I Was Totally Destroying It

I Was Totally Destroying It
Also known as IWTDI
Origin Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Genres Indie Rock, Powerpop[1]
Years active 2007–present
Labels Greyday Records
Website iwtdi.com
Members Curtis Armstead
John Booker
James Hepler
Rachel Hirsh
Joe Mazzitelli

I Was Totally Destroying It is a five-piece powerpop band from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, featuring current and former members of Saddle Creek band Sorry About Dresden. After self-releasing and touring the country behind their first full-length album, the band signed with Portland-based indie label Greyday Records.[2] Since forming in 2007, the band has toured much of the country, playing with artists such as Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band,[3] Motion City Soundtrack,[4] Cursive, Superchunk, Portastatic, Ryan Ferguson (formerly of No Knife), Dear and the Headlights, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Snowden, Billy Bragg, Annuals, Joan Jett,[5] The Actual, Ozma, Polvo,[6] Birds of Avalon and Blankface. Their next full-length, Horror Vacui, was released by Greyday in October 2009, and was co-produced by Josh Cain of Motion City Soundtrack.[7]

Formation and Beginnings

John Booker is the one who really began IWTDI. John Booker and James Hepler were in a band called En Garde. En Garde slowly fell apart because band members moved away or chose other bands to prioritize. In 2006/2007 John cam across a band called AOK, which featured Rachel Hirsh and Justin Staple. They joined the band as keyboardist/singer and bassist. At the same time, John found Curtis Armstead from Sanford who was looking to join a band and recruited him to play guitar.[8]

After a while, Justin went to school in Chicago. They recruited Martin Anderson to be the bassist, but things didn't work out. Martin was very busy with his other musical projects, one including being co-owner of Trekky Records, so he and the band parted ways. I Was Totally Destroying It held auditions found Joe Mazzitelli.[9]

The summer of 2008, IWTDI had their first real tour on their own. They did some regional touring before hand, but the summer of 2008 was nationwide.[10]

Awards

IWTDI were among the News and Observer’s Great 8 of 2008, and also that year made the Onion AV Club’s list of memorable band names. The Independent Weekly ranked them as having one of the “Best Songs Of The Year” in 2007, 2008, and 2009. The Daily Tar Heel ranked their album, “Horror Vacui”, as the second NC album of 2009.[11]

Band members

Curtis Armstead - Guitar
John Booker - Vocals, Guitar
James Hepler - Drums
Rachel Hirsh - Vocals, Keyboards
Joe Mazzitelli - Bass

Discography

I Was Totally Destroying It (2007) - self-released
Done Waiting EP (2008) - self-released
The Beached Margin/Done Waiting LP (2009) - Greyday Records
Horror Vacui (2009) - Greyday Records
Preludes (2011) - Greyday Records
Vexations (2012) - Greyday Records
Blood on the Beach EP (2013) - Greyday Records

References

  1. ↑ Brian, Tucker, "I Was Totally Destroying It Clawing and Scratching Their Way To Unity" "Performer Magazine," 2010
  2. ↑ http://www.indyweekblogs.com/scan/2009/04/totally-destroying-it-signs-to-pdxs-greyday-confirms-506-show/
  3. ↑ http://trianglemusic.blogspot.com/2008/08/conor-oberst-brings-his-best-to-cradle.html
  4. ↑ http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/091008/mar_330370684.shtml
  5. ↑ http://www.budlightdowntownlive.com/scheduleDetails.php?date=2009-07-11
  6. ↑ http://wknc.org/blog/post/1469/dbb-feature-2-polvo/
  7. ↑ http://trianglemusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/i-was-totally-destroying-it-gives-away.html
  8. ↑ "Personal Interview"
  9. ↑ "Personal Interview"
  10. ↑ "Personal Interview"
  11. ↑ "Personal Interview"

External links

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