Biography
Frequently compared to Matchbox 20, 3 Doors Down, and the Verve Pipe, Pay the Girl captures the sleekest, most refined edge of twenty-first-century alternative pop/rock. Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, the group targets fans who prefer rock infused with substantial pop appeal, and its tuneful, melody-driven sound reveals pronounced power-pop leanings. Yet beneath the sheen the Midwestern ensemble retains a distinct bite. Frontman Jason Allen Phelps launched his career with solo appearances across Cincinnati in the late 1990s, often accompanying himself on acoustic guitar at coffeehouses, clubs, and bookstores. Wearying of the solitary format, he assembled Pay the Girl in 2001 to enjoy the camaraderie of a full band; the name originated as an inside joke among cash-strapped musicians who, when presented with a check, would quip, “Go ahead, pay the girl.”
Its first roster featured drummer Josh Seurkamp and bassist Mike Georgin, both veterans of the Southern Ohio outfits Over the Rhine and Plow on Boy. After their departures, a revised lineup coalesced around Phelps on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Cooper—distinct from the Los Angeles journalist and commentator Marc Cooper—on guitar and backing vocals, Dave Harris on guitar, Drew Phillips on bass, and Greg Braun on drums. With this quintet intact, Pay the Girl issued a five-song EP that stirred local interest throughout the Cincinnati region, drawing crowds composed largely of young women. The recording attracted TVT Records, which signed the band in early 2002 and placed its track “Clueless” on the Swimf@n soundtrack released that August. Also in 2002, Colombian rock en español and Latin pop artist Shakira recruited the group as an opening act for an international arena tour. Although Shakira’s primary audience was Latin and she had sung exclusively in Spanish before issuing her first English-language album, Laundry Service, in 2001, she specifically sought a non-Latin, English-speaking rock act; Pay the Girl met that requirement. Consequently, after performing in modest Cincinnati venues for roughly a year, the band found itself on large stages across multiple countries. TVT issued the band’s debut full-length album, the self-titled Pay the Girl, in March 2003; the record featured the radio-friendly single “Freeze.”
Its first roster featured drummer Josh Seurkamp and bassist Mike Georgin, both veterans of the Southern Ohio outfits Over the Rhine and Plow on Boy. After their departures, a revised lineup coalesced around Phelps on lead vocals and guitar, Mark Cooper—distinct from the Los Angeles journalist and commentator Marc Cooper—on guitar and backing vocals, Dave Harris on guitar, Drew Phillips on bass, and Greg Braun on drums. With this quintet intact, Pay the Girl issued a five-song EP that stirred local interest throughout the Cincinnati region, drawing crowds composed largely of young women. The recording attracted TVT Records, which signed the band in early 2002 and placed its track “Clueless” on the Swimf@n soundtrack released that August. Also in 2002, Colombian rock en español and Latin pop artist Shakira recruited the group as an opening act for an international arena tour. Although Shakira’s primary audience was Latin and she had sung exclusively in Spanish before issuing her first English-language album, Laundry Service, in 2001, she specifically sought a non-Latin, English-speaking rock act; Pay the Girl met that requirement. Consequently, after performing in modest Cincinnati venues for roughly a year, the band found itself on large stages across multiple countries. TVT issued the band’s debut full-length album, the self-titled Pay the Girl, in March 2003; the record featured the radio-friendly single “Freeze.”
Albums