Forever The Sickest Kids Article

The Collegian
SDSU
published 10/15/08

Most bands take years and numerous member changes to find their sound. Then again, some have the chemistry and talent to be amazing from the start.

Enter: Forever The Sickest Kids.

The six Texas-grown guys (vocalist Jonathan Cook, bassist Austin Bello, guitarists Caleb Turman and Marc Stewart, drummer Kyle Burns and keyboardist Kent Garrison) of this power-pop group have been skyrocketing since they formed just two years ago. But don't count this band as the 'oh-they-got-lucky' type.

"A lot of [our success] has to do with how involved we are," said Stewart. "We don't just sit back and wait. We go out and make stuff happen on our own. When we're on tour we don't just play the shows: we do meetings, radio, in-store promotions. … We get out as much as possible."

A perfect example of their go-get-'em attitude goes back to how they broke into the scene in the first place. Cook spent $350 for a front-page song placement on scene-adored Web site PureVolume.com. However, the band didn't have the money or the song. Seeing this as an excellent opportunity, the band headed to the studio to record "Hey Brittany" in a matter of days.

Once the song was posted on the site, FTSK blew up all over the Internet and in April 2007, signed with Universal Motown. Around a year later, they released Underdog Alma Mater. Since then, their hit song "Whoa Oh! (Me vs. Everyone)" has blown up the airwaves internationally. Even with the sudden celebrity status, the band stays true to their own unique sound.

"We're making music that we want to please ourselves with and means something to us," said Stewart. "We want the lyrics and music to make you happy and dance and lift you up."

Since the release of Underdog, FTSK have been touring non-stop - playing with the likes of Danger Radio, The Maine, All Time Low - spent the summer on Warped Tour and even went to the United Kingdom for a while.

"We've never been there before," said Stewart. "We got to play smaller clubs and most of the shows were sold out. It was cool to go over there and see all the kids taking our pictures and singing along."

On top of touring, recording and endless self-promotion, the members are personally involved with every aspect of their careers. From designing T-shirt art to picking the bands they play with to urging fans to be involved with social issues (i.e. their latest promotion of the Blood:Water Mission), these multi-taskers handle it all.

"It's just who we are," said Stewart. "We're really picky about a lot of stuff. We love to create our own art. I mean, we're the closest people involved in this, and what better way to use our creativity?"

Currently, the band is supporting Cobra Starship on the Sassyback Tour with Hit The Lights and Sing It Loud. You can see them on Oct. 16 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis.