EndeverafteR 'Kiss or Kill' album

In the annals of rock music, you’d be hard-pressed to find a band that’s been championed by both Pete Wentz and Bret Michaels. You’d also be hard-pressed, at least nowadays, to find a rock band that possesses a guitar hero for the next generation, a sexual swagger and an actual sense of fun. EndeverafteR is that band. They (unironically) kick ass.

“I had a vision of a perfect rock’n’roll band,” says EndeverafteR frontman Michael Grant. “Something was missing. I missed it, and everyone I knew missed it. ”

You can hear this concept perfected on Kiss or Kill, EndeverafteR’s debut album. There are big Big BIG choruses, thrashy drums, a little bit of punk, a lot cocksure attitude and a whole lotta guitars. It’s certainly anthemic: “I Wanna Be Your Man” and “Baby, Baby, Baby” may very well be heard in strip clubs soon.

But this isn’t some Darkness-style gimmick. Grant writes what he feels, be it a huge power ballad (“Next Big Thing”) or a savage Crue-inspired (“Tip of My Tongue”). “The core of this band is heart,” says the singer.

The genesis of the group starts with Endever, Grant’s old band. Kristan Mallory started out as a journalist and fan but soon jumped on board as the original bassist (he’s since switched to guitar). Tommi Andrews came on a few months later, along with a temporary drummer.

A few shows later, the group had already caught the attention of a certain ubiquitous member of Fall Out Boy. Soon enough, Pete Wentz was championing EndeverafteR and expressing interest in signing the group to his own label; he invited the guys to open for FOB during a Sacramento tour date.

“That show got us signed” Grant says. “I think every single person in that arena just got it. They saw something they miss in rock’n’roll in us.” (Not only did the show land the group a record deal, it also got them a new drummer months down the road, as FOB drum tech Eric Humbert was drafted into the band).

An EndeverafteR live show is quite a sight. You’ll notice things you haven’t seen at rock show in a long time: a bunch of long-haired, open-shirt rock gods struttin’ around, putting on an actual show. It’s theatrical, energetic, cocky and while there’s no pyro yet, it’s on its way.

To capture this live energy, the band recruited American Hi-Fi frontman Stacy Jones as a producer, in collaboration with Bill Lefler. Grant says, “Stacy was so enthusiastic; he did his homework on us. A guy excited by the music is going to do a better job.”

While recording Kiss or Kill, EndeverafteR received tour offers to both open on a Poison/Cinderella summer tour and do some shows with KISS. “That was huge for us,” says Grant. “Our sound was developing. After we came back from those shows, we were stronger and more aware of our influences. It was a new band after that.”

With the record finished, the band taped a number of videos, including an R-rated clip for “Baby, Baby, Baby (Baby x3)” that will never get on the public airwaves (“It’s all women, raw sexuality and libido,” says Grant). The video is directed by Jax, a former major label A&R man turned porn director.

EndeverafteR has already captured the public’s eye; a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the “Baby 3X” video was #1 on YouTube with nearly 500,000 views in one day. The band is about to go out on tour with Fuel/Trapt and expose a whole new group of fans to the wonders of their rock’n’roll circus.

So see them live. And stop by the tour bus afterwards.

“The bus,” laughs Grant. “What happens there will have to stay underground. But you can find out for yourselves. We boys know how to have a good time.”

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Tracklisting

EndeverafteR - Kiss or Kill