Thrice Band Bio Page

Thrice Band Bio

Thrice is:
Dustin Kensrue - Vocals, Guitar
Teppei Teranishi - Guitar, Vocals
Ed Breckenridge - Bass, Vocals
Riley Breckenridge - Drums

Making the jump from an independent label to a major can be an awkward, even daunting task for some bands. But Orange County, California quartet Thrice make it seem easy on The Artist In The Ambulance, their Island Records debut.

Even after being hailed as one of "The Most Anticipated Releases of 2003" by Alternative Press magazine, the record exceeds expectations. The Artist In The Ambulance hones Thrice's explosive rock edge to its sharpest point yet, showcasing the band's devastating rhythms, melodic crunch and blinding guitar interplay. More importantly, it satisfies the goals Thrice collectively established before reuniting to work with producer Brian McTernan (Snapcase, Converge) in Washington, D.C.

"We wanted to write stronger songs, to have a little more structure," says vocalist/guitarist Dustin Kensrue. "Basically, making memorable songs instead of just memorable parts."

There were plenty of memorable moments on earlier Thrice records, Identity Crisis and The Illusion of Safety. The band, always mindful of challenging themselves, sought further growth as musicians with the new CD. They took additional pre-production time with McTernan, who also recorded The Illusion of Safety. Guitarist Teppei Teranishi thinks the extra effort paid off: "I think each song feels more like a complete song than just a bunch of parts slapped together."

In other words: same great, thunderous riffs + added structure + good planning = one fantastic album.

Oh, and don't forget all the hard work. When these four guys assembled at New York's legendary Bearsville Studios in January to begin recording, it was only the beginning of a hectic and harried period that may be the most pivotal year of the quartet's career. After tracking drums under the direction of Michael Barbiero -- whose prior studio work with Metallica and Guns 'N Roses, plus his great personality, earned Thrice's awe and respect -- recording continued at McTernan's Salad Days studio in Washington, D.C. After finishing recording and taking a short week's break, the band tackled a month-long U.S. tour. Another brief rest, then over to Europe with on the Deconstruction tour. After just a few days back at home, Thrice is now back out on the Warped tour for two months. After that, the band heads off to the UK and then a fall 2003 U.S. tour.

The band's near-constant touring and intense live shows have earned Thrice a rabid, loyal fanbase: Kids around the U.S. check in daily on Internet message boards, posting photos from gigs and requesting guitar tablature. When a pre-order offer for The Artist In The Ambulance was announced on www.thrice.net, more than 4,000 CDs were sold in the first week.

An outstanding achievement for a band that's only been together for five years. Thrice formed in 1999, when high school classmates Kensrue and Teranishi decided to turn their mutual love for hard rock and metal (Metallica, Pantera) and punk-pop (NOFX, Good Riddance, Strung Out) into something uniquely their own. The pair enlisted skateboarding pal Eddie Breckenridge, who switched from guitar to bass for the Thrice cause, and Eddie's older brother, Riley, quickly filled out the lineup on drums.

"We were young and naive and had absolutely no idea what we were doing," Teranishi laughs.

But they were also determined. And, over time, Thrice's passion and commitment has steadily solidified their connection with fans. Thrice stands for something more in rock, for a bond that goes beyond rock star posing. Taken out of context, Kensrue could be singing about his group's intent in this line from The Artist In The Ambulance: "I hope that I never let you down ... / Can we pick you off the ground/ More than flashing lights and sound."

In one of his typical understatements, Kensrue says, "Being in this band is more than filling empty space."

True to that philosophy, Thrice will continue its tradition of donating a percentage of record sales to charity. The recipient this time will be the Syrentha J. Savio Endowment (SSE), an organization that provides chemotherapy and other medication for individuals with breast cancer who cannot afford the expense.

"We got to know Mark Beemer (punk photographer and SSE founder) really well doing this record," Kensrue says. "It's cool to be close to someone you're working with -- it's like a team effort."

Team effort also describes the band members' sense of togetherness and camaraderie. A period as hectic as Thrice has recently experienced might splinter weaker groups. Not these guys.

Kensrue says, "If anything, all our relationships are stronger in the past year or two years, and we've been working basically all the time -- either touring or writing or recording. That's kind of the beauty of anything like that: you really know a person, their good things, their bad things, and you love them anyway. I think we've definitely come a lot more into that kind of place in the past year."

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Thrice

Thrice Band Bio Thrice is: Dustin Kensrue - Vocals, Guitar Teppei Teranishi - Guitar, Vocals Ed Breckenridge - Bass, Vocals Riley Breckenridge - Drums

Thrice Band Bio

Thrice is:
Dustin Kensrue - Vocals, Guitar
Teppei Teranishi - Guitar, Vocals
Ed Breckenridge - Bass, Vocals
Riley Breckenridge - Drums