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Columbia natives Crossfade and Namedropper rocked out for more than 3,000 fans under a cold, starry night at Fort Jackson on Saturday.
What a difference 18 months makes for Crossfade. In early 2004 the band had just released its self-titled debut album and started touring,
Now that touring is over, the album has sold more than one million copies.

The performance, part of the Miller Lite’s Army Concert Tour, had originally been scheduled for July, but heavy rain forced a cancellation.
Opening act Namedropper, friends of Crossfade, performed for 45 minutes with a similar flair to Crossfade but with a straight forward rock and a touch of funk.

Finding its name from a newspaper headline, the local band has become a favorite of the Columbia music bar scene. Namedropper, consisting of Jeff Lucero (vocals), Bart Ballington (drums and vocals) and Michael Wilson (bass), pumped and primed the crowd for Crossfade. The band played songs from its just completed first full-length independent release, "The Payoff." Ed Sloan, James Branham and Mitch James of Crossfade, dressed down in jeans and T-shirts, were excited to perform albeit a three month delay. "It’s a good feeling to make it this time," Sloan, the lead singer, said.

The return trip was extra special for the guys, as they expressed gratitude to the troops and Columbia locals in attendance.
"We enjoy our lives and playing music because of these guys," Sloan said pointing to the more than 2,000 basic training soldiers who attended the performance.
Crossfade performed a mix of old favorites along with new material, such as "Jacket" and "Drunk." "Colors," one of the band’s radio hits, was a slower version that displayed the band’s own style with heavy guitar riffs, which was received well by concert-goers. Before each tune, Crossfade gave fans insight into the background behind its songs. Surprisingly, Crossfade revealed that "So Far Away" was actually written about Columbia.
"I’ve been changing but you’ll never see me...now I’m blaming you for everything," Sloan croons during the song’s chorus.
The group said it wanted to leave Columbia so bad. The guys didn’t appreciate the city, but now they see all the positive things they missed while they were gone.
Definitely check out Crossfade or Namedropper next time they play.

If you missed the show and don’t have your New Year’s party schedule yet, Sloan said Crossfade plans to perform at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach.

Written by KATIE HAHN, columbiatunes.com

CROSSFADE
and
DARK NEW DAY

Second on the bill tonight, is the heart pounding, deep, and melodic artists known as Crossfade. They literally come alive. I've been a fan of this band for some time now and am thrilled to finally get a chance to see them perform live. Wow! Again, I was in awe. Hard to get a good picture, when your ass is dancing to the music. I know their entire album by heart, so when they sang some of my favorites, I just couldn't help myself and neither could the fans. Songs like, "No Giving Up", "Cold", and my favorite, "Colors", were played exactly like you would hear them in the studio.

These boys have what it takes, and with a little more promotion from their record company, Crossfade is sure to be household name soon. Fun to watch, and with both the singer and bassist both on vocals and harmonies, it was something to see. Only a three man team, but that is what makes them even more interesting and shows off the unique and individual talent they each possess. Their album, also named Crossfade was released in 2004. Go buy it. You'll like it. (read the entire story here..)
-Review By: Bren Alesch - Journalist/Photographer
Angelwing Photography

Grunge heads east

South Carolina’s Crossfade coming to Ricochet

IF YOU GO
• What: Crossfade with Dark New Day in concert
• When: 9:30 p.m. Sunday, July 24
• Where: Ricochet, 3853 Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
• Cost: $12 in advance; $15 at the door.
• Tickets: Call 277-5288.

THAT OPENING ACT SURE LOOKS FAMILIAR
That's because some in the group Dark New Day have performed in Fort Myers before.
Brett Hestla, Dark New Day's vocalist, used to be the singer with Virgos Merlot — a band that played at X-Fest. More recently, Hestla had been touring as Creed's bassist.
Dark New Day's bassist, Clint Lowery, also performed here during an X-Fest, but that was when he was a member of Sevendust.
You may also recognize drummer Will Hunt, who played with Skrape and Tommy Lee's side band.

Seattle's grungy influence has reached all corners of the rock world.

Fourteen years after Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden forced their way onto rock's world stage, and 11 years after the genre was declared dead with Kurt Cobain's suicide in 1994, a new generation of bands has breathed life into grunge.

The latest in this snaking lineage of grungesters is Crossfade.

The South Carolina-based band released its eponymous debut late last year and has been touring non-stop since then. The band will perform Sunday night at Ricochet in Fort Myers, where fans no doubt will hear the hit single "Cold."

The News-Press tried to get the entire band out of bed earlier this week to talk about their experiences, but drummer James Branham was the only one able to clear out the cobwebs from the previous night's festivities to talk to us about songwriting, their favorite movies and vices and other topics.

• On writing songs:

We start with copious amounts of alcohol and heartache. Seriously, though, the best thing to do is write about what you know. Life experiences. Because if you write about something you don't know, you come across as being fake.

• On going from a quartet to a trio:

Tony (Byroads, a vocalist and DJ) got married and left the band. I think we're a little more rockin' now, and we don't use as many samples and scratching.

• On the worst thing about touring:

(Phone interviews.) No, really, it's being away from my wife and 4-year-old daughter.

• On the best fans:

That used to be easy to answer. Now it's not. We've got some good fans in Columbia (S.C.), Little Rock (Ark.) and Wichita (Kan.).

• On the coolest band besides Crossfade:

Alter Bridge. Those guys were awesome. They were Creed, sold a ton of records and could have been total (expletive) to everyone, but they were incredibly nice.

• On the band or singer that creeps you out:

Tiny Tim.

• On your favorite movie:

"Frank Herbert's Dune." It's a guilty pleasure.

• On eating after a show:

Any place that serves hot and spicy wings. Dee's Wings in Columbia (S.C.) is a favorite of mine.

• On the libation you can't live without:

Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. Throw in a little ice and some Diet Coke. Heaven.

• On cigarettes, coffee, candy or doughnuts:

Cigarettes. Marlboro Lights.

• On your worst job:

A short-order cook in this fast-food seafood restaurant called Chappy's. I hated it.

• On your "Spinal Tap" moment:

Last year, we were in Little Rock before a show, and I ate two Taco Bell bean burritos and (washed it down with) Bombay Sapphire martinis.

Over the course of the show, I'm lookin' at our singer like 'I gotta go.' Then he wants to do another encore! After the song, I ran offstage to the bathroom ... (We'll leave the rest up to your imagination.)

By MARK S. KRZOS
MKRZOS@NEWS-PRESS.COM

Crossfade Special to news-press.com

July 21,2005
Can't stop the ROCK!
Liz Bowles
Sun Journal Staff

When rock bands Crossfade, Dark New Day, and Ra were told they couldn't play, they played anyway, in a true display of rock 'n' roll rebellion.

The 99X 10th birthday bash drew hundreds of rock fans to Playtime Sports Grill in Atlantic Beach on Monday but at 8 p.m., the same time New Jersey-based Ra was set to take the stage, Fire Chief Adam Snyder made a devastating decision. The show was canceled and the venue shut down.

"They had major electrical code violations," Snyder said.

Brett Hestla, the lead singer for Dark New Day, was understandably bummed. "It sucks for the fans, the bands and the club," he said.

However, rather than dwell on the canceled show, members of all three bands mingled with the disappointed crowd, signing autographs and posing for photos.

"We have to find somewhere around here to play eventually," said Ed Sloan, lead singer of Crossfade. He said the last time the band tried to play in the area at a different venue, it was shut down before the show by the fire chief.

As the band members continued to mingle, locals began brainstorming other nearby places where the band could play. Then a representative of 99X had a suggestion so Corey Lowery, bassist of Dark New Day, headed down Fort Macon Drive to check out J-Doggs, a place with good atmosphere and, more importantly, a small stage with big speakers.

Lowery sent for his bandmates and the other bands, who were still with their tour buses at Playtime, and fans flocked to the makeshift venue descending on a very unsuspecting and dumbfounded bartender who exclaimed: "Where did all these people come from? We are never busy on a Monday night."

With just a couple of guitars and a small bongo drum, each of the bands, minus a few members, took turns playing to a very excited crowd of about 100 fans who refused to give up on hearing their favorite bands play.

Brothers Clint and Corey Lowery, Brett Hestla, and Troy McLawhorn, all of Dark New Day, took the stage first, playing soulful acoustic versions of songs from their debut CD, "Twelve Year Silence," in the intimate setting. The fans responded with incredible energy as Hestla introduced the last song of their set, their single "Brother," a lyrically poetic track with a stirring beat that Hestla described as "including all those family members."

After they successfully revved up the hungry crowd, Dark New Day was followed with a small set played by Ra, which played with two of the four band members, creating a dynamic rock duo. loan described the group as an inspiration and went on to say he'd been listening to them for three years now. Ra will be playing today at Planet Rock in Jacksonville before heading to Fayetteville as they continue touring.

Finally, Crossfade went front and center, featuring bassist Mitch James, lead singer Sloan, and drummer James Branham. As Sloan strummed the guitar he borrowed from Ra, he would periodically break to slap hands with the fans who kept hopping onto the stage, and all the while he didn't stop smiling. Then, although the crowd had grown quite loud with excitement, as Sloan's sweetly rich voice spread over them when the band started to play their single "Colors," and there was reverent silence.

The silence was over, however, when 99X radio personality Crash stepped onto the stage.

"This is one of those rare nights," he said. "I mean I thought I'd be watching these guys from rows back but here we are, right here with them."

The crowd was not only up close and personal with the band, but they also sang with them when Sloan solicited the crowd to help him out, turning the acoustic play of the single "Cold" into a harmonious chorus.

Toward the end, members of the other two bands jumped on stage with the guys from Crossfade. To close out the show, the expanded group performed an energetic cover of "Sweet Home Alabama," which rang throughout the small club in many different voices. And that was it for the show that wasn't supposed to be, and almost wasn't.

Earlier in the evening, when the first show was canceled, Mitch James had said, "We hope to make the show up to our fans."

With an unrelenting passion to play, all three bands refused to give up, and in the end, they did make it up to their fans.

Liz Bowles can be reached at 635-5667 or Lbowles@freedomenc.com

Columbia, S.C., rock quartet Crossfade may be best known for its hit debut single, "Cold," but the song title had anything but a chilling effect on the band's career.
On the strength of the 2004 hit, Crossfade sold more than 900,000 copies of its debut CD. Band members plan to give Middle Tennesseans a taste of their popular music recipe when they play Nashville's Dancin' in the District tonight.

"Me and Ed (the singer) have been together over 12 years," says Mitch James, bass player for Crossfade, during a telephone interview on a recent tour stop in Texas. "We've been writing music all that time. We're pretty seasoned veterans. Ed has a phenomenal voice. We're not trying to be trendsetters, but be the best at what's already been done."

What members hope to reinvent is a fierce sound driven by hard-rocking melodies and carefully constructed lyrics.

"When we're trying to write a song, we start with an acoustic guitar so we don't have a lot of distortion crowding our judgment," explains James over the crackling connection. "The hook is the first thing that comes out, and once we have it, we write around it."

With more than a decade of practice between the two, song writing and performing as a team is something James feels he and lead singer Ed Sloan have down to a near science. In fact, the opportunity to play together is the basis for the band.

"Ed Sloan and I were singers in rival bands in high school," explains the bassist. "Once those bands broke up, we came together and started our own thing with dual vocals and a lot of harmonies. But that was forever ago."

Almost 10 years later, the pair's perseverance paid off and the band signed a contract with FG records, an imprint of Columbia Records. But even then the guys didn't go about securing their deal in a traditional manner.

"We got signed three years ago," recalls James. "We recorded our CD at the house on a crappy computer with three crappy microphones. (Columbia) kept all the same tracks, they just remixed them."

After the CD was complete, the Internet played a significant role in getting the band's music to the right people.

"We met a guy for taxi.com (a Web site dedicated to procuring record contracts and publishing deals for unsigned artists), and he flew up to see us play," explains James. "He said he wanted to be our manager. Then promosquad.com (a Web site that calls itself the music industry's leading song-testing company) inked our deal with Columbia. We're just very lucky to be where we are. That was a little over 900,000 copies ago."

However, even in the face of a near platinum-selling record, James says band members haven't let success go to their heads.

"We call ourselves the 12-year, overnight sensation," he says. "We try and stay humble and do what we do and not act out of character. We can't, or our mamas will smack us."

By CINDY WATTS
cwatts@dnj.com

Originally published July 14, 2005

"We know we're very lucky to be where we are," he said. "We look at it as a job and business, and want to make wise decisions with our money. It's not about making tons of cash."

Crossfade has released three singles from the album, including "Cold" and "Colors." The latter currently is getting air play.

The band has had to overcome a little bit of turmoil of late. After six years with the group, vocalist and club DJ Tony Byroads left the band, slimming the quartet down to a trio.

"We're pretty much committed to staying a three piece at this point. I sing pretty much all his parts now," he said. "We knew (Byroad's departure) was going to come. We had picked up those vibes from there, but we took it in stride."

The band has been touring continuously for more than a year, something James confessed is tiring. "Once in a while, you get a little sore. Sometimes you wake up in a new city and you don't feel like smiling," he admitted, adding he frequently reminds himself how good he's got it. "But it's a lot better job than any I've ever had."

When asked to offer advice for bands working to break onto the national scene, James' advice is simple.

"We heard all along, people aren't looking to hear great recordings. You got to work on the hooks in your songs."

He added it's important for any band to leave their stomping grounds to generate a true following. "It doesn't matter what hometown you're in. You're not going to get any respect until you start touring outside of your region."

The American Tragedy, a local band who recently scored a single on 99X (KUTX 98.9 FM), will open the show. 99X also is a sponsor.

How I Wrote A Hit Single!

Crossfade "Cold"

Crossfade lead vocalist and guitarist Ed Sloan reveals how the band wrote, recorded and play "Cold," the hit single from their self-titled debut album.

The Inspiration
Ed Sloan "Cold" began life as an acousitc guitar song. Wehn we started recording it and adding instruments, I put an electric guitar solo over the middle section and then recorded some heavy rhythm guitars over the acoutsic parts. I really liked what I got. The more I added, the more the song transformed from an acoustic track into the ehavy song it is now. In fact, the middle breakdown section right before the solo is the only place where you can hear the original acoustic guitar.

The Recording
Sloan The entire album was self-financed and recorded over a period of five or six months at home on a very modest computer setup. I recorded the original acoustic track on an Ovation in dro-D tuning [low to high: D A D G B E], and I recorded the heavy electric guitars with an ESP seven-string, which also had its sixth string dropped to D [low to high: B D A D G B E]. I used a Line 6 Vetta amp and went straight into the computer via the amp's direct output. I then doubled each part in unison to get that big, thick sound.

How to Play "Cold"
Sloan I never used the seven-string's low B string on "Cold." The song can be played on a regular six-string guitar tuned to drop-D. It's a very simple song; the opening riff is made up of just three chords. I start off chunking on the open sixth and fifth strings with my index finger at the second fret on the fourth string, which gives me a Dsus2 shape. The next chord I hit [bbsus2] is that same root-fifth-second/ninth voicing moved up to the eight position, so I'm barring the sixth and fifth strings with my index finger at the eight fret and holding down the fourth string at the 10th fret with my pinkie. I then shift the index-finger barre dow to the seventh fret but keep my pinkie at the 10th fret on the fourth string [Am].

Why "Cold" Is a hit
Sloan I think there are certain things that people have trouble saying for themselves, and the lyrics in "Cold" express some things that they feel and have wanted to say but maybe haven't been able. to.

Interview by Nick Bowcott

WHO'S YOUR SUGARDADDY? Before Columbia, S.C. band Sugardaddy Superstar received the go ahead for its major label debut, it had to agree to one thing: "we had to change the stupid name," says lead singer/guitarist Ed Sloan.

Rechristened Crossfade, the Columbia Records quartet entered Billboard's Top Heatseekers chart at No. 44 last week with a remastered version of its self-released 2001 effort "Cold." Enlisting veteran rock engineer Randy Staub, the group remixed the eight original songs and added new tracks "So Far Away" and "The Unknown" to the now self-titled set.

The retooled album's former title track serves as the first Columbia radio single, which climbed into the top 10 of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, where it sits at No. 8 this week.

Crossfade originated in the late 1990s as the Nothing, before the trio of Sloan, bassist Mitch James and drummer Brian Geiger hooked up with club DJ Tony Byroads to become Sugardaddy Superstar.

The group wrote, recorded and produced 2001's "Cold" by itself in a garage-based home studio. Sloan says that since that experience, the group has learned "to make our songs happen for as many people as we can. You can't just play these five minute epics [that only] other musicians or your friends will appreciate," he says.

Crossfade's start as the Metallica-influenced the Nothing is evident on tracks like "So Far Away" and "Disco," which build their dramatic choruses off of an intro of heavy guitar and drums. Sloan -- who writes most of the lyrics and melodies -- gets his best chance to showcase his vocals on such acoustic tracks as "The Unknown" and "Starless."

Crossfade will perform at radio station-sponsored festival concerts throughout the country this summer, and play in Milwaukee for Summerfest on July 4. "We're newbies to touring and just getting our feet wet," says Sloan. "We just want to put all of our concentration into that right now."

-- Margo Whitmire

Crossfade is finding its new name much luckier than its old moniker of Sugardaddy Superstar.

As Crossfade, the Columbia, S.C.-based quartet has seen its self-titled FG/Columbia debut earn its sixth week atop the Billboard Top Heatsekers chart.

The album's success is fueled primarily by the first single, "Cold," which reached No. 1 on Billboard Radio Monitor's Active Rock chart and is No. 5 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart this issue.

Just three years ago, Crossfade released the same single, along with seven other tracks, on its self-released set "Cold" as Sugardaddy Superstar.

That disc found its way to FG Records principals Doug Ford, Rick Bisceglia and Guy Zapoleon. The trio also runs PromoSquad, which supplies Billboard and Billboard Radio Monitor with its HitPredictor chart data.

Promosquad.com operates the Get Famous program, which accepts releases from unsigned artists. According to Ford, "the standouts are placed into the HitPredictor system for predictive testing. Artists whose songs show hit potential are A&R'd more thoroughly, and subsequently considered for signing."

Crossfade was discovered through this process. FG then signed the band and brought it to Columbia parent Sony BMG. Columbia brought in veteran rock engineer Randy Staub to remix the group's previous set and record two new songs, "So Far Away" and "The Unknown."

Columbia Records Group executive VP of rock music Stu Bergen says the label focused its early marketing efforts on radio.

The subsequent airplay success of the "Cold" single led to supporting tour slots with Shinedown and Alter Bridge. The band -- which comprises singer/guitarist Ed Sloan, bassist Mitch James, drummer Brian Geiger and turntableist Tony Byroads -- will headline its own dates in December.

Bergen says the label will now concentrate on promoting the video for "Cold," which is getting airplay at VH1.

At the same time, second single "So Far Away" is starting to climb the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. It moves to No. 25 this week.

"We always thought it would be like that," Sloan says. "Not quite an overnight success, but everything happening at a good pace where we just get to really look around and enjoy ourselves."


--By Margo Whitmire

When a female fan in their hometown of Columbia, South Carolina, requested autographs on her private parts, the members of Crossfade were true gentlemen. True to their roots, the well-bred Southerners each very politely gave a "No thank you," but expressed gratitude for such overwhelming adoration.

While working day jobs in 2002, the four rockers engineered their own debut album in frontman Ed Sloan's basement studio. The cut was eventually picked up by Columbia, but because of restructuring within the big-time label, the album sat untouched for 16 months. Meanwhile, the boys stayed gainfully employed and held their breaths. Then Randy Staub, the engineering muscle behind Metallica and P.O.D. took on the task of post-production.

The resulting sound is "pop-metal," a hybrid radio-safe genre they describe as "heavy guitars, but melodic, and with singing you can understand." Ultimately, "Cold" became a smash single, rocketed Crossfade into stardom -- and onto the road.

To promote their album, Crossfade hit 38 cities on the just-concluded SnoCore tour. Beginning in Vail, Colorado, the boys commenced what they say was "the ride of our lives." Along the way there were after-show shenanigans, not to mention sliding down the side of a snow-covered peak in their cowboy boots.

"It's all part of ass-busting coming down the mountain," explains bassist Mitch James. "We're Southern boys not used to the snow...but all our blessings are counted."

--Carolyn Sinclair

CROSSFADE

Ed Sloan and his hard-rock band Crossfade recently played The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, which was particularly exciting for the lead singer/guitarist because one of that evening's guests was Sharon Osbourne. "We took some pictures with her backstage — she's so beautiful up close," he says. "We gave her a few CDs, told her to give them to Ozzy and her kids. She probably just tossed them out — she'd never heard of us."

Sloan is used to people not recognizing his band. Not long ago, the North Carolina quartet was stuck playing local shows, recording in its garage-based home studio, and self-releasing its albums. But in the past year, they've shot from zeroes to heroes on the strength of the breakthrough single "Cold" off of their self-titled debut album (Columbia). Success is particularly sweet for Sloan and bassist Mitch James, who've been playing together in bands since the late Nineties. As he prepares to take Crossfade — rounded out by Tony Byroads (vocals/turntables/samples) and James Branham (drums) — out on the SnoCore Tour with Chevelle and Helmet. Sloan talke to us about finally hitting it big.

When you signed with Columbia Records, they made you change the band's name from its original moniker, Sugardaddy Superstar. What were you guys thinking with that name?

Ed Sloan: I really don't know, man [laughs]. One of the first songs that I ever wrote after we built our studio was this old Seventies song with horns and stuff. It was about this coke guy back in the Seventies and was called Sugardaddy Superstar. So just jokingly, we named our band after the song.

How did Columbia break the news that the name had to go?

Columbia flew us up to New York City to play a showcase for them. As soon as we finished our set, we walked offstage, all the Columbia folks surrounded us, and Don Ienner, the head of Columbia, got up and said, "Fellas, welcome to the Columbia family. The only thing is, you got to change your fucking name, 'cause I hate it!"

You guys recorded the album yourselves in your own studio. What motivated you to build your own studio in the first place?

About three years ago, we were about to go into a local studio and we didn't have the money. So we decided that instead of spending that kind of money every time we needed to record, we'd save up $5,000 or $6,000 and buy some modest equipment.

You know, for us, we'd always go into a real studio and a week later we wouldn't be happy with what we had. By far the best thing about having our own studio is being able to finish songs, and then weeks later go back in and revamp them, change a part here or there, and it's just that easy.

When you guys signed with Columbia in early 2003, your album was recorded and ready to go, but it wasn't released for almost a year. What happened?

Columbia was merging with some other company, so they were firing people, getting rid of bands. They shelved our record about four times in 16 months. We'd actually already released it independently two weeks before Columbia got ahold of us, so we had to yank all the records off the shelves in the local stores. For a year and a half, we just kept our day jobs and called the guys at the label every week to find out what was going on. We made it through, but it was by the grace of God, man.

Does this band really need a DJ?

[Laughs] No., we don't, but that's just what we call Tony - he's really more of a backup singer and he's more a sampler than a DJ. You know, in the studio there's a lot of things we did that we're not able to recreate live because we don't have two guitarists, so Tony does things on his sampler that fill in the gaps.

Your song "Cold" is everywhere. Did you guys know as soon as you wrote it that it had that sort of hit potential?

We had no idea, man. It was just a quirky little song - it wasn't even three minutes long when we first finished it. We were just throwing it on the album because it was kind of cool. After Columbia Records signed us, they told us that "Cold" was probably going to be the song that they put out there first, and we were like, What?! Of course, now we know it was a good idea.

--Brandon Geist

To the public, the success of most bands seems to happen overnight. When a band comes out of nowhere, people assume the road to success was a short one, capped off by signing to some prominent record label. What they don’t see are the hours dedicated to crafting killer live shows, the months spent initially practicing in garages just to make the band a cohesive unit, and the years spent touring and sometimes playing to five people a night.

For most young bands this is what goes down before they ever get signed ... if they ever get signed.

Such is the story with South Carolina’s Crossfade, though most wouldn’t guess it. The Columbia-based modern-rock quartet is one of those bands that seemed to come out of nowhere. Their recent success, however, was years in making.

In early 2004, they released their self-titled debut on Columbia/FG Records. The grand, emotive lead single, “Cold,” immediately caught on with modern rock radio — including Charleston’s 98X.

As music critic Johnny Loftus of All Music Guide recently wrote, “Columbia’s signing of the band makes sense, as Crossfade combines the most marketable elements of Nickelback and P.O.D. (check “No Giving Up”), throwing in the brooding aggression of Cold and Disturbed as bonus glue. Its occasional flirtation with synths and sampling is negligible, as discordant guitars dominate the album’s mix.”

Perhaps more dynamic than much of what ends up on contemporary commercial rock playlists, “Cold” is energized by lead singer Ed Sloan’s strong voice, as demonstrated in the big singalong chorus as he croons, “What I really meant to say / Is that I’m sorry for the way I am.”

Propelled by that single and a guitar-driven rock sound in the vein of Nickelback, the album is just shy of platinum status, with around 900,000 copies sold.

But Crossfade didn’t just “happen.” It’s been a steady rise for vocalist-guitarist Ed Sloan, bassist Mitch James, and newly-added drummer James Branham since Crossfade started years ago, first as The Nothing, then aas Sugardaddy Superstar — when no one outside of the mid-state even knew their names. Despite the success of “Cold,” it still took about a year for the album itself to take off.

Due to the steady sales of Crossfade, the guys are still out on the road promoting the album. That puts them out for over 15 months straight, with a few five-day stints back home.

“I think we call our home a big, dark brown tour bus,” jokes Mitch James. “We all have apartments or a house in Columbia, but we’re seldom there.”

Endless months on tour and time spent away from loved ones create the type of experience that inspires a sophomore album, and Crossfade are well aware that a follow-up record looms on the horizon.

For some, writing new songs on tour fits perfectly in the time between playing shows and taking care of band business. The process doesn’t suit the members of Crossfade quite as well.

“We try to [write out on the road] just because we know we’re going to have to write the second album pretty soon,” James admits. “But it’s pretty hard to get into the right mode when you’re bouncing down the road or doing press or doing the shows. I think once we get home and get situated, it’s going to be a whole lot easier just to let it flow.”

With plans to wrap up touring for Crossfade in September, the band will head home and get straight to work on the new album. The guys hope the album will be ready for release in early ’06, but we all know how well things in the music industry run on schedule.

Regardless of when Crossfade’s sophomore attempt finally drops, one thing is for certain: the trio will be back on that dark brown tour bus making friends and bringing the rock across the country for another year or more.

Review by: LEAH WEINBERG

3.18.05 - Article found in my local newspaper

Lead by music industry veterans Rick Bisceglia, Guy Zapoleon, and Doug Ford, Promosquad HitPredictor over the past 2 years has become the undisputed #1 brand of predictive music research in the nation, with charts featured in Billboard magazine, the Billboard Radio Monitor, and Entertainment Weekly. Many major and independent record companies, artists, and artist managers now utilize promosquad HitPredictor's music research as a regular and essential part of their rollout of new music. HitPredictor's results are incredibly accurate, and are used to guide labels in picking which singles to release to radio, and even on which artists to sign to record deals.

The fact is that there are countless examples of many labels that have literally changed their minds on which song to release to radio based on HitPredictor results, and have scored with some of their biggest hits ever as a result of following the opinions of promosquad.com's members. "It is a very competitive field, and labels spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to make and break their music," says Rick Bisceglia. "Getting actual music fans' opinions of music prior to release has now become a valuable part of the process" Guy Zapoleon says he hopes HitPredictor research results will "continue to encourage radio programmers to take more chances and stick with songs for longer periods of time."

The latest proof that the HitPredictor model works comes in the form of the band Crossfade, a group that promosquad HitPredictor discovered, researched, and signed to Columbia Records. The group's first single "Cold" is now rapidly climbing the Mainstream Top 40 radio charts after hitting #2 at Alternative, #1 at active rock, and gaining status as the most played single of the year nationwide at that format. Their self titled debut release was just certified with Gold status by the RIAA.

"We have worked this record for over a year and a half, and it continues to perform", says Columbia Records Group Executive VP Stu Bergen. "The radio research on the song "Cold" has been amazing; exactly as promosquad HitPredictor's system predicted it would be."

"promosquad.com operates a "Get Famous" program, which accepts unsigned releases from its members. "Standouts are placed into the HitPredictor system for predictive testing. Artists whose songs show hit potential are then A&R'd more thoroughly and then considered for signing", according to promosquad HitPredictor's Doug Ford. Crossfade was discovered through this process, and brought to showcase for Sony Music Label Group President/CEO Don Ienner, who obviously was intrigued by the research, heard the hits with his own ears, and offered the band a deal on the spot.

"It took the research of promosquad.com's HitPredictor and the undying support of that company to finally close our deal." says Crossfade's manager Chris Long. "This is proof that they have a way for unsigned bands to prove they not only deserve a deal, but can compete against the big bands." Crossfade's Ed Sloan agrees, "Promosquad HitPredictor was there from day one, and was the primary reason we were brought to Columbia records. Without them, we never would have gotten where we are today".

http://www.promosquad.com/

Survivor finds life in zine
By Jessica Del Curto
Published: Thursday, December 2, 2004
Article Tools: Page 1 of 2

Allie Shaw, owner of Hyperactive Music Magazine, stands with members of Crossfade, from left, Tony Byroads, Mitch James and Ed Sloan.


Lying in a hospital room gave Allie Shaw plenty of time to think.

While alone in the dark, waiting for her next procedure, she was inspired to change her life.

Shaw, a restaurant manager, decided to start a music magazine that would cover local and national bands.

Now the 30-year-old is the owner and publisher of Hyperactive Music Magazine. She has a small staff of dedicated workers who helped get the first issue off the ground.

"We figure we'd have a national artist on the cover, and then inside, readers can learn about local bands," she said.

The magazine not only keeps her incredibly busy, but it revived her soul and gave her a reason to live, she said.

In January, Shaw was in Colorado Springs helping the managers of Il Vicino upgrade their restaurant. She was downstairs in the office when a former employee snuck through the back door with the intentions of robbing the store.

He said "Give me the money," she said. "I thought it was a practical joke. Then he pulled a gun out of his backpack. I took a step forward. He took two steps forward and had the gun pointed at my head the entire time."

Still, she thought maybe it was a practical joke.

"He shrugged and took the gun from my head down to my stomach and shot me," she said.

As the room began to spin, Shaw realized she had been hit. In the hospital, she stopped breathing for about 20 minutes. When she finally came to, she found out she may never be able to run again or have kids.

In April, after countless operations, Shaw realized she needed something to keep her mind off what had happened to her.

"Il Vicino was a great job, but I wasn't supposed to be there," she said.

Before Shaw got caught up in the security of a nine-to-five restaurant job, she was a music journalist. The first big act she interviewed was Boyz II Men. She worked for the Daily Lobo, was a stringer for MTV's Web site and started several local music magazines.

"Eventually, I couldn't fly off and interview rock stars," she said. "It just became too much after awhile, and I fell into a work humdrum."

After the shooting, Shaw took her vast store of music trivia and put it to good use. Continued..

NOVEMBER 2004