SHIROCK, a pop/rock band based in Nashville, TN, capitalizes on the transformative power of rock and roll. Their dynamic debut album, Everything Burns, is filled with bold, anthemic songs that bristle with restless urgency and passionate optimism.
Produced by Jay Ruston, who has also worked with The Donnas, Everclear, Matisyahu, and Cold War Kids, Everything Burns may sound grand and expansive, but underneath the soaring arrangements is a singer/songwriter album at heart. It's something you can hear not only in the sonics - the sweeping melodies, the textured layers of guitars and keyboards, and Chuck's fervent wailing vocals - but also in the lyrics, which are rooted in the personal, political, and spiritual, all of which combine to create a tension that allows the songs to feel both personal and universal.
Chuck Shirock, the band's founder, frontman and namesake grew up in the Philippines and Scotland before his family returned to the States to settle in Detroit, MI. From a very young age, Chuck developed a love of singing and performing - he began writing and recording on his own as a young teenager. "When I was 14 my dad bought me my first electric guitar. Both my mother and father inspired my musical journey early on and continue to do so - my mom, through her encouragement and insistence on taking piano lessons while growing up, and my dad through his love of playing jazz guitar and writing songs."
Towards the end of high school Chuck met Pap. Born in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Pap grew up in a very musical family, and started playing classical piano at age 5. When Chuck and Pap met in 1999 they discovered they had many of the same passions and shared experiences, including their love of music, a broad worldview and a desire to have an impact on the people around them. Soon after, the two began to collaborate as their relationship grew.
"Chuck and I both grew up listening to a mix of classical music, early rock (what our parents listened to), Christian music, etc., when we were young. During the early 90's, while still living overseas, Chuck didn't have as much access to all of the music I was falling in love with (Radiohead, The Smashing Pumpkins, U2, The Cranberries, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, etc.). I introduced him to all the bands that had become the "lifelong favorites" for me, which launched this musical and pop culture discovery that we went on together."
While in college, Chuck and Pap began recording demos and playing shows with various musicians. "We found early encouragement and direction through Detroit-based producer and friend Michael King, whom we made our first studio recordings with. During this time many close friends came alongside us to help build a foundation for what would become SHIROCK, including my brother, drummer Scott Shirock, guitarist Rick Crossman, and drummer Jonathan Surratt, among others," Chuck says.
"There have a been many musicians that have come alongside us both live and in the studio. These musicians have been vital in our process of creating, touring, and getting what we hear in our heads out of the speakers. Adam Gatchel (drums) has been both a creative and a powerful force live. Early on Derek Blank (bass) and Jason Bynum (guitar) both added much to our development as a 'live band' - too many shows for too few people in those early days :) .or maybe we were just working toward the infamous '10,000 hours' (Malcolm Gladwell). More recently, Kevin Whitsett (bass) has brought much to our live performances. Long time friends Evan Weatherford, Greg Everett, and Dylan Williams and have all been amazing as live guitarists. It takes a team to build something like this, and fortunately we have been surrounded by incredible musicians that inspire and push us to grow."
"It's taken quite a journey, and many songs to get to Everything Burns. Pap and I recorded 3 albums and a few EP's of demos before Everything Burns," says the band's charismatic leader in describing some of the key tracks on the album. "The songs on the album –; they're our lives, our relationships, our friendships. They're our pursuit of trying to figure out who we are, who God is, and how it all makes sense," Chuck says. "It's all of that put to music."
" 'New Solution' for us, is a Psalm of sorts. It's about hoping and holding on for a change, and seeking new answers," Chuck says.
"Time Goes By" reflects a sense of restlessness. "We all go through those times when we wish we were in a different place or that life looked a bit different - it's about reaching out from this place asking for help from the people you love to pull you through," Pap says.
" 'Still Young' is a song about trying to find hope when all we felt was doubt and uncertainty - it's about feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of big ideas and passing time, but realizing that as long as we are alive there is still a chance to make a difference," Chuck says.
Finally, there's "Everything Burns," the album's title track and an underlying theme of the record. "It's this idea that no matter how rich or poor a person is, the most valuable thing we have is our time," Chuck says. "So much around us is temporary. We want use our time and live our lives for the things that really matter, like people and relationships.everything else just burns."
2009 was a turning point and new beginning for SHIROCK. Chuck and Pap launched a 501(c)3 non-profit organization sharing the same name as the debut album - Everything Burns (EB). By 2010, EB brought on a full time director to oversee EB's first major initiative: starting high school and college chapters on school campuses, aimed at providing practical ways for young people to get involved in social issues on a local, regional and international level.
Chuck and Pap also expanded their Nashville based clothing line, Irock Clothing, which features shirts, jackets, bags, and accessories, and has sold out at every boutique that carries it. "We've always been interested in fashion, and wanted to make clothing that we would want to wear. Designing it has been another creative outlet and vehicle for the ideas in our music," says Pap. Irock Clothing was sold regionally to boutiques in the South East, United States. Irock Clothing pieces were used in multiple music videos and worn on the CMT Music Awards among other places. A new line of Irock Clothing will be coming out in 2012.
Following consistent placements on MTV, ABC and NBC television networks, SHIROCK became the first independent band to release a CD in Hollister Co. stores worldwide. "Young people are often a catalyst for change and our relationship with Hollister Co. has helped us - on a grassroots level, put our music in the hands of those young people," says Chuck. Soon, the band had to quickly re-order 10,000 units of Everything Burns to keep up with growing demand on the road and to restock the shelves of Hollister Co. At this point, SHIROCK had sold nearly 30,000 physical units of Everything Burns.
At the beginning of 2011, SHIROCK partnered with Sony / RED / CEN to launch The Movement Group –; SHIROCK's management company and record label. The partnership launched the label division of The Movement Group, aimed at taking the songs on Everything Burns to the next level. "We felt that owning our music enabled us to better control the direction - from conception, to creation, to distribution - it kept the band at the center of everything we do," Chuck says. Through this label partnership, SHIROCK released the bands first song, "New Solution" to Pop / Top 40 radio. "New Solution" broke in the Top 40 Pop Radio charts, CMJ charts, Alternative, and College among many others. "New Solution" and "Still Young" soon debuted on the popular video game Rock Band III, and SHIROCK's first music video ("New Solution") was released and picked up by MTV, Fuse, VH1, Cool TV, etc. During Summer 2011, the band released their second music video, for "Still Young." The video premiered on MTV, and was picked up by every major video outlet, including a worldwide in store premiere in American Eagle Outfitters stores, coinciding with Pap modeling for the American Eagle 2011 Fall/Winter campaign. This modeling venture included placements in stores, online, print, billboards, and in Times Square, New York City. Towards the end of 2011, this opportunity led to Chuck and Pap beginning to work with various modeling agencies, and further pursuing the marriage of fashion and music.
Consistent with SHIROCK breaking new ground, to date SHIROCK has performed over 150 shows on high school campuses, putting the band in front over 130,000 people between the ages of 13-18 in the United States. This has helped in the launching of EB Chapters on High School and College campuses nation-wide, and formed many partnerships with the band and with pro-social / positive lifestyle programs at the schools. "Historically, young people ignite cultural revolutions. The bands you live your life to are often the ones you discover during these formative years. We want to be that band for a new generation," Chuck and Pap say.
As the band looks forward in 2012, there are many new things on the horizon –; new music, music videos, fashion and modeling, taking the band overseas, and much more. "We are so excited about this coming year," Chuck says - "We feel as though we've been building up to something, and we believe this year is it."
Everything Burns (Deluxe), featuring 20 songs, dance remixes, and the music video for "New Solution" was released digitally on February 22, 2011 through The Movement Group / Sony / RED / CEN.
