The Audition

AUDITION went through a myriad of hurdles before its current lineup was complete. O’Connor and bassist Joe Lussa recruited guitarist Seth Johnson to join their original lineup. Local shows with bands Fall Out Boy, June, Spitalfield, and The Academy Is… propelled the band to minor fame, and soon Victory Records took notice of the hometown favorites. Within weeks of witnessing the band showcase in O’Connor’s parent’s basement, the band was signed.

However, only a mere month passed before the band lost its lead singer. Motor City native Danny Stevens stepped in after connecting with O’Connor over the phone. After the recording was complete, the band added guitarist Tim Klepek to recreate the numerous guitar parts live. THE AUDITION enjoyed a wave of success with Controversy Loves Company, which has reached nearly 50,000 copies sold and climbing with the band’s relentless touring with bands as diverse as Jack’s Mannequin, New Found Glory, Boys Like Girls, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and 30 Seconds To Mars. The handful of genres the band has been likened to has propelled them to tours that reach all different scenes.

“So many people want to lump us into the “emo” category but we are just a rock band. We have so many ideas, and like so many artists out of our scene, we don’t like being labeled under one type of sound,” O’Connor says. “We want anyone and everyone to like our music. We don’t want to be a flash in the pan; we plan on being around for a while.”

Champion is the quintessential pop-rock album of 2008, jammed with radio-ready singles and party-soundtrack songs that will appeal to fans above and below the 20-year mark. This stellar follow up to Controversy Loves Company showcases a band that has brought the quality of their sound up to the high level of their confidence– all it took was a little growing up.

“We named the record Champion because it’s a statement,” O’Connor says. “It tells everyone in one word what we think our record is.”
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