Standbye
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History
Standbye formed in the fall of 1997 when Matt (guitar) and Todd (drums) got together with longtime friend Sally (vocals) in a Minneapolis garage to write few songs for fun. They soon realized that they had a good thing going and set out to become “a band.”
The threesome went through a series of bass players before Matt stumbled upon Jud in a college philosophy class. Chemistry abounded in the first couple rehearsals and the band hit the local scene, quickly earning a reputation as a melodic and hard-driving band with an intense and honest live show.
A year later they found themselves recording their debut record for Guilt Ridden Pop at The Terrarium in Minneapolis with Jason Orris (Polara, The Hot) behind the board. Two months later they released Days Spent Waiting, a record that eschewed traditional song structure for more compositionally-based music.
Days Spent Waiting was extremely well received by friends and foes alike. It garnered substantial press coverage and college radio play, and peaked at #51 on CMJ’s Top 200. Standbye hit the road and shared the stage with a slew of amazing bands such as: At the Drive-In, Alkaline Trio, Hot Rod Circuit, Further Seems Forever, Tristeza, Stavesacre, Ultimate Fakebook, Piebald, and Brandston.
The success of their debut and the pressures of touring soon wore on Standbye and in the fall of 2000 a temporary break was in order. Jud ended up leaving the group to pursue schoolin’ and Sally went even further, leaving the country to do intensive humanitarian work in New Delhi, India. Matt and Todd stayed behind and started writing what would become the follow-up to Days Spent Waiting.
Upon Sally’s return to the states, Standbye re-emerged in the winter of 2001 with rekindled fervor. After a handful of local and regional shows to test run new material, they entered Seedy Underbelly studios with producer/engineer Jacques Wait, who was fresh off a stint working with Steve Lillywhite. After seven intense days and nights of around the clock recording, Standbye had crafted a massive record that teemed with political, socio-economic and spiritual conviction. The result: a powerful and stunning seven-song EP titled The Coping Mechanisms.
Although Standbye's sound is notoriously difficult to pigeonhole, the group has been compared to the likes of Rainer Maria, Ultrababyfat, The Donnas, Mates of State, The Cure, The Pixies, The Breeders, Built to Spill, and Sleater-Kinney.
Standbye is currently on hiatus, with members living in several different (US) states
Members
Matt, Todd, and Sally
Discography
- The Coping Mechanisms (2002, 2024 Records)
- Days Spent Waiting (1999, Guilt Ridden Pop)
