Sound The Alarm

In Bangor, Pennsylvania, Sound the Alarm formed in 2000—originally under the name Sleepwell—with singer Cody Jancovic, guitarist Brian Chiusano, bassist Colin Ellis, and drummer Rick Stephans at its core. The emo-rock band began by performing covers across the tri-state area before shifting to original songs that local audiences embraced rapidly. By fall 2003 the lineup expanded with the addition of second guitarist and vocalist Joe Brule, and Hidden in Plain View’s Rob Freeman helped capture the band’s debut EP, Coin Operated Entertainment. Its three tracks drew strong responses that inspired further recording, though producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Hoobastank) first reached out and placed the group on his label. The members earned early high-school graduation in January 2005, freeing them to tour and write without restriction. Early the next year Rock Ridge Music issued a self-titled EP. After landing a deal with Geffen, Sound the Alarm delivered its self-titled full-length debut in summer 2007.