Of the Pillar is an Indie Rock band from Long Island, New York. They were formerly called Jiandy and had a Pop Punk feel to them. Split the Skies, their Alternative median, preceded Of the Pillar.
Biography[]
The band started off in 2004 with Jamey Murphy, Andy Labeck, and Ian Kenny. The Pop Punk band was called Jiandy. In November of 2005, Mike Vivelo and Tom Birmingham entered the band and the band wrote their first song "Friday Night" with Frank Lucricia of Daze Off as well as two other acoustic songs which would develop into Split the Skies songs. The band then recorded the song, "Mrs. Smith" which was recorded by Frank Lucricia. The band then met engineer, Bill Jahn through Jamey Murphy's sister and Mike Vivelo's brother. Shortly after this, Andy Labeck left the band because he didn't want to play bass and the band didn't want to have 3 guitarists.
In the summer of 2007, after welcoming their friend Matt De La Torre as their new bassist, the band recorded their Indie Rock EP, Sleep Deprivation, and changed their name to Split the Skies. The band played and supported the EP until the spring of 2008 when they decided to write more personal music. After spending months writing and critiquing songs, which included a trip to Pennsylvania where the band locked themselves into a practice space only taking time out of playing to eat and drink, They entered the studio at Red Wire Audio with Bill Jahn to record their 12-track LP, In Medias Res. Once in the studio they decided to add a 13th track and "In Medias Res" was finished. The band has since changed their name from Split the Skies to Of the Pillar, taken from the translation of the bassist, Matt De La Torre's last name. Of the Pillar still stays true to some of their pop-punk roots but have also included a more experimental alternative rock feel to their music which includes songs written in different time signatures and new guitar tunings, as well as saxophone solos played by friend John Maher and trumpet parts played by Jamey himself on the song "Venomless". Additional musicians include Michael Desmond from Gabriel the Marine who sings on songs "Off White" and "Saints" as well as Michelle Surdo who sings on "Venomless" and "Saints."
Discography[]
- Friday Night (Single, 2005) (as Jiandy)
- Mrs. Smith (Single, 2006) (as Jiandy)
- Jiandy Acoustic EP (2006) (as Jiandy)
- Sleep Deprivation (2007) (as Split the Skies)
- Teach the Saints How to Laugh (Single, 2007) (as Split the Skies)
- In Medias Res (2008) (as Of the Pillar)
Members[]
- Ian Kenny (Vocals, Piano)
- Jamey Murphy (Guitar)
- Mike Vivelo (Guitar, Vocals)
- Matt De La Torre (Bass, Vocals)
- Tom Birmingham (Drums)
Former Members[]
- Andy Labeck (Bass)