Parkway Drive

Infobox musical artist
Name = Parkway Drive

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Img_capt = Parkway Drive at 2007's Warped Tour
Img_size = 250
Landscape = Yes
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Genre = Metalcore
Years_active = 2003–present
Label = Resist Records, Epitaph, Burning Heart
URL = [http://www.parkwaydriverock.com/ www.parkwaydriverock.com]
Current_members = Winston McCall
Ben Gordon
Jeff Ling
Luke Kilpatrick
Jia O'Connor
Past_members = Brett Versteeg
Shaun Cash

Parkway Drive is a metalcore [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:gpfpxq9dldte Allmusic Page] band from Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia formed in 2003. As of 2007, Parkway Drive has released an EP, entitled "Don't Close Your Eyes", two split CDs, and two full-length albums, "Killing with a Smile" and "Horizons".

Biography

Early history (2003-2006)

Parkway Drive formed in the Summer of 2003, the origin of its name is from the band's hometown in Byron Bay, Australia the name of the street where the house' garage where they used to practice was in-fact named "Parkway Dr.". Not long after the band had formed, it released a split EP with Adelaide band I Killed The Prom Queen. Parkway Drive also made an appearance on the Byron Bay Hardcore compilation "What We've Built", preceded by their debut EP, "Don't Close Your Eyes".

In May 2005 they headed to the USA to record their debut album with renowned metal producer, Killswitch Engage guitarist, Adam Dutkiewicz whose production credits include Unearth and Underoath.

Since the release of "Don't Close Your Eyes", Parkway Drive have rapidly accumulated a fanbase Australia-wide, courtesy of support slots for small underground international acts including Hatebreed, In Flames, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, As I Lay Dying, Bleeding Through, Alexisonfire, and performances at Metal for the Brain 2005 and Australia's Hardcore 2005. They have built quite a emps-style reputation within the underground music industry, this led to their signing with Epitaph record labels.

In June 2006, the band was signed to Epitaph Records, which released "Killing with a Smile" in the United States during August of that year.

In late May 2006, bass player Shaun Cash left the band for personal reasons with the full support of the rest of the members. There were several rumors surrounding why Shaun had left claims that he had been dismantled by a shark in early 2006, then other claims that he had been raped by a pirate a few weeks later, but there is no proof of either incident. The band soon found a replacement in their "merch guy" and long-time friend, Jia "Pipey" O'Connor. Now a permanent part of the line-up, he played with them for the rest of their first international tour in the United Kingdom and Europe, and later dates in the United States.

In October 2006, they were billed as the Australian contingent on the Rockstar Taste of Chaos tour, playing alongside Anti-Flag, Underoath, Thursday, Senses Fail, Taking Back Sunday and Saosin. During November and December 2006 they appeared at the Homebake Festival, Sound Fest, Resist Records' tour, Soundwave Festival and Gravity G Festival before returning to the UK and Europe.

Parkway Drive are endorsed by "Rock Music" Adelaide.

Horizons (2007-present)

On March, 3 2007 a new song was previewed to a crowd at Underworld entitled "The Siren's Song". This song would later feature on "Horizons".

They were placed on the bill for the U.S. Vans Warped Tour 2007, the only Australian band on the tour.

On 15th August, Winston McCall appeared in an interview on Australia's Triple J Radio station in which he previewed a track off "Horizons" entitled "Boneyards".

"Horizons" was released on 6th October 2007, although the entire album was leaked some five weeks before the final release date. The album was generally acclaimed by critics and fans alike; especially Blunt Magazine, who wrote that the album 'simply slays from the get go'Fact|date=June 2008 and awarded it 10/10, and planet-loud.com, which suggested that it would 'set the benchmark for metal albums to come'. It debuted at #6 on the ARIA ChartsFact|date=June 2008.

Parkway Drive toured venues in Europe in the Never Say Die! tour. Bands included in the lineup were Comeback Kid, The Warriors, This Is Hell and Cancer Bats.

They toured the US with Killswitch Engage, Every Time I Die and The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Through February and the beginning March they played the Surf Rat Tour with 50 Lions to less visited locations around Australia.

In April to May, they toured the United Kingdom and Europe alongside Bury Your Dead and Suicide Silence.

In June, Parkway returned to Australia to do a run of shows in venues similar to the ones used for the October '07 Horizons tour.

Parkway Drive is scheduled to play the Thrash and Burn tour with Darkest Hour, Misery Signals, Stick To Your Guns, Winds Of Plague and more. They will also be headlining the Never Say Die! Tour alongside Unearth, Despised Icon, Architects, Protest The Hero, Whitechapel and Carnifex for Europe in November.

In 2008 Parkway Drive's "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em" was remixed by Sydney producers Teen Heat.

They are touring Australia and New Zealand during October, and will return to Australia in December with Suicide Silence, A Day To Remember, The Acacia Strain and Confession.

Line-up

Current members

*Winston McCall - Vocals
*Ben Gordon - Drums
*Jeff Ling - Guitar
*Luke Kilpatrick - Guitar
*Jia O'Connor - Bass

Past members

* Brett Versteeg - Bass
* Shaun Cash - Bass

Discography

Albums
*2005 - "Killing with a Smile" (Resist Records, Epitaph Records)
*2007 - "Horizons" (Resist Records, Burning Heart Records, Epitaph Records)

EPs

*2003 - "I Killed the Prom Queen/Parkway Drive Split" (Final Prayer)
*2004 - "Don't Close Your Eyes" EP (Resist Records)

Other releases

All releases by Resist Records

*2003 - "What We've Built" BBHC compilation
*2006 - "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em Music Video
*2007 - "Boneyards Music Video

External links

* [http://parkwaydriverock.com Official news website]
* [http://myspace.com/parkwaydrive Parkway Drive] at MySpace

References