COPELAND Biography
Angelic, breathy vocals, melodic, lush instrumentation all backed by an unwavering rock drive — that was the musical foundation for Copeland’s full-length debut, Beneath Medicine Tree. With the album’s release in the Spring of 2003, the Atlanta-based foursome found themselves landing a seemingly never-ending string of noteworthy tours, garnering significant acclaim in the music press, all the while becoming one of the label’s best-selling acts, despite their very brief history as a band. In Motion offers a different dynamic to Copeland’s always evolving sound, and it’s of little coincidence that the disc’s title seems to be eluding to the record’s overall theme. “I said that with Beneath Medicine Tree, I wanted to make a record that moves people,” singer/ Aaron Marsh explains. “With In Motion, I wanted to make a record that makes people move.” Spearheaded by longtime producer/collaborator/”silent member” Matt Goldman, the In Motion sessions were a pair of productive months, thanks in large part to Goldman’s direction. “After two months of working on your songs everyday, you begin to lose objectivity,” Marsh says. “He’s very helpful and patient with us.” Pulling seminal albums from their record collections (The Cardigans, The Police, New Order, The Posies, The Beach Boys or The Beatles) and working as a fully collaborative unit (bassist James Likeness even created In Motion’s artwork), Copeland came to these songs on their own terms. Careful evaluation of the sounds that had inspired them and unconventional recording techniques were pushed to the forefront; tearing down and reconfiguring new drummer Jon Bucklew’s kit for each song became commonplace. In the end Copeland delivered In Motion for mixing to Ken Andrews (Failure, Year Of The Rabbit, Mae), the final piece of a more time-intensive and laborious process. But taking the easy road with In Motion was never an option. As Marsh explains: “We wanted every song to sound different and get some more non-traditional sounds.” One of In Motion’s moving highlights is “Pin Your Wings,” which fires off with sure-fire pop rock power pomp, breaking right into melodious verses that instantaneously etch themselves into the listener’s memory. Another standout, “Kite”, exhibits Copeland at its most naked and vulnerable, utilizing an accordion to give the track its vintage warmth and charm. As Marsh simply puts it, “We wanted the song to sound old.” But it’s more a testament to the band’s discerning ear for the most miniscule of sounds in the studio. “Brian and I are total freaks about guitar tones,” Marsh says. “That could make or break a record for us.” Before committing their material to tape, many of the songs of In Motion were first road tested to ensure that it didn’t just meet the band’s expectations—but their fans’—on wildly successful tours with Switchfoot and underground rock veterans Sparta. Their tenacious schedule behind Beneath Medicine Tree kept the band on the road for nearly two years straight, but by the time that Copeland arrived in the studio the songs that would become In Motion had perfectly aged—perhaps even far beyond their years. “I like the way a song can grow and mature,” Marsh says. ”It’s like a living thing. The longer you wait to record it, the better it is.” - Bio courtesy of The Militia Group
Vocalist Aaron Marsh, bassist James Likeness, guitarist Bryan Laurenson, and drummer Jon Bucklew (formerly of the Christian rock act Denison Marrs) are the members of Copeland, an earnest-sounding alternative rock band that took root in Marsh's home state of Florida in 2000. Maryland native Laurenson and original drummer Rusty Fuller were added to the lineup just in time for the recording of Copeland's first release. Produced by Matt Goldman, who would later go on to helm records for Denison Marrs, the EP (which the group split with Pacifico) was issued in 2001. A year later, Copeland signed with The Militia Group, an artist development company located in southern California, and relocated to Atlanta to begin work on a proper studio effort.
Bucklew stepped in to replace the departing Fuller (who later joined the Beautiful Mistake), and Goldman climbed aboard as producer for the emotionally driven punk-pop stylings of 2003's Beneath Medicine Tree. Tours with the Juliana Theory, Mae, Hopesfall, Switchfoot, and the Early November followed, while an EP of cover songs, Know Nothing Stays the Same, was released in August 2004 to maintain Copeland's rising popularity. In March 2005, the band released its long-awaited sophomore album, In Motion. The ten-song set debuted at number 115 on Billboard's Top 200 album chart within a week of its release, and Eat, Sleep, Repeat fared similarly after its Halloween release in 2006. Two weeks later, the band announced it had joined the major-label ranks of Columbia Records; the partnership didn't last long, however, and Copeland realigned themselves with Tooth & Nail Records for 2008's You Are My Sunshine. MacKenzie Wilson, All Music Guide
COPELAND lyrics and albums
