Something Corporate are five young musicians who have that innate ability to play great music, write great songs, and connect in an amazing way with a crowd. Citing both Billy Joel and Elton John as influences, while injecting the irreverent guitar edge of modern rock, Something Corporate brings a fresh new sound. The band's sound is anchored by the fierce piano playing of 20-year-old, lead singer/songwriter Andrew McMahon. Their music is modern alternative rock composed on an instrument with 88 keys. And while piano music is not exactly en vogue, Something Corporate infuses it into their songs in an inventive way. With two guitars in the mix, however, Something Corporate is hardly what you would call a piano band. Other influences include Jimmy Eat World and Jets To Brazil. The Something Corporate story began simply enough--a bunch of wide eyed, Southern California high school friends just getting together because of their mutual love of music. Breaking Something Corporate down into their individual and expressive parts, each member's distinctive personality make this a band: pianist/vocalist McMahon, bassist Clutch, guitarist Josh, drummer Brian, and rhythm guitarist Bill. These five young musicians quickly became local favorites in Orange County and Los Angeles before drawing the attention of the recording industry. Labels were already impressed with their sound and couldn�t ignore the fact that this small band was regularly selling out huge venues by themselves. The most persistent of these was Drive-Thru, a label best known for youth-oriented punk. Drive-Thru�s track record of artist development made signing with the label a no-brainer. Immersion in the culture of Drive-Thru�s bands and fans may have led to a gutsier sound for the newer material, but Something Corporate isn�t about to trade in the upright piano anytime soon.

The Something Corporate story began simply enough - a bunch of wide eyed, Southern California high school friends just getting together because of their mutual love of music. What they've become is something well beyond anyone's expectations - whether it's their radio ready, intuitive & off-beat songwriting, their wild antics on stage, or simply their natural abilities - to be a great band.

Of the myriad young alt-rock bands to arise in the early 2000s, Something Corporate stood out and showed enormous potential. On one hand, the band members were barely out of high school and the esteemed Cali indie punk label Drive-Thru signed the band, both of which helped Something Corporate connect with a large audience of West Coast teenage hipsters looking for a band to claim as their own. On the other hand, though, the band didn't play punk rock; they played polished, literate, radio-ready alt-rock -- in other words, a marketable sound that MCA recognized just before connecting with the band for its debut EP, Audioboxer. Released in late 2001, Audioboxer featured only six sounds yet showcased the band's promise as it synthesized post-grunge alt-rock guitar crunch with a bit of impassioned emo-styled songwriting and singing. And it also didn't hurt that the band boasted a bona fide poster boy in songwriter/pianist/vocalist Andrew McMahon, a blossoming talent still able to relate to the all-important teenage market given his youth. Before the Orange County, CA, band became Something Corporate, McMahon, drummer Brian Ireland, and bassist Clutch played in another band they had started to compete in a high school "battle of the bands." But that band didn't last too long even though they won the battle. The turning point came when McMahon met guitarist Josh Partington at a high school party. With a renewed sense of enthusiasm, the teens started jamming together as Something Corporate. Soon they were playing local clubs; not soon after, they were playing one-off gigs opening for bands like Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra. Around this time Drive-Thru came knocking, and even though the label was known primarily as a youth punk label and Something Corporate was far from that, the partnership made sense -- Drive-Thru recognized the band's potential as a crossover act and Something Corporate recognized the label's reputation as a respected indie. MCA then came into the picture primarily as a distributor, though the major label did use its clout to market the band, making sure to milk the Drive-Thru logo for all it was worth.

Although there is a valid argument that popular early twenty-first outfits such as Blink-182 and Sum 41 are nothing more than pop bands in punk clothing, other acts, such as Something Corporate, truly fit the aforementioned description. Hailing from Orange County, California, USA, friends Andrew McMahon (vocals/piano), Brian Ireland (drums), and Clutch (bass) decided to participate in their high school's "battle of the bands" contest, and although they were victorious, opted to disband the group immediately thereafter. After McMahon met guitarist Josh Partingon at a party, the singer-songwriter's desire to play in a band returned, and after calling upon Ireland and Clutch once more and enlisting additional guitarist William Tell, Something Corporate was formed. The quintet soon found itself opening local shows for national acts such as Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra, which resulted in a recording contract with the independent label Drive-Thru. A six-song EP, Audioboxer, followed in late 2001, which led to a major label distribution contract with MCA Records, and the appearance of their debut, Leaving Through The Window, in summer 2002.

Of the myriad young alt-rock bands to arise in the early 2000s, Something Corporate stood out and showed enormous potential. On one hand, the band members were barely out of high school and the esteemed Cali indie punk label Drive-Thru signed the band, both of which helped Something Corporate connect with a large audience of West Coast teenage hipsters looking for a band to claim as their own. On the other hand, though, the band didn't play punk rock; they played polished, literate, radio-ready alt-rock -- in other words, a marketable sound that MCA recognized just before connecting with the band for its debut EP, Audioboxer. Released in late 2001, Audioboxer featured only six sounds yet showcased the band's promise as it synthesized post-grunge alt-rock guitar crunch with a bit of impassioned emo-styled songwriting and singing. It also didn't hurt that the band boasted a bona fide poster boy in songwriter/pianist/vocalist Andrew McMahon, a blossoming talent still able to relate to the all-important teenage market given his youth.

Before the Orange County, CA, band became Something Corporate, McMahon, drummer Brian Ireland, and bassist Clutch played in another band they had started to compete in a high school battle of the bands. And even though they won the battle, the band didn't last too long. The turning point came when McMahon met guitarist Josh Partington at a high school party. With a renewed sense of enthusiasm, the teens started jamming together as Something Corporate. Soon they were playing local clubs; not soon after, they were playing one-off gigs opening for bands like Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra. Around this time, Drive-Thru came knocking, and even though the label was known primarily as a youth punk label and Something Corporate was far from that, the partnership made sense -- Drive-Thru recognized the band's potential as a crossover act and Something Corporate recognized the label's reputation as a respected indie. MCA then came into the picture primarily as a distributor, though the major label did use its clout to market the band, making sure to milk the Drive-Thru logo for all it was worth. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide