Middle Distance Runner was an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...

band from Washington, D.C. Middle Distance Runner was founded in 1998, but the band didn't play a live show until 2005, shortly before the release of their debut album. The group was an early success on Internet music websites, and credited

Amie Street Amie Street was an indie online music store and social network service created in 2006 by Brown University seniors Elliott Breece, Elias Roman, and Joshua Boltuch, in Providence, Rhode Island. The site was notable for its demand-based pricing ...

and

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with improving their visibility early in their careers. Exposure on

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, including

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's Pop Candy, also raised their profile. By 2007, the group had received notice in national publications such as ''

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'' and ''

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''. The group's founding bassist, Tony Acampora, left the group in the mid-2000s, and by 2007 had been replaced by Ian Glinka, a former member of the group Black Tie Revue. Both their debut album, 2006's ''Plane in Flames'', and a 2007 self-titled EP were released independently. They signed with the label

Engine Room Recordings Engine Room Recordings is an independent record label with a roster of indie rock and alternative rock musicians. Beyond marketing and distribution for its artists, the label does booking and artist management. Engine Room Recordings is part of th ...

for the release of 2009's ''The Sun & Earth''. That same year, the group played at

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's Goddard Visitor Center with space imagery accompaniment. In 2010,

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reported that the group was "selling out shows around the country". Little was heard from the group in the early 2010s, though they performed in 2013 in the DC area.Middle Distance Runner
The Deli Magazine, September 24, 2013.

Members

*Erik Dean - drums *Tony Acampora - bass *Ian Glinka - bass *Jay Smith - guitar *Allan Chappelear - guitar *Stephen Kilroy - vocals

Discography

*''Plane in Flames'' (Self-released, 2006) *''Middle Distance Runner'' EP (Self-released, 2007) *''The Sun & Earth'' (

, 2009) *''Secret Things'' (Self-released, 2015)

References

Indie rock musical groups from Washington, D.C. {{US-indie-rock-band-stub