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Biography
for|the toy|Stretch ArmstrongInfobox musical artist | name = Stretch Arm Strong| image =| caption =| image_size = | background = group_or_band| alias =| origin = Chapin, South Carolina|Chapin,_South_Carolina , South Carolina , United States | genre = Melodic hardcore Positive hardcore | years_active = 1992–2010| label = Uprising Records (1998) Solid State Records|Solid State (1999-2004) We Put Out Records|We Put Out (2004-Present)| associated_acts =| website = http://www.stretcharmstrong.net/ StretchArmStrong.net| current_members = Chris McLane David Sease John Barry Chris Andrews Glen Calder| past_members = Stretch Arm Strong is a hardcore punk band from Chapin, South Carolina|Chapin South Carolina , and the flagship band for We Put Out Records . They have been active since 1992. Several of the band members are outspoken Christian s, but they prefer not to be classified as a Christian band in some cases. They do prefer to be known as Christian with influences, but not as a band that "preaches". Citation needed|date=February 2007After their freshman release on Uprising Records , Compassion Fills the Void , they released three albums for Solid State Records in 1999, 2001, and 2003 respectively. In addition, they have done several U.S. tours and several European tours.
Stretch Arm Strong are signed to We Put Out Records , a label on Eastwest Records|East West (a branch of the Warner Music Group ), having fulfilled their deal with Solid State. Their most recent LP, Free at Last (Stretch Arm Strong album)|Free at Last , was recorded in April and May 2005 with James Paul Wisner (producer of albums by Further Seems Forever and Underoath ) and released in fall of the same year.
They have mostly been inactive since 2005. They are playing 2 shows in January 2010 and it seems they will stay mainly inactive after that. According to their Myspace they stated "While we appreciate all of the kind comments and excitement, we dont plan on doing anymore shows or tours. I never want to make anything too final, but as far as we are concerned this will be it for a long time. We want to make it special and fun. Please come join us."
Social issues and activism
Stretch Arm Strong has actively addressed several pressing social concerns, such as the following:
Their first album for Solid State, Rituals of Life , was dedicated to a friend of the band, Matthew Leveton, who was injured in a car accident and left quadriplegic . The band has since done several benefit shows for raising money for Leveton's recovery.
On their album A Revolution Transmission , they had a song called "Take Back. Control" which provided a candid, but clean, discussion of sexual violence. The song was intended for rape victims in particular, and they included a telephone number for a rape hotline in the liner notes for the CD.
Band members Chris McLane and David Sease are longtime vegetarians, have shown support for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA , and the band went on a "Hardcore Against Fur" tour starting in December 2004 with H2O (American band)|H2O and With Honor .
Throughout their career, Stretch Arm Strong has made their music—and themselves—as youth-friendly as possible. Most of their lyrics have been much more positively oriented than the typical hardcore band's lyrics. In their song "For the Record" on A Revolution Transmission , they tell their story of how they grew up in the early South Carolina hardcore scene and went to all-ages shows; they have also refused to play shows at venues (or even in cities) which would not allow anyone under 18 to attend their concerts. In addition, some of the band members served as schoolteachers when not playing with the band.
Members
Chris McLane - vocals
David Sease - guitar/vocals (original member)
John Barry - drums (original member)
Glen Calder - guitar
Chris Andrews - bass
Former members
Matt McCarty - bass/vocals - (founder/original member)
Donnie Raines - bass
Shawn Williams - bass
Scott Dempsey - guitar (original member)
Jeremy Jeffers - bass/guitar
Sean McGuckin - bass
JC Lopez - guitar (previously of Glasseater )
Discography
Not Without Resistance EP (1995)
It Burns Clean EP (1998)
Compassion Fills the Void (1998, Uprising Records )
Rituals of Life (1999, Solid State Records )
A Revolution Transmission (2001, Solid State Records )
Engage (Stretch Arm Strong album)|Engage (2003, Solid State Records )
Free at Last (Stretch Arm Strong album)|Free at Last (2005, We Put Out Records )
Trivia
Stretch Arm Strong records a cover song with nearly every album recording. These have included "Express Yourself" ( N.W.A.|NWA ), "Angels of the Silences" ( Counting Crows ), " I Melt with You " ( Modern English (band)|Modern English ), "Disengage" (Youth Of Today) and " Get the Party Started " ( Pink (singer)|Pink ). They also covered "Busted" by Sick of It All on the Our Impact Will Be Felt|Our Impact will be Felt tribute album.
Dempsey, McLane and McCarty were all members of Columbia, SC punk band "Strait Up" prior to the incarnation of Stretch Arm Strong.
External links
http://www.myspace.com/stretcharmstrong Official myspace
Category:American Christian rock groups Category:Melodic hardcore groups Category:American hardcore punk musical groups Category:Musical groups from South Carolina Category:Christian hardcore
