Biography
In Rochester, New York, toward the close of 2002, Roses Are Red formed by merging aggressive melodic rock with hook-driven emo. Originally operating as Nobody Cares, the group encountered legal complications stemming from an identically named Columbia Records act active in the late 1980s. Having already grown weary of the apathy-themed jokes aimed their way, the members found the shift to their present name relatively painless. At inception the lineup featured vocalist Vincent Minervino, drummer Michael Lasaponara, bassist Brad Gilboe, and brothers Brian Gordner and Matthew Gordner on guitar. Minervino had begun as the drummer yet moved to lead vocals once work on the first demos commenced. Drawing from Bon Jovi and Def Leppard, the five-piece issued their ten-song debut, Handshakes and Heartbreaks, on Enterprise Records in spring 2003. After the album went out of print it was reissued in late 2004. While promoting the release on the road, the band attracted interest from Trustkill and completed a deal with the label by March 2004. A summer slot on Warped Tour followed, leading to the September arrival of their Trustkill debut, Conversations. Continued touring took Roses Are Red to Europe alongside Underoath before they rejoined the 2005 edition of Warped in the United States. Over time, shared bills with Boys Night Out, Norma Jean, My Chemical Romance, and Story of the Year expanded their audience, while fall 2005 brought a run of dates supporting labelmates Bedlight for Blue Eyes. Produced by Brian McTernan, whose résumé includes Thrice and Circa Survive, the follow-up What Became of Me surfaced in June 2006. By then the roster had evolved to include original members Minervino and Lasaponara alongside guitarist Tom Zenns, guitarist/vocalist Shaun Murphy, and bassist/vocalist Kevin Mahoney. The revised lineup spent that summer on a national circuit with A Change of Pace and Far-Less, among additional acts.