The New Division

In 2005, while enrolled at California Baptist University in Riverside, California, John Kunkel first began composing new wave and synth pop material, drawing primary influence from groups including New Order and Depeche Mode. The New Division gradually coalesced into a complete ensemble over the following years once Michael Janz and Mark Michalski added their synthesizer work alongside Kunkel, with Brock Woolsey supplying guitar. Regular live shows across Riverside helped refine the ensemble’s updated interpretation of 1980s-derived textures, prompting the digital self-release of singles and EPs from 2010 onward. Their opening full-length, Shadows, appeared in 2011. The Night Escape EP followed in 2012 and incorporated a collaboration with Greek chillwavers Keep Shelly in Athens. Second album Together We Shine arrived in 2014, after which the band’s third release, Gemini, was slated for 2015.