Thursday, March 10, 2011

The Shondes raise funds to replace stolen van

This Isn’t Going To Work Without The Van

Between the release and tour behind its latest album My Dear One, the cancer diagnosis and successful treatment of band member Elijah Oberman (news that was broken to the group’s fans via a detailed Facebook post), the subsequent forced cancellation of the band’s first European tour and most recently, grand theft auto in the form of a stolen touring vehicle, it has been an emotional roller coaster of a year for Brooklyn band, The Shondes.

But, as an outfit known for kicking out the jams and more importantly, kicking adversity in the ass, these setbacks have only fueled the fire. After finding its van stolen from its Brooklyn home and with SXSW dates quickly approaching, The Shondes launched a Kickstarter campaign to replace it. Most of these campaigns last 30-90 days, but The Shondes had 18 in which to raise the funds, get a new van, and get on the road. Thankfully, the band’s fans pulled through, re-posting the link so much that it made the front page of Twitter, and within a matter of days, The Shondes raised more than $10,000.

“It’s been a really huge boost to band morale in a tough year,” says drummer Temim Fruchter. “We know that there are much more important causes than helping a rock band replace a stolen van, but we are so grateful.” The Shondes guitarist, Fureigh adds, “We’re overcome with gratitude and excitement. The support and kind messages from friends and fans all around the world have been incredible. We can’t wait to play for each and every one of our fans.”

Those fans can start by seeing The Shondes performing several times at this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas. The band has also been hard at work rehearsing and demoing tracks for its upcoming third album which will begin production in the Spring. Fans of The Shondes can expect a raucous, high-energy rock record. “We’ve had Bruce Springsteen and Pat Benatar in our headphones for months now and are having so much fun writing these songs in the spirit of that kind of roll-down-the-windows sing-along rock,” says Fruchter enthusiastically.

Meanwhile the band will continue to tour behind the My Dear One album and the subsequent “Lines & Hooks + 3” EP, both out now on Fanatic Records. Additional tour dates will be announced shortly.

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