Smile Empty Soul

Smile Empty Soul is an American alternative metal and post-grunge band formed in 1998 in Santa Clarita, California by vocalist and guitarist Sean Danielsen, bassist Ryan Martin, and drummer Derek Gledhill while the three were attending different high schools in the area. After building a following through hometown gigs and the Sunset Strip club circuit, the band passed a demo to producer John Lewis Parker of indie label ThroBack Records, which led to a deal with Jason Flom's Lava Records. Their self-titled debut album arrived on May 27, 2003 and broke through with three rock radio singles - Bottom of a Bottle, Nowhere Kids, and Silhouettes. The album was certified gold in March 2005 with over 500,000 copies sold. The follow-up Anxiety was recorded but never officially released after the band and Lava Records parted ways over a dispute about putting it out - Danielsen famously offered burned copies to fans at a 2005 Kansas City show rather than let it sit unreleased. The band signed with Bieler Bros. Records and released Vultures in October 2006, followed by Consciousness (2009) on F.O.F./EMI Records and 3's (2012). Sean Danielsen has remained the sole constant member throughout the band's history, steering Smile Empty Soul through numerous lineup changes across more than two decades of recording and touring.