Biography
Open Air Stereo emerged from Laguna Beach as a kind of emo counterpart to the Monkees, landing their Epic Records deal largely because of repeated appearances on the MTV series Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County. That program’s third season, broadcast in autumn 2006, centered much of its narrative on the group’s signing and thereby served as advance publicity for their first full-length release. Chase Johnson, whose looks earned him the label of pretty-boy frontman, joined forces with lead guitarist Kelan Hurley and bassist Braeden Hurley to start the band’s earlier incarnation in 2001; drummer Nick Gross completed the lineup the following year. Drawing on a familiar roster of hard-rock touchstones that stretched from the Doors to Rage Against the Machine, the quartet spent several years playing local clubs throughout Orange County and issued a self-titled demo in 2005. Johnson and Kelan Hurley were recruited for the semi-scripted Laguna Beach cast in 2005, an event that coincided neatly with Epic’s decision to sign the band, supplying the producers with a ready-made storyline while giving Open Air Stereo an instant promotional platform. The resulting major-label album, helmed by veteran producer Bob Rock whose résumé includes Aerosmith, is slated for release in summer 2007.
Albums