper Walls on the group's Myspace music player to give fans a taste of what was to come on the new album. Paper Walls was released in the U.S. on July 17 (July 16 on iTunes) in an additional CD/DVD format, as Lights and Sounds was the previous year. The DVD contains exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the band, an extensive photo gallery and two additional live bonus tracks. Yellowcardbr.com In June 2007, Yellowcard was voted to do AOL Sessions Under Cover. It was released on July 20 and featured two songs from Paper Walls. The album debuted at No. 13 on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling about 40,000 copies in its first week.
Yellowcard promoted Paper Walls nonstop after its release and started touring to support the album. The group supported Blue October during the band's United States 2007 fall tour and also supported Linkin Park in Japan in November/December 2007. While touring for Paper Walls, Peter Mosely announced in a Myspace blog message that he would be leaving Yellowcard to pursue other endeavors, moving back to Jacksonville and rejoining his old band. Josh Portman from the bands Near Miss and Staring Back took over on bass until the reformation of Yellowcard in 2010, upon which Sean O'Donnell of Reeve Oliver became the bass player.
On January 7, Yellowcard went to the Middle East to do a USO tour. The group went to Kuwait as originally planned, but could not get into Iraq because of the President arriving and canceling all flights there.[5] The band released a live album on January 22, 2008, titled iTunes Live from Las Vegas at the Palms. It was recorded during their Blue October Tour in October 2007. The band canceled several European shows in January due to drummer Longineu Parsons taking a couple months off. He spent the time in Jacksonville, Florida, with his grandmother, who raised him and whose health was failing.[6] The band was originally scheduled to headline a spring tour with All Time Low, but All Time Low dropped out to take part in the Alternative Press spring tour. They were then replaced by MxPx, who canceled a few weeks later. Yellowcard then went on an acoustic tour with The Spill Canvas, Secondhand Serenade, Analog Rebellion, and Treaty of Paris.
Ryan Key and Sean O'Donnell of Reeve Oliver formed a small side project called Big If. Big If released many demos online and had a record due out in late 2009 which was cancelled. The band featured a more pop punk approach in most of its first songs, though by the time they had reached the second set of demos, they had almost completely progressed into a pop rock style. After the band's fourth set of demos, the band announced a fundraising event on February 10, 2010, called the "Help Mend A Heart Auction", which was to fund Jordan Pundik's mother's heart transplant operation. After that final announcement, there has been no word from the band, and their MySpace page is no longer active.
Parsons played drums for Adam Lambert from October 2009 through September 18, 2010, before returning to Yellowcard after its hiatus.
Since the reformation announcement, the Yellowcard YouTube account was reopened and featured weekly sessions about the recording of the new album. It was also in these sessions that a handful of names and snippets of songs were released. Big If songs "Empty Street", "Hide", and "Hang You Up" were rumored to be reworked and featured on the new record ("Empty Street" ultimately did not make the cut). One of the first confirmed tracks on the new record, "See Me Smiling", was originally an instrumental demo Ryan Mendez wrote and recorded at his home studio, which he sent to the other band members. They decided to record it for the new record. The bridge is one of Key's favorite vocal parts in all of Yellowcard's library. "Sing For Me" was confirmed in the November issue of Alternative Press Magazine, issue 269. The song is written from the perspective of Key's terminally ill aunt, Aunt Stephanie, who was mentioned in "Rock Star Land". The recording process finished on November 8, 2010. The band later announced the name and release date of the first single, "For You, and Your Denial". It was made available for purchase on iTunes and streaming at www.absolutepunk.net starting January 18, 2011. Also, the music video for this song was released. The second single, "Hang You Up", was released February 22. The new album released on March 22, 2011, on iTunes and CD.
Yellowcard released dates for concerts for part of 2010 and the majority of 2011. The band toured with All Time Low throughout Europe in March 2011, around the same time that the album was released. On November 13, 2010, the band played its first show after coming back from hiatus at The Glass House in Pomona, California. This was the first time the whole band had played together since December 2007. During the show, Ryan Key revealed the name of the new record after insistent chants. The new record, he announced, was to be titled When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes. Shortly afterward, the group played the first single from the new record, "For You, and Your Denial". Responding to the apparent lack of Yellowcard's older work at The Glass House show, Key stated that it was to keep the energy up in the crowds. In addition to the Europe tour in March, Yellowcard announced a spring 2011 U.S. tour with All Time Low, Hey Monday, and The Summer Set. In the late spring and early summer of 2011, Yellowcard participated in a brief U.S. tour with Good Charlotte and Runner Runner. In June 2011, during an interview with Punkvideosrock.com, Ryan Key stated that the band would participate in a headlining tour in the fall of 2011. In fall 2011, the band headlined a U.S. tour with Go Radio and Every Avenue (with whom Ryan Key had co-written two songs: "Girl Like That" (2009) and "Tie Me Down" (2011)).
Ryan Key also recorded a song with Silverstein called "Stay Posi" for the Take Action! Vol. 10 compilation.
On October 24, 2011, Yellowcard released When You're Through Thinking, Say Yes Acoustic. This release was generally a surprise to the fan base, as it was announced only two days earlier during the group's show in Chicago (and sold following the show at the merchandise table). The album was streaming on Absolutepunk.net for one day and is now available on iTunes. In addition, the band mentioned that the record is available at select indie record stores. Beginning on November 28, 2011, and continuing into December, Yellowcard participated in a Co-Headlining a Tour with Saves The Day and supporting act The Wonder Years. The tour stopped at several cities in the UK including Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham, and London. Beginning around the holidays in mid-December, the band returned to the United States, completing more than a full year of touring.
On July 11, Yellowcard released the opening track for Southern Air, "Awakening". The lyric video of the song was released online via Hopeless Records. On July 15, the band confirmed that the next single would be called "Here I Am Alive", which was released on July 31. On August 7, the full album was made available for streaming on YouTube under Hopeless Records. The "Here I Am Alive" music video featuring Tay Jardine premiered on August 14 on MTV. On August 21, acoustic versions of "Always Summer" and "Here I Am Alive" became available on Hopeless Records' YouTube channel. On September 26, Yellowcard released an acoustic version of "Telescope" on Hopeless Records' YouTube channel. On December 10, 2012, the band released a music video for "Awakening" on MTV Buzzworthy.
On December 6, Yellowcard's members announced that they were back in the studio. On May 3, 2013, the band confirmed rumors via Twitter about the recording of an acoustic remake of Ocean Avenue in honor of the platinum album's 10th anniversary. On June 3, 2013, pre-orders were set up for Ocean Avenue Acoustic. The album was released on August 13, 2013. The band also announced an Ocean Avenue Acoustic tour that fall with guest Geoff Rickly of Thursday. During the tour, the band performed "Paper Walls" live for the first time.
On October 29, 2013, Yellowcard announced that the group would be releasing a cover of Tony Sly's song called "Already Won", which is included in The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. The band was also featured on a Punk Goes Christmas compilation with a cover of "Christmas Lights" by Coldplay.
During January and February 2014, Yellowcard completed a second leg of the Ocean Avenue Acoustic across the United States in cities that the group had not previously performed; the tour was supported by What's Eating Gilbert. At various shows during the tour and on the members personal social media accounts, the band members began stating that they had been writing new music and would be returning to the studio that year.
On August 4, 2014, Yellowcard announced that the next album would be titled Lift a Sail. On the same day, the Yellowcard Twitter account linked to a post from AbsolutePunk.net which revealed the album's artwork and track list. The album would have 13 tracks. Also on August 4, the band announced a co-headline tour with Memphis May Fire, with special guests Emarosa. The tour would take place across the U.S. in the fall of 2014 and would begin the week after the album was released. On the 28th of the same month, it was announced that Tucker Rule, formerly of the band Thursday, would be drumming on the tour. On August 19, 2014, Yellowcard released the first single, "One Bedroom", as the lead single taken from Lift a Sail, which would be released October 7, 2014. Yellowcard toured the UK with Less Than Jake in the spring of 2015 and Australia with Mayday Parade in the summer of 2015 and in the U.S. with New Found Glory from October 18 to November 22, 2015.
On March 22, 2016, it was announced that Yellowcard would be playing the entire 2016 Vans Warped Tour. On June 25, 2016, the band announced on its website that the group would be breaking up after a final tour, stating: "Please come and join us on our last trip around the globe. We hope to share this final record and tour with each and every one of you." The tour continued to the United Kingdom in December 2016, an Australian tour in February 2017, then one last string of US dates on the west coast in March. The group announced that Jimmy Brunkvist from Like Torches would fulfill drumming duties for the final touring cycle. On March 21 and 22, the band played make-up shows to sold-out crowds in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Tempe, Arizona, respectively. The band played their final show on March 25, 2017, at the House Of Blues in Anaheim, California. On April 12, 2017, the final music video, "A Place We Set Afire" was released.
In 2019, members of the Lights and Sounds-era lineup of Yellowcard collectively sued rapper Juice Wrld, claiming that his song "Lucid Dreams" plagiarized the melody of their song "Holly Wood Died". The band recruited lawyer Richard Busch, who was best known for representing the estate of Marvin Gaye during the "Blurred Lines" case. It was reported Busch's law firm were suing Juice Wrld for $15 million; Busch himself, however, claimed that the value was "falsely reported", and that the band members were "simply seeking what the law allows, and what parties in their position have sought in similar cases, which at this point is not determined". Following the rapper's death later that year, the members extended their deadline for a defendant to respond to the lawsuit. This intensified the controversy significantly, as many news outlets pointed out that it meant the band was still pursuing the lawsuit despite the rapper's death. Though in a press statement, Busch did highlight that the members had very mixed emotions.
"My clients are certainly torn about proceeding, and understand the optics involved. But it is important to remember that this lawsuit was filed before this tragic event, and was filed because all of the defendants (and there are two other writers and several music publishers and record labels) profited off of what we believe was clear copying and infringement of Yellowcard's work." – Richard BuschYellowcard ultimately chose to drop the lawsuit in 2020 after Juice Wrld's mother became the representative of his estate. Busch stated that the band was "very sympathetic not only of Juice Wrld's death, but also needed time to decide whether they really wanted to pursue the case against his grieving mother as the personal representative of his estate." He also noted, however, that the case could be refiled if the band were to change their minds.
In 2021, Key and Mendez formed an electronic music duo called JEDHA.
On February 14, 2023, the band announced a summer tour to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ocean Avenue across the U.S. alongside Mayday Parade, This Wild Life, Story of the Year, and Anberlin. On May 20, 2023, the band announced a new single titled "Childhood Eyes" after a stint of teaser posts on social media. The song was released on May 31, 2023, as the lead-off single of an Childhood Eyes, released on July 21 via Equal Vision Records.
During a January 11, 2024, appearance on Good Morning America, the band announced a collaborative project entitled A Hopeful Sign. The album consists of nine previous Yellowcard songs reimagined and reworked by Ambient music Post-rock duo Hammock. The compilation was released on February 9, 2024. The band joined Third Eye Blind on their Summer Gods Tour in the summer of 2024. While on tour, the band also released a cover of the Jimmy Eat World song "Bleed American" with all proceeds being donated to a friend of the band whose family had recently experienced a loss. In September 2024, the band collaborated with Against the Current front-woman Chrissy Costanza to record a cover of "A Whole New World" from the 1992 Disney film Aladdin as part of Disney's A Whole New Sound compilation album.
Key has cited Third Eye Blind, Radiohead, No Use for a Name, Foo Fighters, Weezer, Coldplay, Propagandhi, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, the Smashing Pumpkins and NOFX as some of his most prominent musical influences. He has also listed Michael Jackson, Madonna and New Kids On The Block as helping him lead into the pop influences on Yellowcard's music. Mackin, the band's violinist, has cited Itzhak Perlman as one of his favorite composers, and was primarily influenced by classical music in his younger years.
Parsons, the band's founding drummer, has credited watching Headbangers Ball on MTV and listening to Pantera with sparking his initial interest in rock and heavy metal. Mendez is a fan of Lagwagon and Stone Temple Pilots. Portman enjoyed Glam metal and thrash metal as a child before exploring an interest in punk and Post-hardcore in his teenage years; he and Mendez briefly played in Staring Back together in the mid-2000s before joining Yellowcard.
Current touring musicians
Former members
Former touring musicians
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