Press to Meco (sometimes stylised as Press to MECO) was an English band hailing from
Crawley
Crawley () is a large town and borough in West Sussex, England. It is south of London, north of Brighton and Hove, and north-east of the county town of Chichester. Crawley covers an area of and had a population of 106,597 at the time of th ...
and
Croydon
Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...
. The band was known for its fusing of intricate riffs, progressive sensibilities, math-influenced structures, pop choruses and three-part harmonies.
History
2011–2014: Career beginnings, early EPs and Download appearances
After meeting at college, Press to Meco was formed in 2011 by Luke Caley (guitar/vocals) and Lewis Williams (drums/vocals), rounding out the lineup with Adam Roffey (bass/vocals), a friend of Caley's. Throughout the next couple of years, the band took to the stage up and down the country, including joining Hopeless Heroic on portions of their 200-date tour in 2012 – a year which also saw the release of their self-titled
EP, ''
Press to Meco
Press to Meco (sometimes stylised as Press to MECO) was an English band hailing from Crawley and Croydon. The band was known for its fusing of intricate riffs, progressive sensibilities, math-influenced structures, pop choruses and three-part h ...
''. In May 2013, a few days after the release of their second EP, ''
Affinity
Affinity may refer to:
Commerce, finance and law
* Affinity (law), kinship by marriage
* Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique
* Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union
* Affinity Equity Par ...
'', the band announced that they would be playing the Red Bull Studios stage at
Download Festival later that year as one of eight winners of a nationwide competition. The band was one of two wild card entries chosen by judges of the
Red Bull-sponsored competition which saw over 700 unsigned bands vie for the chance to play the
Donington music festival. Year 2014 picked up much of the momentum gained by the band in 2013 with continued touring, festival slots at Tech Fest and Red Fest – as well as being invited back to Download to play the larger Zippo Encore stage – and the writing and recording of their debut album.
2015–2017: Debut album, growing profile and signing to Marshall Records
Beginning 2015 with a short headlining tour, Press to Meco continued the year with additional dates across the UK with supporting slots for the likes of Allusondrugs, Zoax and
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smit ...
, before festival appearances at
Hevy Fest, Camden Rocks and Tech Fest. On 16 October 2015, the band released their debut album, ''
Good Intent
"Good Intent" is a song by New Zealand singer/guitarist Kimbra from her debut studio album, ''Vows'' (2011). The song was released in New Zealand and Australia on 15 August 2011 as the third single from the album. The single peaked at number 98 o ...
'', through
Best Before Records to a positive critical response. The album was funded through
PledgeMusic
PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...
with a percentage of contributions being donated to the
Teenage Cancer Trust
Teenage Cancer Trust is a cancer care and support charity in the UK that exists to improve the cancer experience of young people aged 13–24. Founded in 1990, the charity's key service is providing specialist teenage units in NHS hospitals. I ...
. Continuing off the back of the success of their debut album, the three-piece began the following year on tour as part of the
Scuzz
Scuzz was a British 24-hour rock and metal music television channel owned and operated by Sony Pictures Television. It was launched on 17 April 2003 and went on to be the highest-rated rock TV station on the Sky satellite platform, available i ...
UK Throwdown tour alongside
Max Raptor
Max Raptor are an English four-piece punk rock band from Burton upon Trent in the Midlands, England, formed in 2006. They have toured the UK and played two dates in 2009 with Canadian punk band Billy Talent and then toured 16 dates in 2010 wi ...
and Allusondrugs before heading out on the road once more in support of
Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...
band
InME
InMe are an English rock band originally formed in Brentwood, Essex in 1996.
InMe have released seven studio albums, two EPs, one "bootleg" album, one best-of compilation, one live album, one live EP and an acoustic album. A DVD of the band's ...
across a six-date May tour. More festival appearances followed including slots at
2000 Trees, Camden Rocks and the Alternative Escape showcase as part of
The Great Escape Festival
The Great Escape Festival is a three-day music festival held in Brighton and Hove, England every year in May. It is operated by MAMA Festivals and showcases new music from a variety of genres. The festival was founded in 2006 and roughly hosts ...
in
Brighton
Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London.
Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...
. In August, the band was nominated at the 2016
AIM Independent Music Awards The AIM Independent Music Awards, hosted by the Association of Independent Music (commonly abbreviated to AIM), began in 2011. It is established through a collection of independent record labels and providing service and support to independent and s ...
for Independent Album of the Year alongside the likes of
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
,
Skepta and
Little Simz
Simbiatu "Simbi" Abisola Abiola Ajikawo (born 23 February 1994), better known by her stage name Little Simz, is a British rapper, singer and actress. She rose to prominence with the independent release of her first three albums; ''A Curious Tale ...
– the award eventually going to the Little Simz album, ''A Curious Tale of Trials + Persons''. Having spent portions of the year writing their follow-up to ''Good Intent'', the band flew out to
Austin,
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
in September to record their sophomore effort with producer,
Machine
A machine is a physical system using Power (physics), power to apply Force, forces and control Motion, movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to na ...
(
Lamb of God,
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released seven studio al ...
) after a week of pre-production in Croydon. Heading into 2017, the band was featured in
Kerrang! Magazine
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-o ...
's Fresh Blood feature in January, while later in March undertaking a four-date tour playing ''Good Intent'' in its entirety. In July, the trio played the main stage at Amplified Festival later announcing their second album, ''
Here's to the Fatigue'', scheduled for release on 17 November 2017 alongside the release of the album's first single, "If All Your Parts Don't Make a Whole". The Second single, title track "Here's to the Fatigue", followed in September but the album's release was put on hold as the band signed to
Marshall Records, who would later release the album. Rounding out the year, the band toured in support of childhood heroes
SikTh in December.
2018–2020: ''Here's to the Fatigue'' and departure of Roffey
With their second album now scheduled for release on 30 March 2018, the band preceded its release with third single, "Familiar Ground", while in support of
Don Broco on select dates of their February tour. Much like their debut album, ''
Here's to the Fatigue'' received critical acclaim upon its eventual release, including a 4K review from
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one- ...
magazine. That summer the band joined the festival circuit once more, playing slots at Teddy Rocks, Fat Lip Fest and playing both an electric and acoustic set at 2000 Trees. Following the conclusion of their festival run, in August the band were revealed as the support for American band
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed by singer Brent Smith in 2001 after the dissolution of Dreve, his previous band. Smith, still under contract with record label Atlantic Records, recruited the band's original l ...
on a 27-date UK and European tour from the end of October into the beginning of December. Encouraged by the reception they received from their acoustic set at 2000 Trees, the band released an acoustic EP, simply titled ''
Acoustic'', the following year on 15 February 2019. Including a rendition of "
Strangers" by
Sigrid
Sigrid is a Scandinavian given name for women from Old Norse ''Sigríðr'',
composed of the elements ''sigr'' "victory" and ''fríðr'' "beautiful".
Common short forms include Siri, Sigga, Sig, and Sigi. An Estonian and Finnish variant is Siiri ...
, the EP also contained re-worked and re-imagined versions of songs from the band's previous two albums. In support of the release the band undertook a short acoustic tour. Festival dates followed the ''Acoustic'' EP tour with the band returning to Camden Rocks and Teddy Rocks while also playing Truck Festival, Behave Festival and
Slam Dunk Festival
Slam Dunk Records or Slam Dunk Music is a British independent record label, promoter and concert organising company, founded in Leeds, England, in 2007. Some notable signees include You Me at Six and Decade. The label evolved from "Slam Dunk", ...
. In between shows the band spent much of the year writing, releasing single, "Easy Life" on 19 September 2019. Two weeks following the release of their new single, the trio took to the road for a 16-date headline tour with Chapter and Verse as support.
The band began 2020 in the United States performing at the Marshall Amps booth at the NAMM show in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, with further shows lined up later in the year including headlining the Neu stage at 2000 Trees. On 22 February the following month, the band announced the departure of Roffey. In July, having been cancelled due to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, the band played a remote set for the rebranded 2020 edition of
2000 Trees, 2000 Screens, later announcing the addition of new bassist,
ACODA multi-instrumentalist, Jake Crawford. Unable to tour due to the continued effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the band resumed the writing of their follow up to ''Here's to the Fatigue'', recording the new album in the latter half of the year.
2021–2022: Third album, return to live shows and disbandment
After weeks of teasing new music, in February the band announced their third album, ''
Transmute'', set for release on 11 June 2021; sharing lead single, "Another Day" alongside the announcement. The second single, "Smouldering Sticks" followed a month later, but in April the band announced a delay to the album, rescheduling its release to 20 August 2021. Upon its eventual release, ''Transmute'' was met with positive critical response, including another 4K review from
Kerrang! magazine
''Kerrang!'' is a British weekly magazine devoted to rock, punk and heavy metal music, currently published by Wasted Talent (the same company that owns electronic music publication ''Mixmag''). It was first published on 6 June 1981 as a one-o ...
, while also performing well commercially, peaking at number 26 on the
UK Independent Albums chart
The UK Independent Singles Chart and UK Independent Albums Chart are charts of the best-selling independent singles and albums, respectively, in the United Kingdom. Originally published in January 1980, and widely known as the indie chart, the rel ...
and at number four on the
UK Rock & Metal Albums chart
The UK Rock & Metal Singles Chart and UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart are record charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company (OCC) to determine the 40 most popular singles and albums in the rock and heavy metal genres. Th ...
. In October the band toured across the UK in support of
Vukovi
Vukovi (stylised as VUKOVI) is a Scottish rock band from Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The band released their self-titled debut album ''Vukovi'' on 10 Mar 2017. Their second album titled ''Fall Better'' was released on 24 January 2020. ...
, marking their first live shows since the beginning of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
. They later concluded the year by playing Reading Rising and 80 Trees, a combined event organised by
2000 Trees and
ArcTanGent.
Beginning 2022 by playing The Black Prince in
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
as part of Independent Venue Week, the band continued into the summer with festival slots at the likes of Portals festival and Radar festival in
Guildford
Guildford ()
is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...
, while returning to Reading Rising and 2000 Trees in May and July respectively. On 9 December, the band released a statement announcing their break up. The statement read, "To everyone who's supported us and everyone who connected with our music, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. It's been a wild ride and we're truly grateful to have been on such a journey with you all. We're still best friends. We're all still making music. It's just time to bring Press to MECO to an end."
Musical style and influences
Press to Meco have cited a variety of bands and artists as influences including
SikTh,
Billy Talent
Billy Talent is a Canadian Rock music, rock band from Mississauga, Ontario. They formed in 1993 with lead vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz, guitarist Ian D'Sa, bassist Jonathan Gallant, and drummer Aaron Solowoniuk. There have been no lineup change ...
,
Biffy Clyro
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, composed of Simon Neil (guitar, lead vocals), James Johnston (bass, vocals), and Ben Johnston (drums, vocals). Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have r ...
,
ABBA
ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...
and the
Beach Boys
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
. Other acts said to inspire the trio are
Reuben
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugue ...
,
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time si ...
,
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
,
Deftones
Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno (vocals, guitar), Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first f ...
,
Everything Everything
Everything Everything are an English art rock band from Manchester that formed in late 2007. Noted for their eclectic sound and complex, sociopolitical lyrics, the band have released six albums to date – 2010's '' Man Alive'', 2013's '' Arc'' ...
and
Manchester Orchestra
Manchester Orchestra is an American indie rock band from Atlanta formed in 2004. The group is composed of rhythm guitarist-singer-songwriter Andy Hull, lead guitarist Robert McDowell, bassist Andy Prince and drummer Tim Very. Former drummer Je ...
. The band has also listed ''
Steal This Album!
''Steal This Album!'' is the third studio album by Armenian-American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on November 26, 2002, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Produced by Rick Rubin and Daron Malakian, it peaked at number ...
'' by
System of a Down
System of a Down (also known as SoaD or simply System) is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. Since 1997, the band has consisted of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards); Daron Malakian (guitar, voc ...
, ''
Ire Works
''Ire Works'' is the third studio album by American band the Dillinger Escape Plan. The album was released in the UK on November 5, 2007, in the US on November 13 through Relapse Records, and in Japan on November 28. The album was their last albu ...
'' by Dillinger Escape Plan, ''
Graceland
Graceland is a mansion on a estate in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, which was once owned by rock and roll icon Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, inherited Graceland after his death in 1977. Graceland is located at 3764 Elv ...
'' by
Paul Simon
Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
, ''
Mean Everything to Nothing
''Mean Everything to Nothing'' is the second studio album by the Atlanta-based indie rock band Manchester Orchestra. It was released on April 21, 2009 through independent record label Favorite Gentlemen Recordings and produced by Joe Chiccarelli a ...
'' by Manchester Orchestra, ''
Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Volume One: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness'' by
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria are an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. The band consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), ...
and Billy Talent's
self-titled debut as albums that made a significant impact on them growing up.
As a consequence of these wide range of influences, the band's sound has regularly defied easy categorisation, often being branded under the broad umbrella of
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from Popular culture, mainstre ...
, with elements of
progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. Init ...
,
post hardcore
Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. It was initially inspired by post-punk and noise rock. Like post-punk, the term has be ...
,
mathcore,
pop punk
Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti- suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other p ...
, and
metal
A metal (from Greek μέταλλον ''métallon'', "mine, quarry, metal") is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typicall ...
having been identified within their music. This struggle to accurately describe their sound has not been lost on the trio, with the band once jokingly describing their music as, "
Meshuggah
Meshuggah () is a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Umeå in 1985. Originally, the band's name was Metallien. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Jens Kidman, guitarists Fredrik Thordendal and Mårten Hagström, drummer To ...
banging
One Direction
One Direction, often shortened to 1D, are an English-Irish pop boy band formed in London in 2010. The group are composed of Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and previously Zayn Malik until his departure from the g ...
with
Reuben
Reuben or Reuven is a Biblical male first name from Hebrew רְאוּבֵן (Re'uven), meaning "behold, a son". In the Bible, Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob.
Variants include Rúben in European Portuguese; Rubens in Brazilian Portugue ...
watching in the corner."
Band members
Past members
*Luke Caley – guitar/vocals
(2011–2022)
*Adam Roffey – bass/vocals
(2011–2020)
*Lewis Williams – drums/vocals
(2011–2022)
*Jake Crawford – bass/vocals
(2020–2022)
;Timeline
Discography
Albums
*''
Good Intent
"Good Intent" is a song by New Zealand singer/guitarist Kimbra from her debut studio album, ''Vows'' (2011). The song was released in New Zealand and Australia on 15 August 2011 as the third single from the album. The single peaked at number 98 o ...
'' (2015)
*''
Here's to the Fatigue'' (2018)
*''
Transmute'' (2021)
EPs
*''
Press to Meco
Press to Meco (sometimes stylised as Press to MECO) was an English band hailing from Crawley and Croydon. The band was known for its fusing of intricate riffs, progressive sensibilities, math-influenced structures, pop choruses and three-part h ...
'' (2012)
*''
Affinity
Affinity may refer to:
Commerce, finance and law
* Affinity (law), kinship by marriage
* Affinity analysis, a market research and business management technique
* Affinity Credit Union, a Saskatchewan-based credit union
* Affinity Equity Par ...
'' (2013)
*''Acoustic'' (2019)
References
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Musical groups established in 2011
English alternative rock groups
English progressive rock groups
Mathcore musical groups
Musical groups from West Sussex
Musical groups from London
Musical trios
2011 establishments in England