Bands get named in a variety of
interesting and unique ways. With
Treaty of Paris it was an accident
of fate, timing, and necessity; the
band needed a fake name for a secret
show in their hometown of Chicago.
As a joke, they played under the
name Treaty Of Paris after guitarist
Phil Kosch suggested it as a
temporary name. The name stuck, and
within a few months Treaty of Paris,
(Mike Chorvat-vocals, Dan
Wade-guitar/vocals, Phil Kosch-guitar,
Brandon Capetillo-Bass/Vocals, Chris
Insidioso-drums), was already
generating staying power as a band
within the same competitive music
scene that bread the likes of Fall
Out Boy, The Academy Is and Rise
Against.
Immediately after settling on the
name in early January of 2005, demos
were recorded, flyers were passed
out and t-shirts were printed. The
band hit the ground running, playing
shows to sold out crowds at Schuba’s,
Double Door, Metro, and other
Chicago and Midwest venues with
bands such as The New Amsterdams,
Local H, Sum 41, Rise Against,
Motion City Soundtrack, Lucky Boys
Confusion, Lovedrug, Unwritten Law,
and others. When not onstage in
front of an enthusiastic audience,
the band focused on writing, and by
March they had 20 complete songs to
work with.
The 6 best of these were chosen for
recording, which were to become the
Behind Our Calm Demeanors EP. A
recording that showcases Treaty Of
Paris' love affair with anthemic,
poppy songs and compact
arrangements.
After successfully completing the EP
they headlined a sold out CD release
show at The Metro to over 1000 eager
fans. Following the release they
spent September and October of 2005
on tour in the Midwest and along the
East Coast with Quietdrive (Epic
Records). It was the first tour for
all of the band’s members, making it
an adventure but also a crash course
in the ways of the road: Each day
learning how to deal with smelly
band mates on six-hour trips, taking
turns driving and sleeping, and,
most importantly, how to put on a
great show every night no matter
what.
With their touring base growing
exponentially and online awareness
reaching a fever pitch record labels
began taking notice. In early 2007
the Demeanors EP and handful of
newly recorded acoustic demos were
delivered to Andrew McMahon (Jack’s
Mannequin/Something Corporate front
man) and he was sold. Having
recently started the imprint ATR
(airport tapes and records), he had
finally found the band he had been
looking for. A band with fantastic
songs and the work ethic necessary
to build a grass roots following in
today’s cutthroat indie scene.
Considering this newly forged
partnership between Treaty and ATR
as well as ATR’s parent company YMA
(Your Music America), the future is
looking undoubtedly bright for the
Chicago Quintet. When asked about
the recent signing Treaty’s Dan Wade
had this to say: “We are extremely
excited about signing to Airport
Tapes & Records and Your Music
America. From the start, they
believed in our band and in our
music. It is also a dream come true
to be working with Andrew. We
believe that his business
sensibility and his keen ears
combined with the YMA family will be
instrumental in guiding us along
this brand new chapter in our
careers.”
With plans to tweak the demeanors EP
to accommodate some of Treaty’s
newly recorded gems before a
re-release this spring, the band is
eager to get into the studio and
complete their first full-length
album.
Considering the stock pile of more
than 40 tracks that have yet to be
explored in the studio as well as an
exciting relationship with Chicago’s
biggest rock station, Q101, there is
no doubt that 2007 is going to be a
prolific and exciting year for both
Treaty of Paris and the countless
new fans they will be gathering
along the way.