Anew Revolution

“We're not a band of easy way outs,” Anew Revolution bassist Frank Salvaggio says. He's not kidding. The members of Anew Revolution have been around the music industry block several times, in other bands and in this band. They've made mistakes and learned from them, so as not to repeat them. But there is only one constant: the fact that not doing this music and this band is not an option. Anew Revolution is bound by its need to make music and to reach the people. Turns out, the individuals who make up Anew Revolution are not much different than their fans.

Anew Revolution isn't just a band that refuses to be chewed up and spit out by the business or by life. The band members operate off a battery of resilience. It's in their DNA. Everything about the band has layers of meaning – even its moniker is a play on words- so if you keep digging, you'll unearth more things about the band, the players, the songs and the music that will reel you into their universe. The band's new album, iMerica, is a nod to our country's current digitally-minded culture, and it's darker, more intense and heavier than anything the band has done. It's easily the most driving music the band has ever created. Featuring former members of Ozzfest alums (and early ‘00s bands) like Slaves on Dope and Unloco, Anew Revolution aren't about repeating the past. They're about creating a future: a better future for all of us through music.

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When faced with situations where most musicians would toss their hands in the air, give up and get dreaded day jobs, Anew Revolution continue to pound the pavement and work towards a singular goal: playing for fans. “We could have continued on the path of our old bands,” Salvaggio says. “That is done and we're looking forward. Starting from zero is not easy. But there is so much fulfillment involved. We are four dudes trying to get to the next city to play the next gig.” Anew Revolution actually formed when Slaves on Dope split and Salvaggio and Urbani ventured down to Austin, Texas and hooked up with ex-Unloco singer Joey Duenas. “We wanted to see if we could make something happen,” Salvaggio recalls about the band's humble beginnings. “If something came of it, cool. If not, we tried, right?” Something did come of it. The band's chemistry clicked and they recorded a self-titled EP that they sold themselves, the old fashioned-way. They moved 5,000 copies, enjoyed love from iTunes and proved they could handle themselves in the live setting, and their self-sufficiency was noticed by E1 Music, who signed the band in 2007. Their first album, Rise, was issued in 2008.

It's impressive that a bunch of musicians who had the benefit of experience in the major label system with their previous bands decided not to be completely soured by their past, even if they are a wee bit cynical. “We're definitely jaded and come from that background, collectively,” Salvaggio continues. “Between Joey's band and mine, we sold records at that time. If we sold now what we sold then, it would be a great success. Bands were going gold and platinum fast back then. We had sales and fanbases, but we had to work harder to earn it. It was the hard working effort that got you what you wanted. Shaun didn't walk into a band already on a tour bus, with a crew and a tour manager. It was the four of us working hard for everything we earned.”

Hard work is as American as apple pie and baseball, so it's fitting that iMerica is an album made by the people, for the people. The album is certainly influenced by the trials and tribulations that Anew Revolution survived. But it's not a self-referential album. It's all encompassing and inherently understands the problems most Americans are dealing with. 2009 was particularly tough for the country and for most working class, average Americans. It was no different for Anew Revolution, and that fueled the album's fire. “We went through a hard year,” Salvaggio recalls. “We didn't tour very much, we were only on the road for about three months. Fans took a hit and we took a hit. But we had to regroup, even if it's gotten harder. We know what hard is, but it went a notch harder. The incline got steeper. We braced ourselves and strapped ourselves in, rubbed stones together and made it work.”

It's apparent that nothing can stop Anew Revolution, not the past, not tour issues, not economic issues. While the guys in Anew Revolution may be the ones on stage, stop and take a closer look. They're not much different than you. They're making music for themselves and for you. They're here to remind us that we're not in this alone, that the vehicle of music cannot unite all of us who live in iMerica. We're all iMericans when we listen to Anew Revolution.