Archive for the ‘Rooney updates’ Category

Robert has revealed a bunch of Rooney news on his twitter

- Album release date set to June 8th
- They’ve had a prep day for a new video (to be shot on Tuesday)
- They’ve done a photoshoot

Also, the Rooney Street Team has tweeted that something exciting will be happening for Rooney fans on Monday – so stay tuned

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I’ve been a little pre-occupied doing a little ”project” for Taylor Locke & the Roughs with some other girls.
Check out the brand new fansite on www.tlatr.com – We have bios, pictures, lyrics (corrected by Taylor himself ) and a bunch of other stuff up.
Remember to buy Grain and Grape on iTunes.

I won’t be posting too much about Taylor Locke & the Roughs on this site, so head on over to www.TLATR.com and leave us a comment

Matt has decided to leave Rooney to focus on becoming a doctor.
While we’re sad that he’s leaving, we wish him all the best

Thank for everything Matt.

Head on over to Rooney-band.com and read his letter.

This interview with Rooney reveals that Rooney’s new album will be called Eureka Kinda fitting if you ask me
(in case you didn’t know, Eureka means something along the lines of “having found it”, it being what you’re looking for)

Interview:
Rooney Steps Back, Regroups For Future

By GARY GRAFF
Of the Oakland Press
 

 It’s been a busy time of transition for Rooney.

The Los Angeles rock quintet left its record company, Interscope, after it wound down touring for its 2008 sophomore album “Calling the World.” Then, it started working on a third album that frontman Robert Schwartzman says “wasn’t exactly the record we wanted to make,” so the group took “a step back” before starting over again in March.

That album, titled “Eureka,” was recently finished, and Schwartzman — the son of actress Talia Shire, brother of actor/musician Jason Schwartzman and nephew of filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola — says Rooney was ready to get out on the road after a long stretch of studio time.

“We’ve been working a lot, recording, and we feel like we haven’t been able to get out and play for our fans,” Schwartzman, 26, says. “We want to get new music out, but we also want to be able to play shows.

“It’s nice for people to get something new from us and come to the shows. It makes it more of an event for us and our fans.”

“Eureka” isn’t due out until next year and will most likely be released independently by the band. To tide fans over, Rooney has put together a four-song EP, “Wild One,” culled from those recording sessions and featuring songs that didn’t make the final cut — but that Schwartzman says are hardly castoffs.

“The record is really diverse, and it shows a lot of different sides to our band and what we can do,” explains Schwartzman, who’s had several acting roles and was a guest vocalist on Demi Lovato’s “Party.” “We recorded 20 or so songs and we kept going back and taking a break and listening to what we had, reapproaching the record with new material.

“As we looked at the big list of songs, some of them didn’t fit together, but they were still great songs. We didn’t want to throw them away, and we saw that we could make a great EP as a piece of work on its own and get people ready for the album, too. That way it won’t feel like such a long time between albums.”

 Credit : GoAndDoMichigan.com

Thanks to Miranda for the link

Rooney goes ‘Wild’ (sort of)

Guitarist Taylor Locke wants to talk about his band’s new tour…not his famous exes

By Wade Tatangelo

Special to Metromix

By ANDREW DANSBY Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle

Dec. 16, 2009, 2:15PM

Rooney grew up quickly. The Los Angeles band came together when its members were teens. A debut album followed a few years later, and then another recording. And now, with 10 years and two albums behind it, Rooney is striking out on its own.

“We’re still a young band,” drummer Ned Brower says, “but we started out really young. But we’re in a weird, cool place right now. I feel we’re only starting to approach our peak zone, and we already have all this experience.”

Not bad for a band who started with a frivolous name. Initially Robert Schwartzman and two now-departed members picked Ed Rooney as a handle, the name of the principal in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Those band members left, and Schwartzman began to assemble a new band of high school students.

“Early on we knew we needed to drop the Ed,” Brower says. “It started as a joke, but quickly we became not-a-joke band. There was a time we thought about changing it completely.”

Brower says KISS’ Gene Simmons had a lot of ideas.

“He told us Rooney wasn’t something you could touch or hold onto. He said, ‘Your band name should be a thing.’ He suggested Stuff. He said, ‘You can have that one for free on me.’ ”

Rooney did not become Stuff, and the band — Schwartzman, Brower, guitarist Taylor Locke, bassist Matthew Winter and keyboardist Louie Stephens — put out a self-titled debut full of punchy power pop in 2003.

A second album,Calling the World, came out two years ago. The band has been writing and recording much since then, which resulted in an EP called Wild One that Rooney is selling on tour. It’s part of an extended set of recordings that will also include a new album in the spring.

After just two records Rooney severed ties with its label, so the band can shop around the new recording.

“When we started the band we handled things on our own,” Brower says. “And even with the label we’ve always done a lot of the work. We just have a little more control over the content now. We’re excited to take back the responsibility for what we do. We wanted to be back in the trenches.”

The band benefits from having established a brand in its 10 years. A group that built a grass-roots following in Los Angeles now has a six-figure following across the country. They’ve been savvy about seizing opportunities like appearing on The O.C. years ago and taking an opening slot for the Jonas Brothers on a 2008 tour.

“We’ve played just about everywhere from little clubs to sold-out arenas,” Brower says. “We’ve had a pretty diverse touring thing going, which might be because we don’t fit in anywhere.”

Though rock and pop are often diced into subgenres, Rooney doesn’t lend itself to such. “Anyone who’s seen us live knows it’s just five guys with guitars and mics and (expletive) playing rock music,” Brower says. “We’ve always known what kind of music we want to make, hip pop stuff rooted in classic rock and pop.”

Which is what they’ll be doing at the Meridian on Friday. Some new material will find its way into the set as a bit of a teaser for a 2010 that will find the band touring tirelessly.

“This tour is about going out and playing for the core audience,” Brower says. “Next year is the big yearlong anniversary campaign.”

CREDIT : Houston Chronicle

I know, I know… I’ve been horrible at updating and I’m kinda out of excuses… But it is the busiest month at work and I’ve had a lot going on.

First of all…. No more soundcheck at the Rooney shows.
The band has run into some venue restrictions, and has been forced to cancel the open soundchecks.
They are however, still doing the meet & greet if you buy a Wild One EP

There’s a few new video diaries in case you’ve missed them :

Tyler took (once again) some amazing pictures of Rooney at their show @ El Rey in LA

Here’s a few, but he has a lot up on his facebook page

Videos from the El Rey show on November 27, 2009 in L.A.

Blueside

Stay Away

 I’m A Terrible Person & Are You Afraid

Suckceed

Popstars

 I Don’t Understand

 The Days Keep Going By

 Wild One

Rooney To Release Self-Produced, Limited Edition EP

 L.A. five-piece Rooney is gearing up to release a new, limited-pressing EP, Wild One and will embark on a national headlining tour beginning November 27th at Los Angeles’ El Rey Theatre, in support. Fans can get a first listen to Wild One as the EP will be available exclusively at these upcoming shows before becoming available at iTunes in early 2010. Only 5,000 EPs will be pressed.

Wild One was produced and engineered by the band, and features four brand-new tracks. The EP was mixed by Dave Trumfio (Wilco, Built to Spill and My Morning Jacket) and mastered by Dave McNair (Willie Nelson, Patti Smith.)

After signing with a major record label and working with some of the music industry’s most esteemed producers since their inception, the band is proud to showcase this collection of songs they crafted entirely themselves. Rooney’s latest offering features some of their best, most inventive and original material to date.

Rooney was signed to Geffen Records in 2002 after independently releasing a series of EPs and demos. They released their self-titled debut in 2003; shortly thereafter they saw significant success with single “I’m Shakin” and a cameo appearance on hit teen drama The O.C. The band has toured with a variety of superstar acts including Kings of Leon, Weezer and The Strokes.

Rooney is Robert Schwartzman (vocals/guitar,) Taylor Locke (guitar / vocals) Ned Brower (drums / vocals) Louie Stephens (keyboard / vocals) and Matthew Winter (bass).

Wild One track listing:

1. Suckceed
2. I Don’t Understand
3. Wild One
4. The Days Keep Going By

Credit : Fanbolt.com