Tokyo Rose

Originating from New Jersey as an emo-tinged pop-punk outfit, Tokyo Rose assembled in 2001 when Rutgers University students Ryan Dominguez, who handled vocals and guitar, and bassist Chris Poulsen discovered overlapping musical tastes while each performed in separate groups and chose to start their own project. The pair handled local gigs around demanding academic calendars and aligned road trips with school holidays or semester breaks. They also put out the self-released EP Chasing Fireflies, which served as their primary introduction once Dominguez and Poulsen finished school and committed to the band full time. After several lineup shifts, the group stabilized with guitarist Greg Doran and drummer Jon Smith aboard; during a 2003 California run they inked a deal with independent imprint Sidecho Records, which issued the debut full-length Reinventing a Lost Art that July. A heavy touring schedule ensued, encompassing the 2003 CMJ Festival, the 2004 South by Southwest Music Conference, and the 2004 Warped Tour. Upon returning from a 2005 Japan trek, Tokyo Rose began recording the follow-up New American Saint, issued that October with fresh members Josh Lurie on guitar in place of Doran and Tom Roslak on drums in place of Smith. Additional dates across the United States and overseas kept the band busy until work began on the third album, at which point Lurie and Roslak had departed, leaving Tokyo Rose to continue as a trio anchored by new drummer Jake Margolis. Sidecho released that effort, Promise in Compromise, in July 2007.