Neurosonic

Neurosonic was formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, in February 2006 by vocalist and guitarist Jason Darr, who had previously fronted the Calgary band Out of Your Mouth, best known for a brush with success with a cover of Madonna's 2000 dance opus "Music," a cover that earned heavy radio play and solid rotation on MuchMusic, peaking at No. 5 in the network's weekly video countdown, and selling 15,000 units in Canada alone. After leaving that project, Darr detached himself from the band to strike out on his own, taking a musical arrogance and love of electronics with him, resulting in a catchy mixture of industrial and hard rock with an intense yet decidedly pop-tinged edge, with Darr learning his way around a studio and taking up each instrument himself. He soon built out a full band, bringing in guitarist Troy Healy, accompanying vocalist and bassist Jacen Ekstrom, and Tama-endorsed drummer Shane Smith, who had come from former bands SNFU and The Real McKenzies. The band's breakthrough came with its debut and only full-length album, "Drama Queen," which is Neurosonic's debut and only album, and it peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers album chart. The record was released on January 30, 2007 on the Bodog Music label, although the album was released in September 2006 in Canada. Its lead single "So Many People" became the band's signature song, a track that savagely criticizes the phoniness and superficiality of Hollywood celebrities, including Ashlee Simpson's lip syncing on "Saturday Night Live." The song reached a wider gaming audience as well, since the multi-platform game Scarface: The World Is Yours also features their song, "So Many People." Neurosonic's peak visibility came through relentless touring and a high-profile festival slot. In 2007, the band posted on Neurosonic's MySpace that they would be playing on the main stage at the 2007 Family Values Tour , sharing bills with hard rock heavyweights; as one account put it, Neurosonic performed in the 2007 Family Values Tour alongside hard rock icons KoRn and Evanescence, which highlighted their talent and introduced them to a new realm of stellar performers. That same year the band undertook an extensive overseas run, a jam-packed, month-long European tour, which involved gigs in 12 different countries , cementing their reputation as a relentless live act built on ferocious stage energy and a strong work ethic.