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Project 86 is an American rock band from Orange County, California, formed in 1996. As of 2009, the line-up consists of bassist Steven Dail, vocalist and songwriter Andrew Schwab, and guitarist Randy Torres. The band has released seven studio albums, which have collectively sold over 350,000 units worldwide, two EPs, and two DVDs.2009 Their music is characterized by an aggressive hardcore style, which has incorporated folk music, goth rock, metal, and hip-hop. Schwab's introspective lyrics have addressed topics like conformity and emptiness.
The band was formed by Schwab and former drummer Alex Albert as a way to inspire people to live their lives with hope. In 1998, BEC Recordings released a self-titled debut album that was well received by critics and consumers. Mainstream record labels soon approached the band with record negotiations; they signed a joint deal with Atlantic and Tooth & Nail Records, the parent company of BEC. The band's next two albums were released cooperatively. However, conflict arose when Project 86 gave precedence to their mainstream audience. Eventually, the band was dropped from both labels. After releasing an independent album, the band re-negotiated a contract with Tooth & Nail and put out three more albums, the latest being Picket Fence Cartel in summer 2009.
History 1996–1999: Formation and self-titled debutProject 86 was formed in June 1996 by vocalist Andrew Schwab and drummer Alex Albert in Orange County, California.1998 Schwab had been attending Southern California College as a full time student, and was an active volunteer in his church as a youth minister
. Albert also attended college at the time.1998 Both men shared a desire to positively influence people, particularly kids, and so created the band. Guitarist Randy Torres, who was attending high school, was recruited shortly after formation. After going through two bassists, high school student Stephen Dail joined in August 1997.1998
The band was originally called "The Project"; the number 86 was added later.2004 Commenting on its inclusion, Schwab said, "The generation before us kind of used that phrase to describe when they would kick something out, give it a boot, get rid of it...Project 86 is like the whole idea of being rejected, or separate, or not going along with the group."1998 An image of a dragon was picked to represent the band simply because "it looked cool".2004 The group did not travel much initially; they decided to hone their sound and live performances before embarking on tours.2009 In 1997, Project 86 was voted one of the top independent acts of the year by HM magazine readers. At Tomfest the same year, their performance was a big hit. BEC Recordings, a Christian sublabel of Tooth & Nail Records, became interested and subsequently signed them.1998
Truthless Heroes was released in September 2002 and peaked at #146 on the Billboard 200. Their first and only single, "Hollow Again", peaked at #35 on Mainstream Rock Tracks.2009 Atlantic refused to release the second single because they claimed the lyrics conflicted with the Iraq War effort.2004 While lauded by critics for its pounding criticism of the media and entertainment industry,200220092002 the album proved to be controversial, particularly the promotional website.2003 Additionally, many Christians felt alienated by its dark material;2005 one young fan deemed the album "too depressing".2004 Fans also complained that the record was "overproduced" and lacked the raw energy present in Drawing Black Lines.2004 In a later interview, Schwab expressed disappointment about the record, stating he had "different aspirations for [1] than what came out."2004 The group performed with Taproot on their self-titled tour in fall 2002.2002
During this time, Project 86 distanced themselves from the Christian market; according to Andree Farias of Christianity Today, "their commitment with Atlantic required them to give precedence to their newfound mainstream audience." This led to conflict with Tooth & Nail and eventually Atlantic bought their share in the contract.2003 Shortly after, Project 86 was dropped from the lineup. Various reasons subsequently arose to explain why this happened; Farias stated Project 86 failed to produce marketable singles,2003 while Cross Rhythms writer Tony Cummings suggested nu-metal was simply no longer popular, a genre the band had become associated with. Schwab personally explained it was a culmination of items which included "timing, corruption, politics, 9–11, [2] The Donnas".2008
2003–2006: Songs to Burn Your Bridges By and ...And the Rest Will FollowThe departure from Atlantic was a big disappointment for the band. "All of the hype about our future successes turned out to be just that – hype, " said Schwab in an interview, "We did not go platinum [...] the record fell short of expectations and did not come close to the impact of our previous effort." The band parted with their management company and did not tour for several months. Expectations were high that they would break up.2008 Instead, Project 86 started an independent label called "Team Black Recordings". Work began on a new album after Hyde was convinced to produce again.2004 Their fourth album, Songs to Burn Your Bridges By, was made available exclusively on their website in Fall 2003.2003
Brandon Ebel, founder and president of Tooth & Nail, heard the new record and became excited. Contract negotiations followed suit; and the following year, Project 86 re-signed with their old label.2004 Songs to Burn Your Bridges By was re-released in June 2004. The album was remixed and remastered by Aaron Sprinkle and J.R. McNeely, featured new artwork, and included three new songs.2003 The release peaked at #36 on Heatseekers,2009 and was met with positive reviews by critics.200320032003 According to Schwab, the album was written to "tell people who were soured by Truthless Heroes why Truthless Heroes was the way it was."2004 The group performed at Purple Door, a Christian music festival, later that year. The playground was particularly muddy that season due to heavy rainfall.2004 When Project 86 played their set, moshers threw mud everywhere and covered the stage and musical equipment. Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment was damaged.2009c
In Spring 2005, Project 86 reunited with Drawing Black Lines producer Garth Richardson to record their fifth album, ...And the Rest Will Follow.2005a After spending several days recording demos, the band flew to Vancouver, British Columbia, to record at The Farm Studios Compound. The band filmed the entire production and later released a DVD documentary entitled Subject to Change: The Making of ...And the Rest Will Follow.2005a The album marked a spiritual change for the group who felt humbled by their past experiences. "The record is about growing up and becoming a man (or woman) and taking responsibility for your past mistakes," stated Schwab, "are refocusing our goals back to what they were when we started, reaching kids and inspiring them to live lives with hope and purpose.”2005
To promote the album, Project 86 released a new song on PureVolume every Monday until the release date.2005b ...And the Rest Will Follow was released in September 20052005b and debuted at #131 on the Billboard 200.2009 Critics were positive about the release.2005b20042005 The band began a fall release tour and traveled with Spoken, Number One Gun, The Fold, and Mourning September.2005c In January 2006, a live performance of the single "My Will Be A Dead Man" was broadcast on Attack of the Show!.2006 A collaboration with synth pop group The Echoing Green resulted in a remix of the song "Something We Can't Be". The song appeared on MySpace alongside a remix of "From December" later that year.2007c
2007–2008: Rival Factions, The Kane Mutiny EP, and This Time of Year EP 2007.
In March 2007, Project 86 announced that Alex Albert had parted with the band on friendly terms to pursue other interests.2007 Instead of searching for a full-time replacement, the band recruited Jason Gerkin, formerly of Shiner, to play drums on tour.2007a Production of their sixth album, entitled Rival Factions, followed suit with Deftones producer Ulrich Wild.2007 The album proved to be a large departure from their edgier material by sporting a distinct 1980s sound influenced by goth rock.2007
The majority of writing took place while the band took a break; Dail got married in the Netherlands, while Schwab and Torres worked in Southern California and Seattle respectively. The men collaborated by emailing MP3s they recorded. In the end, 40 songs were amassed for the new record, but only ten were used.2007 According to Schwab, the album's title was chosen to represent "the tension that exists in everybody [...] the flesh and the spirit." It was also representative of their new musical direction, an attempt to polarize themselves from other heavy rock acts.2007a Similarly to their last record, a documentary was filmed that detailed the recording process, entitled I Want Something You Have: Rival Factions The DVD.2007b
Rival Factions was released in June 20072009 and peaked at #123 on the Billboard 200, the band's highest debut to date.2009 The record sold 6,000 copies in the first week2007 and was well received by critics, who made favorable comparisons to Duran Duran, Billy Idol, and the Killers.200720092007 The band proceeded to tour with labelmates MXPX, Showbread, and Sullivan on the summer Tooth & Nail Tour.2007a A performance also took place at the annual Christmas Rock Night event in Ennepetal, Germany that December.2007b
Several tracks were recorded and mixed that were not included on Rival Factions.2008a These songs were compiled with their previous remixes to form an EP. A cover of "Lucretia, My Reflection" by the Sisters of Mercy was also included. The Kane Mutiny EP was released exclusively on iTunes in November 2007.2007 Shortly after its release, the band uploaded a cover of "This Time of the Year" by Brenda Lee on iTunes. "Our version was a little bit more like A Nightmare Before Christmas sic," declared Schwab.2008a The single was well received and led Project 86 to build an entire album around the Christmas concept. This Time of Year EP was released in November 2008. Unlike the previous EP, This Time of Year was made available in digital and physical formats.2008b Jason Martin of indie rock outfit Starflyer 59 helped produce both albums.2009a
2009–present: Picket Fence CartelIn early 2009, the band returned to the studio with Martin and Wild to record their seventh album, Picket Fence Cartel. Time was spent leisurely crafting the album; previous endeavors had been limited by deadlines. "This time around, we said, 'Look, let's not just put out another record,'" said Schwab, "'Let's make sure we get the record to a place that we're happy with it.'"2009a The band focused on a heavy metal sound. However, they did not entirely jettison their 1980s influences as synthesizers percolated several songs. Schwab's lyrics focused on his belief that power and corruption often "run hand-in-hand when it comes to human souls." "The world is teaching us that fame is to be sought after; that recognition will equal success, fortune and, ultimately, peace," he said, "But the search for and attainment of fame and wealth usually destroy us in the end."2009
The record was released in July 2009 and peaked at #137 on the Billboard 200.2009 Critics praised the title for its barrage of heavy rock and spiritually minded lyrics.200920092009 Later that summer, Project 86 traveled nationwide on the Scream The Prayer Tour with metalcore outfits The Chariot, Haste The Day, and Gwen Stacy.2009a Torres did not accompany the entire tour because he was performing studio work in Seattle with producer Aaron Sprinkle. His absence led to rumors that he had left the band, which Schwab promptly dismissed. Dail filled his position on guitar while a stand-in played bass.2009a Coming mid-October, Project 86 will start the Picket Fence Cartel Tour with Children 18:3, Showbread, The Wedding, and Yearling.2009b
Musical style in 2006. Bassist Stephen Dail is seen in the background.
Project 86's music is characterized by heavy rock2004 and Schwab's "loud, eerie, and atmospheric" vocal style.2003 Their sound has been likened to rock groups Helmet, Korn, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine, and Tool.2009 The moniker "intense" has frequently been used as a description.20092005b20052005 Rick Anderson of Allmusic called the music "dense and crunchy",2009 while Albuquerque Journal writer Ron Gonzales declared it a "blisteringly heavy sound."2004 Commenting on their musical style, Schwab stated "Our goal as a band has been to never make the same record twice. The only rule is that there are no rules. If there is a rule, it’s that we try not to over-think things, that the music that comes out is honest and real, spontaneous and from our heart.”2007
When Project 86 released their self-titled record, they were generally acknowledged to be a rapcore band.1999 Schwab has maintained it was never intentional, "I think we got lumped in with that music because we [3] toured with P.O.D. and Linkin Park."2007 According to writer Mark Allan Powell, the music featured "cryptic, down-tuned guitars" and "half-spoken, half-rapped" vocals.2002 Drawing Black Lines saw their style adopt elements of traditional metal, groove metal, and hard rock.2000 The band used their song "Pipedream" as a blueprint to build the album: "We knew that was one of the brightest spots on the album," said Schwab, "I just wanted to take what we did in 'Pipedream' and go further with it".2000 Experimentation with noise occurred in track "Chapter 23",2000 and would be revisited on their fourth album with "Circuitry".2003
Truthless Heroes and Songs To Burn Your Bridges By generally focused on a "dark and intense musical direction". The group strayed from the style for their fifth album ...And The Rest Will Follow, opting to flirt with melodies and harmonies.2005b Rival Factions marked a great departure when they embraced 1980s music and utilized keyboards.2007 The band was inspired to write experimental songs after Dail penned "Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)". "[1] was way different than anything we’d done before," stated Torres, "everything after that [3] to be as different as possible from things we’d done prior."2007 Their signature hardcore sound was reinstated for Picket Fence Cartel. "We have had a great time adding more melody along the way," insisted Schwab, "but in our hearts, we still really enjoy playing aggressive songs".2009 Even so, some songs retained synthesizers while others boasted folk influences.20092009
Project 86 has many times been labeled a "Christian band". Although every member professes Christianity, they have remained uncomfortable with the assertion. "We're not going to go in there and say 'Hey we're the Christian band.'" stated Schwab in a 2004 interview. "We're going to carry ourselves like a normal band. Hopefully people will like our music and investigate into the band [...] and they will learn our beliefs."2004 In a 2007 interview, he further opined "We always tell people that the goal has been to just write music that we love, and write music hopefully that is challenging and inspiring to people and doesn't sound like everything else out there."2007a
InfluencesRock bands have largely influenced the band like the Deftones, Sepultura, Sick of It All, and Snapcase.19982007 Torres expressed a particular affinity for The Beatles and Led Zeppelin: "I just love to listen to their albums over and over and pick apart stuff here and there that is amazing," he said, "It is a huge influence on me musically." Dail has revealed The Clash, Fugazi, and Rocket from the Crypt to be personally influential.2002 At an early age, Schwab listened to Slayer, S.O.D., and Metallica.2004 He later discovered East Coast hip hop.1998 During the recording of Rival Factions, the band took heavy influence from goth rock groups Depeche Mode, Joy Division, Psychedelic Furs, and Sisters of Mercy.2007 Some of their favorite bands are The Cure, Portishead, Quicksand, Shiner, and Sunny Day Real Estate.2004
Some musicians have cited Project 86 as an influence. Jessy Ribordy, lead singer and songwriter for alternative rock band Falling Up, has been affected by Schwab's writings. "Andrew’s lyrics have always been a source of inspiration to me,” he told CCM Magazine. “I’ve tried to use more imaginative metaphors and things that are more symbolic, so that the songs can mean more things and have a bigger impact.”2007 38th Parallel, a short lived Christian rap rock group, also acknowledged the band's influence.2002
LyricsVocalist Andrew Schwab has remained the band's lead lyricist.2005b Schwab has stated most lyrics are based on his emotions.2008a He also tries to incorporate social commentary from literature.2002 Prominent influences include comic book artist Chris Ware and writers Chris Bachelder, Don DeLillo, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell, and T. S. Eliot.2002 He has written lyrics around a variety of topics that include alcohol abuse ("One-Armed Man"),2002 conformity ("S.M.C."),2002 emptiness ("Evil (A Chorus of Resistance)"),2007a greed ("Cold and Calculated"),2009b nightlife ("Molotov"),2007a and spirituality ("Chapter 2").2002 Controversial issues like pornography ("P.S.") and child molestation ("Sioux Lane Spirits") have also been addressed.20032002
According to John DiBase, president of Jesus Freak Hideout, early lyrics reflected "anger, frustration, and often hopelessness."2005b Some journalists interpreted it as cynicism; Sean Richardson writing for The Phoenix called it "overbearing" and hoped "positive vibes" from P.O.D. and Blindside would rub off,2002 while Losey believed it to be a longtime "burden" being carried.2005 "It is easy to give in to these types of [5] feelings when you have been wronged,” Schwab told CCM Magazine, "It’s a very selfish mentality that chokes you off from being proactive in your gifts and purpose."sfn Losey2005 Critics have noted that Schwab's later material contains more optimistic perspectives.2005b200720092009
Honesty is highly regarded by Schwab; he has stated "I don't want to be known or remembered as a positive band, but as a band that was sort of honest and had a quiet sense of hope."2002 He has sometimes used humor to convey his feelings. "Salem's Suburbs" and "Your Heroes Are Dead" satirically examine how society blindly accepts opinions found on television and the internet.2002 "Caveman Jams" was directed at critics who claimed their music was too aggressive. The song tells how a fan was inspired to leave a life of self-destruction. "That song was written to be funny,” stated Schwab, "[1] was definitely written as a response to some experiences we’ve had as a band over the years, but in such a way that we’re having fun with it. I tried to approach it comically."2007
DiscographyStudio AlbumsEPsSinglesFilmography- 2004: Subject to Change: The Making of ...And the Rest Will Follow
- 2007: I Want Something You Have: Rival Factions The DVD
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