Biography
July for Kings function as a melodic post-grunge and alternative pop/rock ensemble shaped chiefly by Pearl Jam, Live, and Creed while occasionally nodding toward U2, placing them alongside Default, Third Eye Blind, and Familiar 48. Lead vocalist Joe Hedges displays clear familiarity with Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, yet Live’s Ed Kowalczyk registers the strongest imprint on his delivery. The group typically delivers greater volume and force than U2, although traces of that band’s spiritual themes surface in certain lyrics. Like Creed and Default, July for Kings routinely merge heavily amplified, crunching guitars with accessible melodies and introspective, sensitive words, producing a sound emblematic of late-’90s and early-2000s alternative-rock radio.
Originally operating under the name Swim, the band originated in the Cincinnati, OH region in 1998 when Joe Hedges, who also handles rhythm guitar, united with Travis Delaney on lead guitar, Jason Morgan on bass, T. Miller on cello, guitar, and background vocals, and Sam Dobrozsi on drums. Hedges, Delaney, and Dobrozsi had known one another since childhood and were still in high school when they encountered Morgan and Miller. Once the five Midwestern musicians reached adulthood and formalized Swim, they performed locally in Cincinnati for several months before entering the studio in late 1998 to record their debut album, Safe Unless. The independent release appeared the next year, followed in 2000 by their second self-released effort, The Laughter and the Noise. By then Swim had cultivated a modest regional audience and generated enough Midwestern attention to draw interest from Wind-Up Records, the label home to Creed. Also in 2000, five Swim tracks received airplay on MTV’s series The Real World.
Wind-Up initially pursued negotiations with Swim for five months before talks collapsed and the label declined to sign them. Former Wind-Up A&R executive Joel Mark later relocated to Los Angeles and joined MCA’s A&R staff, where he continued to advocate for the group, resulting in an MCA contract in 2001. Following the agreement, the musicians elected to adopt a new name after discovering at least seven other U.S. acts already using Swim, thereby avoiding potential legal conflicts. The moniker July for Kings, derived from two earlier compositions titled “July” and “Kings,” took effect that same year. Under the revised name the band titled its third overall album Swim as a nod to its prior identity; MCA issued the record in November 2002, marking July for Kings’ sole major-label outing and first release under the new appellation.
MCA dropped the band after the label folded in 2003, prompting drummer Dobrozsi and bassist Morgan to exit. July for Kings resurfaced independently in 2005 with Nostalgia, now featuring Dan McQuinn on drums and Drew Phillips on bass. Concurrently, vocalist Hedges launched a solo career, issuing his debut album Curvature in spring 2007. That autumn the group reconvened to develop fresh material, yet T. Miller departed by spring 2008. The remaining members persisted, recruiting guitarist John McGuire and delivering the full-length Monochrome in June 2009.
Originally operating under the name Swim, the band originated in the Cincinnati, OH region in 1998 when Joe Hedges, who also handles rhythm guitar, united with Travis Delaney on lead guitar, Jason Morgan on bass, T. Miller on cello, guitar, and background vocals, and Sam Dobrozsi on drums. Hedges, Delaney, and Dobrozsi had known one another since childhood and were still in high school when they encountered Morgan and Miller. Once the five Midwestern musicians reached adulthood and formalized Swim, they performed locally in Cincinnati for several months before entering the studio in late 1998 to record their debut album, Safe Unless. The independent release appeared the next year, followed in 2000 by their second self-released effort, The Laughter and the Noise. By then Swim had cultivated a modest regional audience and generated enough Midwestern attention to draw interest from Wind-Up Records, the label home to Creed. Also in 2000, five Swim tracks received airplay on MTV’s series The Real World.
Wind-Up initially pursued negotiations with Swim for five months before talks collapsed and the label declined to sign them. Former Wind-Up A&R executive Joel Mark later relocated to Los Angeles and joined MCA’s A&R staff, where he continued to advocate for the group, resulting in an MCA contract in 2001. Following the agreement, the musicians elected to adopt a new name after discovering at least seven other U.S. acts already using Swim, thereby avoiding potential legal conflicts. The moniker July for Kings, derived from two earlier compositions titled “July” and “Kings,” took effect that same year. Under the revised name the band titled its third overall album Swim as a nod to its prior identity; MCA issued the record in November 2002, marking July for Kings’ sole major-label outing and first release under the new appellation.
MCA dropped the band after the label folded in 2003, prompting drummer Dobrozsi and bassist Morgan to exit. July for Kings resurfaced independently in 2005 with Nostalgia, now featuring Dan McQuinn on drums and Drew Phillips on bass. Concurrently, vocalist Hedges launched a solo career, issuing his debut album Curvature in spring 2007. That autumn the group reconvened to develop fresh material, yet T. Miller departed by spring 2008. The remaining members persisted, recruiting guitarist John McGuire and delivering the full-length Monochrome in June 2009.
Albums
Singles
