Self Defense Family | |
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Also known as | End of a Year, End of a Year Self Defense Family, Self Defense, Barf Spectrum, The Actuaries, World Shut Your Mouth, Comforter, Weird Field, Pewter Wizards |
Origin | Cohoes, New York, United States |
Genres | Post-hardcore, post-punk, indie rock, emo |
Years active | 2003 | –present
Labels | Deathwish, Revelation |
Associated acts | Drug Church, Comfort Woman, Aficionado, Troubled Sleep, Loss Leader, Mary and the Small Omission, Twin Cisterns |
Website | selfdefensemusic |
Members | Patrick Kindlon Andrew Duggan Chris Tenerowicz Alan Huck Nick Warchol Mark O'Brien Benjamin Tate Seth Sauca Kaila Stone Adam McIlwee Caroline Corrigan Andy Rice E. Tobin Mary Brulatour Mathew Morand Mike Fenton |
Past members | David Zeidman Mike Brandenburg Steve Hegner John Van Urgent Eric Busta Hans Leibold Sean Doody |
Self Defense Family discography | |
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Studio albums | 5 |
EPs | 14 |
Singles | 7 |
Splits | 17 |
Self Defense Family (shortened to Self Defense and previously known as End of a Year) are an American rock band with members from across the United States and England. The band has released five full-length albums and several EPs and splits. Their fifth and latest studio album Heaven Is Earth was released June 30, 2015 through Deathwish Inc.
End of a Year started as a side project for a number of musicians based in Albany, New York already involved in full-time bands. Having spent time in heavier bands, the initial End of a Year line-up was interested in trying something more overtly melodic. Taking their name from an Embrace song, the band's original sound was highly influenced by the Revolution Summer-era DC bands.
The band recorded a boombox demo to give out at their first show, which took place at SUNY Albany. Shortly thereafter, a more formal demo entitled "Warm" was recorded. A full-length, Disappear Here, appeared on local labels Oneohfive and Losingface Records. The band later released a split 7" with western Massachusetts band Three Fifteen on another local label, Slave Union. It was this record that caught the attention of Revelation Records, and the band made the jump in 2006, recording their first full-length for the California label in the spring of that year.
Sincerely was recorded with Don Zientara at Inner Ear Studio, adding to the perception that the band was striving for a DC-centered sound; the actual music, however, strayed further from that model than on previous releases.
In the spring of 2009 the band released an EP for Deathwish Inc. and announced plans for a full-length release for the label. In 2010, Deathwish Inc released the band's third full-length album entitled You Are Beneath Me.
The band regularly names songs after actual people with lyrical content that, though oblique, seems to reference the person. Some people the band has given song titles to include: