Ryan Escolopio
| Wakefield | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Mechanicsville, Maryland, USA |
| Genres | Alternative rock, pop punk |
| Years active | 2000–2012 |
| Labels | Arista, Jive, Zomba Music Group, iBot |
| Associated acts | Good Charlotte |
| Past members | Ryan Escolopio-(Vocals/Guitar) JD Tennyson-(Guitar/Vocals) Mike Schoolden-(Bass/Vocals) Aaron Escolopio-(Drums 2002-Present) Mark Martinez-(Drums 2000-2002) |
Wakefield were a 4 piece rock band from Mechanicsville, Maryland. The band consists of singer Ryan Escolopio, his brother and former Good Charlotte drummer, Aaron Escolopio, their cousin and bass player Mike Schoolden (Pasadena, Md native), and guitarist J.D. Tennyson.
Ryan, JD, and Mike formed the band with their friend Mark in 2000. In their early days, the band played clubs such as Piezano's Pizza, St. Margaret's Church, and the Crabcake Factory in Annapolis, Maryland, Wood's Holy Grounds in Severna Park, Maryland, and My Brother's Place in Waldorf, Maryland. In 2001 they supported Good Charlotte at a show sponsored by 99.1 WHFS. It took place at Arundel High School as a reward for the amount of canned food the students (headed by the Arundel Key Club) had collected for the needy in Maryland. Often plagued by comparisons to Good Charlotte's sound (and hooks) when Good Charlotte was signed in 2001 the pressure was on for Wakefield to get a deal. The final push came when Good Charlotte's original drummer Aaron Escolopio, fired from Good Charlotte to play with his brother, singer Ryan Escolopio in Wakefield. The band played their first show with Aaron on the drums at the famous club CBGB in New York on June 6, 2001. During their early years, the band toured with several notable bands, including MxPx and Mighty Mighty Bosstones.
Shortly after Aaron joined the band, Wakefield announced on August 12, 2001, that they'd been signed to a record deal with Atlantic Records. The band recorded a full album of their current songs at the Atlantic studios in California, but Wakefield was dropped from Atlantic before the album was released. The band was then signed by Arista Records, where they would release their debut record American Made on May 6, 2003. American Made featured a combination of several new songs and older fan-favorite songs. In support of the record, Wakefield spent many months on the road, touring with bands like The All-American Rejects, Home Grown, Riddlin kids, and Reel Big Fish.
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