The Juliana Theory Calls It Quits

[Scott Weber]

According to a myspace blog (http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=3004486&blogID=86200660&MyToken=a68b8428-d902-40c8-ac99-ecc0cddf7765) by the band, The Juliana Theory (www.thejulianatheory.com) have announced that they are breaking up. A huge explanation is posted below.
The Juliana Theory is Dead.

It's a very sad moment for us. The time has come to say goodbye. This letter is the explanation and the official seal that the 5 individuals who have been known as The Juliana Theory are leaving the band behind. Yes, what we are saying is that we are broke up. There will be no final tour. Our last show was in Cologne, Germany on January 28, 2006.


When the band formed in 1997, our goal was to record a 3-song demo tape and to play a couple of shows in the Greensburg/Pittsburgh area. Looking back on everything that weve done, we far surpassed anything we ever thought possible when we started this thing. It's been a wonderful ride and we all have many, many fond memories. We have chosen to end the band for practical reasons. There is no fighting between the 5 of us. We are as close as we have ever been. We just know it is time to say goodnight. We've been blessed in so many ways to have been able to do this for 9 years. However, many things have led to the decision to stop, although the thought of our die-hard fans has made it much more difficult. We wanted to thank all of you who have bought our records, come to our shows, bought our merchandise, downloaded our songs, shared our music with your friends, set up shows for us, housed us, fed us, worked to promote us, shared the road with us, and shared your experiences with us. We are nothing without you all. We know it sounds clich, but we couldnt be more honest. We have some of the sweetest and most loyal fans, family, and friends in the world. We are indebted to you all. Everyone who has worked along with us, and all of the fans that have stuck with us deserve our deepest praise. We have been honored by the love that has been poured out on us for the past 9 years. Thank you all so much.


In short, that's all there is to say. We could easily end this statement here, in fact, we are happy to end it here. But, to end speculation, those of you who are inquisitive can read below the dotted line for the extended story (and when we say, "Extended," we mean it. It might as well be a book).


Thank You Sincerely,
Chad Alan, Josh Fiedler, Brett Detar, Josh Kosker, Josh Chip Walters

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The long story, if you really want to know it, is rather simple. We share a similar fate with many, many bands that are no longer around. It's nothing you haven't heard before and you will certainly hear it again. It's no secret to anyone familiar with the band that we hit the peak of our success around 4 years ago. It's never easy to watch something you built with your heart and your hard work slowly decline. We feel that our final record, "Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat" is our best album. It is the pinnacle of our playing and our songwriting. We are positive that it was the peak of the band's performance in a studio. Finally, we hit our stride as a real live band and made a record with actual energy and urgency. But in all practicality, things are not always as easy as recording a strong record and watching it succeed. We've had so many wonderful things happen to us throughout the years, but we've been plagued by one major thing since the beginning. We have always had problems with record labels. If there was any one major factor that we had to point to in order to explain the reasons why things have gone down hill for us, that would be it. Our first record deal was with Tooth and Nail Records. At this point, in 2006, T&N is an awesome label. They really know how to market their bands and get the music out to the kids. However, when we were on the label, we were the band they did not know what to do with. Blatantly not a "Christian band" like everyone else they had at the time, we avoided the market where they made the bulk of their money and their sales. Much to our delight, however, our first record "Understand this is a Dream" was selling decently well and we were able to stay on the road in support of it. When our second album, "Emotion is Dead" came out, it immediately got a reaction we never expected. People seemed to genuinely love the record. There was a natural momentum with the record that no label could really mess up. Things were going quite well, but we had no choice other than to take things to the next level if we wanted to keep this thing going for the long run. Tooth and Nail just did not know how to market us. Everything we were asking them to do for us were things they were not set up to do yet. All of those things we were asking back then are protocol now for artists in our wake like Mae and Anberlin. Maybe Tooth and Nail learned a few things from having us around but we were just there a bit too early.



So, in 2001, we jumped ship from Tooth and Nail, at a time when we were being wooed by almost every major label in the business. We ultimately chose to sign with Epic, which when looking back now, was probably the wrong choice. We were rushed to head into the studio and make an album when the songs were not all there yet. What we needed to do was write another 6 songs or so and finish the ones we had. Considering how rushed we were, we all think that "Love" turned out pretty well. Sure, it certainly could have been better, but songs like "White Days," "Jewel to Sparkle," and "Everything" are some of the best songs we've ever recorded. With this record, more than before, some fans complained that we changed our sound. We know we lost a part of our fan base when that record came out but that's just how it is now. Personally, as fans of music, if a band or artist that any of us loves puts out a record that we don't like, we still stay loyal to that artist and await the next record. Looking around now at the ADD society that we live in, things just are not that way any more. Many kids, especially in the "scene" that we ended up pigeonholed by, don't seem to have the patience or loyalty to stick with an artist if they make a record that is a bit different. Young music fans now are quick to dismiss and disown a band that changes their sound or their ideas. To see an example, just look at the posts on a website like Absolutepunk.net that will be inevitable when this news reaches websites like it. Many young music fans don't seem to believe in loyalty. You can't really blame the kids though. MTV and the fast food generation have made it all too easy to jump from one thing to another without ever looking back. We're not afraid to take the blame either though. Every time we made a new album and changed things up, we knew we were risking upsetting our fans. "Emotion is Dead" was really the record that put us on the map and we changed our sound too much for a lot of our fans to follow "Love." If you took a good listen throughout our catalog though, we always changed our sound from record to record and even on the ep's in between. That's what this band was always all about. As artists, we needed to do some things differently for our third record. There are things that we are very proud of on "Emotion..." but it's not the perfect album by any means. There are some really weak songs on the album and even some of the best tracks have major flaws. If you listen to the chorus of "Into the Dark" for instance, the vocals sound like a keyboard played them. In production, we robbed a lot of feel out of a lot of things. We punched in every other note on that record. Virtually none of it has genuine energy. Afterwards we just didn't want to do the same thing over again. We had also grown tired of the bubble gum pop of songs like "Top of the World." We all grew to hate that song soon after it was released. We understand that we got a decent percentage of our fan base because of that song, but we just had grown tired of it and songs like it and we wanted to move on. That's why we shifted so much in different directions on "Love." We still feel that, if the label had done its job trying to promote the record, we would have gained new fans with it, maybe enough to make up for the ones who were upset at the stylistic change. That never happened though. Epic had no interest in getting behind our record and as artists we had to follow our hearts, which was not necessarily what all of our fans wanted. And about the changing of sounds from record to record though that always was the magic for us. To this day, there are people who insist that "Understand this is a Dream" is the best thing we've ever done, yet a few weeks ago in Italy a group of guys came up to us to try and argue that "Love" was by far our best album. That dynamic has always been the case and is a part of our history that we are proud of. We are proud that we were able to make records that are for different moods and different periods of a listener's life. We never wanted to be a band whose records you put on just when you are in the mood for a short happy pop song, or for that matter a long, drawn out moody song. Maybe we were schizophrenic, but put "The Closet Thing" next to "The Black Page" and you can see what we mean. So anyways, let's continue the story. "Love" came out on Epic with a strong first week. Sales were quite good and we were on the 4 biggest tours we had ever done, right in a row. We didn't have support within the label though. After a month of virtually no promotion at all (skipping lots of things in our contract like a guaranteed video, etc), they pronounced our record dead. After selling over 30,000 records in a month with no video, no real radio push, and little else promotion for our record was already finished within the company. Forget the fact that Epic had spent big money to "test" (something labels do to find out how good of a chance a song has to be a hit single. This process involves panels of people listening to the song and getting reactions. Most of the times this "testing" is pretty accurate) 3 songs in which two of them came back as hits at 3 radio formats. It didn't matter. Our tour support was cut off during a tour with the hottest new band in the world at the time. A few days later, a drunken woman who headed the rock radio department at Epic Records came up to us at a show and told us it was our fault the record wasn't selling. She said that we, "Made a record with no heart." That was the final straw with Epic. You can tell us we made an album our old fans would not understand. You can tell us we made a record that sounds too slick or has too many songs or not enough songs or whatever. There were lots of things that may or may not have been true that could have been said, but we were never guilty of recording anything "without heart." Since the beginning, heart is what this band has always been about. So, we fought for a few months to get out of our deal until they let us out. They asked us to do the next record with them, but we declined.



After the disappointment of spending large amounts of time and money making our first record for a label with a real budget to promote us, only to see it fail for lack of support within the label, we stayed on the road and wrote often. In between tours, we would spend weeks and sometimes months writing new material. We were never one of those bands with songwriters that churn out tunes on a daily basis. With us, it always took a bit longer to craft a song. After almost two years of touring and writing and writing again, we ended up with the most and the strongest set of songs we had ever written for an album. On all of our previous albums, we wrote 10 to 14 songs and the minute they were done or almost done, we flew into a studio. We never wrote more songs than the minimum with the plans to narrow them down and choose the best ones for the record. We always hurried and often entered the studio a bit prematurely. With the 30 plus songs that became "Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat" and all of its accompanying b-sides, we were in no mood to rush. There were a lot of different directions that the album could have headed in. It just depended what type of songs that we were writing we wanted to focus our energies on. We ultimately chose to assemble our most cohesive and poignant record. We wanted the songs to be faster, shorter, simpler, and a lot more exciting. We spent months demoing the songs, playing all together in our rehearsal space. We wanted to make sure that we were prepared to go into the studio and play these songs like a real band. We knew that if they sounded complete in our rehearsal space without anything that the 5 of us could not do live, on the spot, then the album would truly translate live. We were ready to make an album that didn't need the help of tons of overdubs, punch-ins, digital editing, and general studio magic. If the songs and the performances were strong enough, we knew the extra sweeteners would not be needed. This album would be raw and to the point with songs that were more poppy than we had written in years. But, they were pop songs sung over very aggressive and often angry tracks.



A few months before heading in to record what would become our final album, we signed a deal with Rykodisc. We were very excited about this label. They seemed like a perfect cross between the huge major label world that we got lost in and the small indie labels that do not have enough muscle to really promote an artist. Ryko had a huge back catalog of records by Zappa, Bowie, the Flaming Lips, and other artists that continually sell. Money to get things done was not a problem there, yet they had only a small roster of new artists (hence more time to focus on us). They also owned their own distribution company, which was the largest indie distributor in the world. Distribution can often be an issue with indie labels. Sometimes, an indie is super excited about an artist but they cannot get their distributor excited. When that happens, the record usually dies because the label cannot properly get it into stores. With Rykodisc, that would not be a problem. They had spent a long time making money off of their catalog of old records and decided they wanted to get back into the business of making new records with younger artists. The man who who signed us was a fan of the band for years and we were promised that we would be the flagship new artist on the roster. Everyone we met there seemed really devoted to the band... This was until the top flew off. A few days before we started pre-production for the record, the entire staff of the company was fired. Everyone we had met that was onboard for the band ended up losing his or her job. Everyone was gone. The owner of the label decided that signing new artists and spending big money on promotion was not what they wanted to do. If we had stayed on, they would have done nothing for us. So, at the last second we wormed our way out of the deal and headed into the studio with our own funds and with the help of Josh, our manager.



We recorded "Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat" the way we wanted to record "Love." The first three records were done one instrument at a time, one person at a time completely meticulously. "Deadbeat..." was recorded as a band, live, all together in a room. We focused on songs and feel over "perfection." We had gotten our chops and our playing together to a level of tightness that we had never achieved in the past. All those years of touring paid off. We rocked the songs together and finished the album on our own. The songs were the most streamlined and punchy that we had ever done. We were very proud of what we had done on our own. We shopped our finished record around and had a decent amount of interest. However, once you have a record that fails on a major label, you are always viewed as damaged goods within the industry. It doesn't matter if that major label did next to nothing to insure your record would sell - we were a failure in the eyes of the industry. We knew there was a long road to climb to prove that we still had what it takes, and we were ready to put in the hard work. We wanted to have our records released internationally (as we had been trying to do for years). We were ready to make videos, have singles, tour as much as humanly possible and promote our record. After shopping the record around, Abacus Records is where we ended up settling. They told us they had the international thing covered. They were ready to spend the money (money in which we found out later they did not have). With big words and promises, they wooed us in. If we have ever made a horrible choice in our career, this was it. Soon after signing, we'd have given anything to be the forgotten little band on Epic or the band Tooth and Nail didn't know what to do with. Abacus wanted to help us succeed, but the company is in disarray. I won't even go into it, but there is no way in the world we could ever win with the situation going on there at the moment. I'm sure they will straighten out their company soon, but it will be much too late for this record and ultimately for this band. We could have recorded "Dark Side of the Moon" and it would not have done a thing in their hands. Next to nothing and only a few people are really set up to do proper business yet at that company. We really hope they get it together for the sake of the rest of their artists, but our hands were completely tied there. The thing about The Juliana Theory is that we always stayed strong through the hard times. Things that broke other bands up didn't ever break us. We watched nearly every single band that ever looked up to us or took parts of our sound succeed far more than we ever had. We lost two original members. We went through 4 record labels in 4 albums with more major disappointments than any of us can remember. We stayed penned into a scene that we all despised. But, through it all, we worked harder than almost any band we know. However, having our fourth record - the one we spent two years writing for - come out in the hands a label that could do virtually nothing that needed to happen for the record was the final nail in our coffin. Now there is no use in kicking a dead horse. It is what it is. Again, were not just pointing the finger at everyone else. We've certainly made our mistakes - some artistic and some on the business side - but we've always done all that we could do to try and make up for those mistakes. We'd love to keep doing this, but we are not at the place anymore where we can afford to survive off of the band alone. Financially, we would have to take regular jobs now to keep this thing going. We swore to ourselves years ago that we would not let that happen. We've always given 100 percent to this thing and it would be an insult to our fans and to ourselves to do it less than 100 percent because we would be spending most of our time making a living elsewhere. It's easy when you are 19, living in your parents' house, but when you've got bills to pay and people counting on you, real life hits you in the face. We are left with no other choice than to end the band. Like many of the bands that we looked up to when we started all of this, we die early and nearly forgotten. The dream is over. So there you have it: The honest truth. We love this band and all of the fond memories we share but the time has come. So again, to the fans who did their part by supporting us whether a label was doing their job or not, our hats are off to you. Without you all, there is no way we would have lasted 9 years. Our fans made all of this possible. Thanks to our Manager Josh and to our agent Melody. Thanks to our loyal crew of Casey, Jason and Mags. Thanks to Neil and Jeremiah. Thanks to Marty. Thanks to the countless others who had a hand in The Juliana Theory. Lastly, thanks to our parents, families, and Chrissy, Katie, Shae, and Kate. The Juliana Theory is Dead.



P.S. If you made it all the way through that ridiculously long explanation, you deserve a medal.

[Cato11087]

shit

i was just really getting into them too... :(

[Seeders]

This is so sad :'(

[pin your wingsx]

:'(

[steveo1022]

i have no response, this is one of the most underrated bands. thier lyrics are so great, like poetry, yet another band that breaks up before i can see them

[btbam > you]

fuck, that's so terrible. emotion is dead is one of my favorite cd's ever

[Ryan Imhof]

what?!

[Scott Weber]

This is a terrible day. Emotion is Dead is one of my top 10 albums of all time and defined a lot of my high school years.

[quitmyscene]

nooooo :(
this is disappointing.

(i'll read the big explanation when the oc is over..)

[splitsecond]

Seriously, read what Brett says. Maybe some of you will think about the way you treat bands, and the way you view music as a whole.

If it were not for my friend Ryan letting me borrow "Understand This is a Dream" 5 years ago, I wouldnt be here posting. I wouldn't have been sucked into "the scene" and I literally wouldnt have met some of the friends I have. My band would not exist in the form that it does if it was not for them, and my musical style would be completely different.

At the same time, they went through more shit than anyone would have put up with. I am not surprised by this news at all, and as much as I am sad, I know that the guys will continue to make an impact on the music industry in some form.

[imirish06]

these guys are one of the reasons I got into this music. I remember hearing a song on napster and going to buy their cd. it was one of the first cds ive ever bought

[Katie Schmitz]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think I'm going to cry ....

[btbam > you]

no final tour. im so upset.

[woodward9]

huh, that sucks a lot, i have every JT cd ever, ps. is Bret Deter starting anything?

[LMB]

Fuck No!

This is absolutely horrible news. I'm gonna go listen to their discography and cry myself to sleep.

[boldt_action]

Son of a bitch!

I knew this would happen after this record.

I love Emotion is Dead, not enough love for that CD.

[two_days_slow]

fuck, that's so terrible. emotion is dead is one of my favorite cd's ever
agreed

[boldt_action]

06 better not be a bad year for breakups

[Doctor Martyr]

Good Bye Juliana Theory....thanks for the great music and great times.

[sceneunheard]

i don't even know what to say.
damn, i'm gonna miss this band.

[savesthedave28]

They had a great run. This isn't too sad or uncommon a story.

[LMB]

Good Bye Juliana Theory....thanks for the great music and great times.

I'll drink to that.

[1check_1love]

akljdfsklawjsldfkjalsdjkf NO!

[Kristina Marie]

Gutted.

[travisev]

never really got the credit they deserve. they definitely had their own and unique sound that made them standouts. shame they were treated so bad by epic...i always thought 'love' could have been put them on another level.

[silentcries]

ahhhh.that's really sad

[boldt_action]

I do want to cry.

[Caleb Cattivera]

wow. my favorite band of all time is gone...the band that got me into music...

RIP.

[boldt_action]

After reading that whole thing I feel so bad for them. They had a lot of good things to say, you all should read it.

[Jason Tate]

Amazing band - but beyond that, Brett (the only one I ever got to really know) is an amazing person.

I just want to add to this thread my love for their music.

[boldt_action]

It's awesome they recorded Deadbeat live.

[muddysocks7]

wow.... the industry is rough... getting lucky really does have a lot to do with this it seems. I really really enjoy the Juliana Theory and i'm proud to say that I bought their latest album. If only it came down to one more person buying their records. i'm sure a lot of kids would have done it.

[Waltz Whitman]

wow.

just. . . wow. out of all these bands that blew up it really isn't fair that this band didn't. the last 3-4 years of my life these guys have been part of the soundtrack. . . i can't even begin to say how much i hate this. . .

i have a trip tomorrow and i think i just found what i'll be listening to the whole way. . .i can't even type anymore.

[boldt_action]

I really wanted to see them live. Just looking at this thread you can see how many people they brought into this 'scene' if you will. It sucks a lot.

[preppyak]

Good Bye Juliana Theory....thanks for the great music and great times.

I'll drink to that.
Agreed....here here

:booze:

[wasteoftaste]

wow. thats sad.

[splitsecond]

After reading that whole thing I feel so bad for them. They had a lot of good things to say, you all should read it.

Yeah you should. I just saw Brett and Chad the other night at a Takeover UK show here in town, and Chad was friendly, but Brett looked to be in the most horrible mood ever. I guess this explains it.

[itsjdiggity]

i'm listening to Emotion is Dead right now and I dig it

[Scott Weber]

I'm still just stunned. This is the first band that's broken up that's had a major impact on my musical upbringing. I wasn't that into Deadbeat Sweetheart, but I was continually optimistic for better material ahead.

Do you understand? The dream is over.

[elvis2x]

Their latest was one of the most underrated albums ever.... I never heard anybody talk about it.

[xbrandxnewx]

how ironic is this

just today i found my understand this is a dream cd after such a long time of not listening to it
and today i found out they broke up

rip

[boldt_action]

Yeah you should. I just saw Brett and Chad the other night at a Takeover UK show here in town, and Chad was friendly, but Brett looked to be in the most horrible mood ever. I guess this explains it.
Probably...

:'(

[JohnnyG]

They should play one final Pittsburgh show!

[boldt_action]

I'm still just stunned. This is the first band that's broken up that's had a major impact on my musical upbringing. I wasn't that into Deadbeat Sweetheart, but I was continually optimistic for better material ahead.

Do you understand? The dream is over.
I dig Deadbeat a lot. Not a lot did. I also really liked 'Love' too.

[kallok]

I couldn't believe this at first. I read their bulletin "The Juliana Theory is Dead" and thought it was some clever title for something, turns out it wasn't. If you missed out on seeing these guys live, I feel bad for you.

[Jerm]

yeah ever since there greatest hits album came out on tuesday i have started listiening to them again.. now i find this out.. sad day.. great music though. we will always have that with us!

[uh oh smmoreo]

no final tour. im so upset.

ditto times a fucking million.

i want to cry.

[Salomonbz90]

Rip Tjt

[minusthejosh]

man, this is a sad day in music. i hope 06 doesn't turn out like 05 with so many bands breaking up. i'll always love emotion is . RIP juliana theory. :'(

[relevanceof27]

Well as soon as I get my paycheck, I know what I'm buying. This is no good. I still rock "Love" all the time.

[preppyak]

I dig Deadbeat a lot. Not a lot did. I also really liked 'Love' too.
Love is probably my favorite, I always find myself listening to "Trance" on repeat. I'd really like to see them play one last time

[Veritas11]

So unfortunate. Yet one more in the long list of bands that have ended far before their time.

RIP Juliana Theory. You mean so much to so many.

[splitsecond]

They should play one final Pittsburgh show!

Their isn't going to be one. Some of them had to sell equipment, and the band just couldn't bear to drag out calling it quits.

[boldt_action]

Their isn't going to be one. Some of them had to sell equipment, and the band just couldn't bear to drag out calling it quits.
Seriously, I'm gonna tear up.

[boldt_action]

Love is probably my favorite, I always find myself listening to "Trance" on repeat. I'd really like to see them play one last time
Love was great. I would like to see them live so badly, and has been my desire for so long.

[preppyak]

Love was great. I would like to see them live so badly, and has been my desire for so long.
It was good. My biggest regret was not seeing Northstar live before they broke up, so I'm glad I got this in

[Jim Morgan]

god damn, no fuckin way.

another awesome band bites the dust.

and its only february.

this is going to be a bad year :(

[atticusfinch]

=( Horrid. Saddest breakup since the movielife.

[boldt_action]

It was good. My biggest regret was not seeing Northstar live before they broke up, so I'm glad I got this in
I'm so jealous.

[Melissa Johnson]

wow. my favorite band of all time is gone...the band that got me into music...

RIP.

And I wanna thank you for telling me to get my ass up and go to their show @ the Creepy a few months back. It was amazing.

[neo506]

Fuck No!

This is absolutely horrible news. I'm gonna go listen to their discography and cry myself to sleep.

Me too

[HeartLikeAGun27]

Ah man. Understandable. However, this really makes me sad. "Love" will always be one of my favorite albums ever. "Emotion is Dead" is one of the first CD's that really meant something to me. I'm happy i got the opportunity to see them live last year. Such an amazing band.

[boldt_action]

This thread doesn't have enough people.

[CorporateFish]

Though I did not enjoy their live show, it's sad to see them go.

[splitsecond]

Man, this just keeps getting weirder for me. This is the second band I have ever really cared about breaking up, the first being Stone Temple Pilots. But I didnt know STP. I knew these guys, saw them well over a dozen times, and hung out with them on several occasions.

I have to say, that at this point, the Pittsburgh music scene is also dead. Zao is all we have left.

[DSCN1854]

Well as soon as I get my paycheck, I know what I'm buying. This is no good. I still rock "Love" all the time.

If anyone can convince me my money's still going to the band, then I'm gonna go buy their record.

[boldt_action]

If anyone can convince me my money's still going to the band, then I'm gonna go buy their record.
Couldn't tell ya. A bit will.

[number2alien]

This is terrible news. I'm not in the least bit shocked, but this is still terrible. Ever since I first got my hands on Emotion Is Dead, The Juliana Theory have been, by far, my favourite band. The music they made is incredible. The lyrics are intensely personal without sounding cheesy. They're all incredible human beings that are amazingly devoted to their fans. I'm going to miss this band, not only for the music, or their live show, but the fact that The Juliana Theory and everyone related to it are all the greatest people on the planet.

This is a sad day in music.

[HeartLikeAGun27]

Sometimes i listen to the "Music in Another Room" EP and can't believe how good it is.

[Co and Ca]

"Love" is the CD that actually got me into them. I heard about them before that though, but when I heard they were releasing a new CD, I decided to pick it up to check them out. Although it did take me awhile to get into it, that is one solid ass CD. I am sad to hear their breaking up. They seemed like nice guys who worked their asses off. I do have to agree with the fans abandoning them for changing up their sound. But when a band does a CD like their first one over and over again, people get mad. So its very hard to keep these so called 'fans' interested.

[Mercy Medical]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! !!!!!!!!

[boldt_action]

This is terrible news. I'm not in the least bit shocked, but this is still terrible. Ever since I first got my hands on Emotion Is Dead, The Juliana Theory have been, by far, my favourite band. The music they made is incredible. The lyrics are intensely personal without sounding cheesy. They're all incredible human beings that are amazingly devoted to their fans. I'm going to miss this band, not only for the music, or their live show, but the fact that The Juliana Theory and everyone related to it are all the greatest people on the planet.

This is a sad day in music.
A sad, sad day is right.

[boldt_action]

Sometimes i listen to the "Music in Another Room" EP and can't believe how good it is.
Never got into it.

[HeartLikeAGun27]

This is a sad day in music.

I know this is lame, but i remember you from the TJT boards.

[boldt_action]

I know this is lame, but i remember you from the TJT boards.
Awww, thats special.

[HeartLikeAGun27]

Never got into it.

Ah man, "This Is the End of Your Life" is, in my opinion, (not my favorite, but) their best song. And while "Moments..." sounds so different from everything else of theirs, it's amazing.

[ThatGuy]

This is the band that changed my life. I've stuck with them through everything. My friend Coop told me about them one day, I bought a sampler they were on, and I was hooked for the last 7 years. Luckily, I got to see them live many, many times.

This is truly sad. It hasn't sunk in yet that there will be no more TJT albums. When it does, I will probably cry.

Here's to The Juliana Theory. Thanks for the memories and the songs. Please know that you will truly be missed and I am deeply thankful for all that you've done for me. Your music has been the soundtrack to my life which is all any artist can ask for.

[starcrossdlovex]

:'( this is such terrible news.

[7HD]

:shake: what a bad day

[Imallout007]

never really got into them, but that does suck...and this year better not be like last year with break ups

[splitsecond]

I know this is lame, but i remember you from the TJT boards.

And you don't remember ME? *cries*

[resUrectMe617]

i feel bad that i never really solidly got into these guys. but from the things ive heard from fans alike, they were a very talented, friendly, devoted band (as you can also see from the letter). i really appreciated the fact that they went into such an in depth overview of the reason(s) they decided to move on from the band. that shows real care for the fans, and i agree that our "scene" is very fickle and a lack of loyalty is common. good luck to these guys, where ever they may go from here.

[boldt_action]

Ah man, "This Is the End of Your Life" is, in my opinion, (not my favorite, but) their best song. And while "Moments..." sounds so different from everything else of theirs, it's amazing.
I'll get into it.

[blinkdude127]

okay this is really wierd/sad I was listening to their greatest hits cds all day today and they break up today. wow

[dutycalls]

Man. Sad. They were the first touring band I ever saw live. I'm glad i saw them the last time they came through here. They were really one of the bands that got me into the music i listen to now. I read about another post discussing how tjt brought friends together, they did that for me also. Its a sad & abrupt end to an immensely underated band who got caught up in the music business grinder.

[boldt_action]

i feel bad that i never really solidly got into these guys. but from the things ive heard from fans alike, they were a very talented, friendly, devoted band (as you can also see from the letter). i really appreciated the fact that they went into such an in depth overview of the reason(s) they decided to move on from the band. that shows real care for the fans, and i agree that our "scene" is very fickle and a lack of loyalty is common. good luck to these guys, where ever they may go from here.
I appreciate the letter too. Well done.

[HeartLikeAGun27]

And you don't remember ME? *cries*
Don't cry, if i had a better memory i'm sure i would!

[ColourandShape]

Looks like Emotion is Dead just all of a sudden made it into everyones top 10 ever lists, but apparently has been there all along....come on

[aolsux]

shit

[NationalProduct]

understand and emotion changed my life and the way i viewed music....this is a sad day

[EvilButters]

Damn...This is a pretty big blow. I actually really liked Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat and haven't heard much of their older material before Love. Ah well, might as well look into it now.

[xTJx]

..and to think I came SO close to seeing them

[midtown]

oh no, i never got to see them live! this has inspired me to listen to emotion is dead today.

ps - 10 bucks on a top ten spot on the last.fm AP group

[boldt_action]

oh no, i never got to see them live! this has inspired me to listen to emotion is dead today.

ps - 10 bucks on a top ten spot on the last.fm AP group
They'd better be.

[boldt_action]

Damn...This is a pretty big blow. I actually really liked Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat and haven't heard much of their older material before Love. Ah well, might as well look into it now.
You'd better, Emotion is dead is their best record.

[invincibleXL]

This news is really upsetting. Extremely upsetting. I'm sitting here listening to Deadbeat and reflecting on how much I love this band. I didn't even know about them until right before LOVE came out, and they instantly paved themselves into my "list". I waited patiently for Deadbeat to come out, and after my very first listen, I knew this was something special. It's my favorite album of 05, hands down, and it is my favorite TJT album, too. Reading through Bretts 'book', it saddens me that there are talented, hard workers out there in the music business that will always be faced with the negative circumstances of the business. It's bullshit. I sure as hell know that TJT's music is timeless for our generation and there's nothing else I can wish for except for the bands eyes to read this post, and all the other posts in this thread, and all the others that will be made. There are real fans out there that will always truly appreciate the music and the dedication that TJT has given the world during their lifetime....I wish them much luck in the future, and I will never stop listening to their music simply because it can't be forgotten. I love The Juliana Theory, and I bid them farewell. This Valentine ain't no saint....

SAD TIMES.

[juan_believes]

no no no no no no no :(

[itsjustjane]

Man, I am depressed. I've been a fan of the band for about five years now and I don't even know...I have no words. 2006 f'in blows and it's only February.

[COG]

This really sucks. Like someone else said, this is the first band I was ever really into that has broken up. I'm pretty bummed actually. Emotion is dead was one of the cd's that "got me into scene" as it were, like a lot of people already said. I though love was pretty good, but I loved Deadbeat, I was really excited for the band again, and was going to see them this year if they came around, as they were one of the bands on my list to see. This just really sucks.

[Rockrider311]

"understand the dream is over" is the song that turned me into the music fan i am today. their show at the cotton club in atlanta (where piebald and glassjaw opened) was my first real experience with the emotions that now fuel my music passion. to the juliana theory - i am forever indebted.

[sidewacker]

This sucks, this band ment a lot to me. Maybe if the right person reads this something positive could happen to them sometime soon.

[RedWineSheets]

The Juliana Theory is amazing, reading that whole explanation at the end was very sad but true. Everyone on this site that has ever said anything bad about the band should be ashamed. Love you Juliana Theory. Your music will forever be in my memories.

[Web250]

Wow. Understand This Is A Dream is an incredible album, they will be missed.

[LPMagic]

Ouch.

[anamericangod]

i will never get to scream out "soooo don't gooooooooooooo" at a concert. fucking beautiful song.

god damn. i regret not seeing them.

[apoemtothedead]

:'( to the max

[theESCO]

Emotion is dead is one of the first records I picked up when I got back into this "scene" a few years ago and honestly still gets constant spins. Something Isn't Right Here is one of my favorite songs ever written. This really is sad.

[RedWineSheets]

its sad he personally pointed at ap.net as having some of the most fickle and ever changing fairweather fans on the internet, and its true.

[monkeyboyrock]

I for one am really glad that they were able to get "Deadbeat..." out before they broke up...it would have been a damn shame if "Love" was their last album. But, I had to stay loyal. Because once I know a band is capable of tearing it up the way TJT did, I can't just walk away when they release a new album.

If you read that whole thing, its just kinda depressing, isn't it?

RIP

[swirlofhues]

my heart is absolutely fucking shattered.

i fucking cried.

[swirlofhues]

And you don't remember ME? *cries*

i miss the juliana theory.

i miss the tjt boards.

i miss our community. we gave TJT so much love, i always wished they got that from other people.

[invincibleXL]

and another thing: no offense, but this should be the sticky instead of the Pete interview.

[apoemtothedead]

my heart is absolutely fucking shattered.

i fucking cried.
I did too.

[swirlofhues]

I did too.

i dont know if you're mocking me or not

[apoemtothedead]

i dont know if you're mocking me or not
I got teary eyed.

I can draw a picture if necessary.

[TomAce]

this is fucking bullshit, unbelievable...im sorry if i sound like an asshole when i say this, but i dont really care right now. Someone just answer me why Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan are millionares and the juliana theory, one of the most influencial bands of the scene, has to go back home and work fucking day jobs. Something just isnt right. Its just a really fucked up situaton. This industry, this scene, and every little thing about it, is fucking garbage.

[swirlofhues]

I got teary eyed.

I can draw a picture if necessary.

no it's quite alright.

[splitsecond]

my heart is absolutely fucking shattered.

i fucking cried.

Me too. I was cool until I sent Brett a message thanking them and basically telling them how huge they were to me. I'm currently thinking of ideas for a TJT tattoo.

[Keith21]

wow. i don't post ever, but i will for TJT. i finally got to see them at birch hill in 2003 and that was such an amazing show. every single album they've put out has been a part of my life in one way or another, and every "change of sound" that they went through always turned out amazing, in my opinion.
i wish them all the best of luck in the future.

[splitsecond]

this is fucking bullshit, unbelievable...im sorry if i sound like an asshole when i say this, but i dont really care right now. Someone just answer me why Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan are millionares and the juliana theory, one of the most influencial bands of the scene, has to go back home and work fucking day jobs. Something just isnt right. Its just a really fucked up situaton. This industry, this scene, and every little thing about it, is fucking garbage.


I agree. But isnt that how it has always been? Just look at bands like Lifetime and Sunny Day Real Estate, and you will see the same pattern over and over. This news made me hate Panic! at the Disco with a whole new passion, and I am ashamed I bought their CD.

[Lueda Alia]

I'm so sad.

Now I'll probably listen to all their albums. I feel so bad for not listening to them in so long. Some of their songs are simply great.

[swirlofhues]

this is fucking bullshit, unbelievable...im sorry if i sound like an asshole when i say this, but i dont really care right now. Someone just answer me why Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan are millionares and the juliana theory, one of the most influencial bands of the scene, has to go back home and work fucking day jobs. Something just isnt right. Its just a really fucked up situaton. This industry, this scene, and every little thing about it, is fucking garbage.
Seriously.

It's also unbelievable to see bands that they've taken under their wing as openers eventually get bigger than them. They've done more for the scene than kids fail to realize. They had so much heart.

If any band EVER, ever deserved to stay doing what they loved, it's honestly The Juliana Theory.

[permanent]

I saw it coming, but it's still really sad because it should not have ended like this. Emotion is Dead is one of my favorite albums of all time and Deadbeat Sweetheart was a great album too. I can't stop listening to "You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight".

[swirlofhues]

Me too. I was cool until I sent Brett a message thanking them and basically telling them how huge they were to me. I'm currently thinking of ideas for a TJT tattoo.

I'm writing him a message on myspace right now. I know this sounds unbelievably lame but I just wish they'd put back the board for like a day, there's so much the boardies have to thank them for. It feels surreal to think they're over.

(PS, tjt tattoo is an awesome idea)

[apoemtothedead]

I'm so sad.

Now I'll probably listen to all their albums. I feel so bad for not listening to them in so long. Some of their songs are simply great.
Yeah. I put them on a bit ago, and they're not stopping til i've gone all the way through the discography.

[violencexgrace]

Like a lot of you, "Emotion is Dead" changed my life. "Understand This is a Dream" made it all the more meaningful. I wouldn't be listening to the music I listen to now, I wouldn't like the bands I like, I wouldn't care this much about music. I have put so much love into this band's songs. When they came to CA a couple years ago, I remember being bitter that they weren't playing LA, so I wasn't going to drive out of the way to go. I'll regret that for the rest of my life, because now I will never get to see them.

You'll never be just a silhouette. The dream is not fucking over. I'll never turn the music down. So, don’t hang me out to dry. I’m not all right, but I’m not stopping now.

<3 rip :'(

[Lueda Alia]

Yeah. I put them on a bit ago, and they're not stopping til i've gone all the way through the discography.
same here.

[RedWineSheets]

I agree. But isnt that how it has always been? Just look at bands like Lifetime and Sunny Day Real Estate, and you will see the same pattern over and over. This news made me hate Panic! at the Disco with a whole new passion, and I am ashamed I bought their CD.

Honestly I'm sad to see you have such a hard time with this and I am as well. I agree with everything you have said 100%. A LOT of good memories will be tied to this band and for a time in my life, back when life was better, when I didn't have worries, pressure. Listening to "Duane Joseph(Rainy Day song)" reminded me of that.

[TheWordsmith]

white days and into the dark are CLASSICS.... i bought love the other stuff is a little too raw for me

[DSCN1854]

this is fucking bullshit, unbelievable...im sorry if i sound like an asshole when i say this, but i dont really care right now. Someone just answer me why Fall Out Boy, Good Charlotte, and Simple Plan are millionares and the juliana theory, one of the most influencial bands of the scene, has to go back home and work fucking day jobs. Something just isnt right. Its just a really fucked up situaton. This industry, this scene, and every little thing about it, is fucking garbage.

This is what happens when we have George W. Bush as world leader.

I agree. But isnt that how it has always been? Just look at bands like Lifetime and Sunny Day Real Estate, and you will see the same pattern over and over. This news made me hate Panic! at the Disco with a whole new passion, and I am ashamed I bought their CD.

Dude, trade your Panic! CD for a Juliana Theory CD you don't have yet.

[AmIWrong]

You know this is real sad and all. They were a pretty good band, but everyone keeps saying they loved Emotion is Dead. They didn't hit that same peak with Love and Deadbeat. Most everyone loves them for Emotion is Dead. Maybe they hit some bad luck. Maybe they just couldn't get any better than Emotion is Dead. He seems to point the finger a lot. Emotion is Dead sold well because it was such a good CD and like he said they were on a bad label. They got on larger labels and their CD's did not sell well. If a CD is good a CD is good and in most cases will sell. Everyone hates Panic! at the Disco all the sudden, but they had some great songs and that's how they got noticed and then they wrote a great album and they are getting huge. Maybe Juliana Theory hit some bad luck or maybe they couldn't beat Emotion is Dead. I don't know.

[fallingapart101]

This sucks big time. I saw them twice and they don't dissapoint. He is right if you like a band stick with them even if they make a bad record, I do. It is funny there greatest hits came out on the 7th but Tooth And Nail did nothing for advertising or show it is for sale, how ironic.

[apoemtothedead]

Two hours later this is still hard to swallow.

[RedWineSheets]

Two hours later this is still hard to swallow.

Listening to the live album is making me sad.

[splitsecond]

Dude, trade your Panic! CD for a Juliana Theory CD you don't have yet.


Haha, I have them all already.

[MarkyMark1984]

that is sad that there will be no final tour . . . however i see where they are coming from. They kinda took off with tooth and nail and then it seems like their other labels screwed them over. It just goes to show you that the music world is a hard one to live in. I'll miss these boys. Great band.

[splitsecond]

Listening to the live album is making me sad.

Im listening to an old live recording from the EID era, from I think the same tour I first saw them on, if not the second.

[preppyak]

Two hours later this is still hard to swallow.
yeah, it's not gonna get easier in the morning. I am kinda hoping this is all a dream, a really bad dream

[hobbes2809]

all I have to contribute to this thread is one giant fucking sad face :'(

[apoemtothedead]

yeah, it's not gonna get easier in the morning. I am kinda hoping this is all a dream, a really bad dream
(Understand This Is A Dream joke)

[preppyak]

This is what happens when we have George W. Bush as world leader.

haha, I did want to point out the ridiculousness of that...well played

[preppyak]

(Understand This Is A Dream joke)
I've been avoiding all the "My emotion's are dead" jokes all night

[apoemtothedead]

I've been avoiding all the "My emotion's are dead" jokes all night
>:o Too soon.

[costello.]

noooooo =(

[TomAce]

august in bethany just came on, and man it did not make this any easier

[yutsmcgee]

condolences. condolences.

[RedWineSheets]

august in bethany just came on, and man it did not make this any easier

that song will break your heart

[swirlofhues]

august in bethany just came on, and man it did not make this any easier




that song is, wow. i wish i heard it live.





on a sidenote, i'm afraid to leave this thread because it feels like if I did then everything is absolutely final.

[RedWineSheets]

that song is, wow. i wish i heard it live.





on a sidenote, i'm afraid to leave this thread because it feels like if I did then everything is absolutely final.

i know what you mean. :\

[oldprospector]

I can't wait for the juliana theory reunion at bamboozle 2008

[transitrock]

one of my favorite live bands.
understand this is a dream changed my life.
this is a sad day.

[splitsecond]

I can't wait for the juliana theory reunion at bamboozle 2008

lolz

[eclipse]

i can't quite fathom this, because the juliana theory is one of the bands that i love more than most others, they're the reason i am in this "scene" and i listen to this music. this is not only unfair, this is a tragedy. this is like the movielife times 300. i'm going to cry.

august in bethany is rly hard to listen to right now...

[apoemtothedead]

that song is, wow. i wish i heard it live.





on a sidenote, i'm afraid to leave this thread because it feels like if I did then everything is absolutely final.
Shit. Was I the one who broke it to you? I kinda feel bad if I was.

[contagiousxkiss]

i have no response, this is one of the most underrated bands. thier lyrics are so great, like poetry, yet another band that breaks up before i can see them


and they were one of the best bands to see live too. so powerful. so emotional. just so... indescribable.

[hometownzero]

Damn, this blows. I was really happy with Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, too, and looking forward to whatever else may come.

[wastedspacejm]

damn, i never even got to see them live...

[swirlofhues]

Shit. Was I the one who broke it to you? I kinda feel bad if I was.

:'( actually, yeah, it was. it's okay. i was just like.. wait what the fuck??

[CLoach]

no final show or tour!!! booo!!!

[Bobcat46308]

i was going to see them when they came to OU. one of the most respected bands i've ever come across, great early stuff, This Is Not A Love Song is one of my favorites ever and I think their newest album is pure genious. French Kiss-Off (Her Velvet Voice) is the song i will remember them by... goodbye TJT

[(+)DemiaN(+)]

That's extremly sad... :( The reading is highly interesting though... It's all the more sad that the sincerity and bitterness of the band can be felt all along it. This letter is an unoforgettable testimony about a band's life. I hope the music will also be remembered because I guess that's what they would want.

[apoemtothedead]

:'( actually, yeah, it was. it's okay. i was just like.. wait what the fuck??
sry. :(

[Troy will Fall]

sad day, emotion is dead will always be a classic.

[Caleb Cattivera]

I'm still just stunned. This is the first band that's broken up that's had a major impact on my musical upbringing. I wasn't that into Deadbeat Sweetheart, but I was continually optimistic for better material ahead.

Do you understand? The dream is over.

took the words from my mouth scott...

this band was my world for a few years...

[AbsentTruth]

Rip

[splitsecond]

I still keep dwelling on this... its weird to me. This band has been with me since I left my parents house in 1999, and now that I am about to finally be done with school and have to make something of myself, they are gone. Its like more and more of a sign that I have to move on in my life. So weird.

[feigningapology]

No! Goddamnit! I really am going to miss this band. I'll never forget my first really intimately small show in November 2001 with TJT and the movielife playing their hearts out for maybe 80-100 kids in a dark hole called the Meow Meow in Portland Oregon on a rainy day. The funny thing is, I got into them because of Blink 182's loserkids.com had listed Emotion Is Dead as one of Marks or Tom's recommended albums at the time. Probably the advice from them I could honestly say did me good. Emotion Is Dead became my favorite album at that time and struck a chord within me that followed me throughout '01-'02 during my senior year in high school. I feel like I'm watching the movie Rudy when Pete says "I can't believe it's over..." and I feel like I've lost something from my youth that is truly gone and won't come back.

"You Always Say Goodnight, Goodnight"

Did you really think that it was over when you hung up the phone and said goodnight?
And did you ever think that it would be too much?
I can't leave without saying goodbye
So did you really think that you could take it?
Could you make it alone tonight?
I never could have hoped for anything more
Be my angel if you can, alright
You always say goodnight, and you always say goodnight
So baby did you sleep an hour for me?
How I wish I was there right now
I wasn't going to tell you I could change things
I'm afraid I never will know how
But I don't really think that I can take it
Will I make it alone somehow?
So hold me in your arms before I leave you
I'll be back as soon as time allows
You always say goodnight, and you always say goodnight
Goodnight.

[swirlofhues]

I still keep dwelling on this... its weird to me. This band has been with me since I left my parents house in 1999, and now that I am about to finally be done with school and have to make something of myself, they are gone. Its like more and more of a sign that I have to move on in my life. So weird.

It's so odd, I feel really lost, too. They most likely have a bigger impact on you but I think we can all say that they were our comfort.

[bridgeportent]

This is a shame. This band is fully responsible for everything positive in music I have ever done. If I would not have heard Emotion Is Dead, I would be where I was 4 or 5 years ago. I have much respect for TJT's constant drive and determination. I was also wondering about Abacus... Thinking... "How did they get the funds to be signing all of the bands they have been recently"; ie: TJT, Sworn Enemy, etc.

Good drive boys... I know one of you is reading this.

S.W. PA Represent.


-Joshua
www.bridgeportent.com

[dustin_thomas]

I figured they were gonna call it quits eventually. honestly, the last time i saw them in new orleans the whole band seemed very out of it, as if they didn't want to be there or something (with the exception of bret deter). they almost came off as kind of assholes. BUT, they had the right because LOVE is one of my favorite albums ever!! i definately dig the newer stuff to the old stuff.

[cahrishurr]

top 10 favorite band ever for me

i guesss you can figure out who i will listen to on the ride to class tomorrow?
yep, god this sucks

i didnt go see them twice cause it was a lil further away and me and my friends didnt get our shit together to go
i wish i had now

[synchr0]

Amazing band. Such great musicians

[iamkida]

This is what happens when we have George W. Bush as world leader.


wow!!! i fell off of my chair laughing at this quote... can i blame the fact that my girlfriends soccer team lost their game tonight on George W. as well??

anyways...

TJT was awesome.... the mark they have made will have an impact on "the scene" for years to come.






that guys seriously blamed bush for this.... wow... that was out of control.

[number2alien]

I know this is lame, but i remember you from the TJT boards.

Not lame at all. The TJT board was the greatest online community I've ever been a part of. It felt like having a family.

[StimulisRocker]

I kinda knew it was coiming. they played in wilkes-barre,pa a few months back and after the locals played only like 25 kids were left to watch them. the venue couldnt even meet their guarantee. good guys though, good songs. they will be missed

[Phade]

I never post on this page, but I feel like I need to say something at least. Absolutely amazing band, live and in the studio. Saw them when they toured for "Love" and it was a fantastic show, I'll never forget it. Such a downer I was listening to them at the exact same time as I went to this page and found out the news. Was really looking forward to seeing them live again. Alas it is not to be.

[VGB]

If anything something everyone should take from this, most good music isn't marketed well. The stuff with real heart is usually the stuff thats gets shafted by lables, indie lables are guilty of it too, think of all the bands and labels trying to hit a core market or sound thats been done a million times, they're everywhere, especially on the "indie" labels. They suck you in with fancy quotes and prose of revolution on a disc, and people (I'm positive many peopel on this site too) buy it.

Go find real independent music, not the next big hardcore screamo emocore electro-indie shit band that's "for fans of ___." Go buy a release you didn't hear a review for, hell maybe even something that came out 10 years ago by a band that faded away into oblivion (gasp you mean they do not have a new album coming out!) , some band you have no clue about, hell buy it casue the artwork looks good or because the name is weird, chances are when there's real heart behind the music, you'll be able to tell.

[lildevotionalx]

I figured they were gonna call it quits eventually. honestly, the last time i saw them in new orleans the whole band seemed very out of it, as if they didn't want to be there or something (with the exception of bret deter). they almost came off as kind of assholes. BUT, they had the right because LOVE is one of my favorite albums ever!! i definately dig the newer stuff to the old stuff.
I agree with this. I have wholeheartedly supported this band since I first got into music, since the first time I ever heard "Duane Joseph" I was hooked and I loved this band with everything in me. Besides Something Corporate, TJT are the ones responsible for the love I have for music today. I saw them when they did the co-headliner with SoCo and even though I at the time I was completely and utterly obsessed with SoCo, I walked out of that show thinking that TJT was the best band I had ever seen live... and they held that up for me until I saw them again recently. I mean really, that first show I saw of theirs was spectacular. Their sound was so fucking pure live. There were no mistakes, no muffled sounds. It was just simply pure. And that's what I've always loved about this band. When I saw them just this past November I got the impression you spoke of. I thanked Bret for the show and for being one of my biggest musical influences and when I said I had seen them when they opened for SoCo he sarcastically responded that that was nearly four years ago. I think the band, Bret especially, were getting frustrated with their situation so I can understand now why he quickly responded in that way. I mean they played at the Troubadour, downtown LA, and there were barely any kids in line when the doors opened. It was honestly sad. I left that show dissappointed and that bothers me because I still want to love this band. I have bought all of their albums on each release date, I've bought merch, I've bought tickets, and I've fucking loved their music with everything in me.

its sad he personally pointed at ap.net as having some of the most fickle and ever changing fairweather fans on the internet, and its true.
I've got to say that that is a very sad point that he made. However, I don't know if you can just paste a general excuse upon that and blame our "fast food" era. Kids who truly love music, who live it and breathe it, will support bands through thick and thin. True fans aren't going to drop a band just because their sound or style changes. Kids who really love and support bands stick through it and understand that this is all a creative process: you watch the bands work it out. It's all art; experimental, creative, unique, and constantly building & developing. Art is never consistent and that's what makes it so interesting & intriguing. I think the fact that TJT showed differences in their style throughout each record is what is so admirable because they actually made it work every time (I can say I loved "Love" just as much as "Emotion is Dead") and if they had had the same sound for 9 years straight they would've dissappeared a long, long time ago. So I don't think you can blame our time period, this has been going on through every era, there are always the kids who like the music because it's the "in" thing to like but at the same time there will always be true fans.

and another thing: no offense, but this should be the sticky instead of the Pete interview.
Agreed. That is honestly ridiculous. One of the most influential bands to all of these newbies today and it gets sweeped on by. Shame on AP.net

You know this is real sad and all. They were a pretty good band, but everyone keeps saying they loved Emotion is Dead. They didn't hit that same peak with Love and Deadbeat. Most everyone loves them for Emotion is Dead. Maybe they hit some bad luck. Maybe they just couldn't get any better than Emotion is Dead. He seems to point the finger a lot. Emotion is Dead sold well because it was such a good CD and like he said they were on a bad label. They got on larger labels and their CD's did not sell well. If a CD is good a CD is good and in most cases will sell. Everyone hates Panic! at the Disco all the sudden, but they had some great songs and that's how they got noticed and then they wrote a great album and they are getting huge. Maybe Juliana Theory hit some bad luck or maybe they couldn't beat Emotion is Dead. I don't know.
You need to seriously evaluate your view on music buddy. If you listened to "Deadbeat..." closely and with the heart that some of us have, you would see that this band was able to perfect their sound throughout the years. As he stated, they recorded this album together as a live band, no extreme production needed. Panic! or FOB couldn't do that in their wildest dreams (Have you ever seen FOB live? -if you have any sense in you you'll know what I'm talking about). To be able to sound as pure live as you do on a record is a skill that takes years and extreme talent and TJT have perfected that in this album. He may "seem to point the finger a lot" but the music industry today is complete shit. Everything is so cut throat and all people are focused on is money. If the people who have the power actually appreciated music they'd be promoting bands like TJT who should and deserve to be one of the biggest bands out there today, not having to sell equiptment because they're broke. That breaks my heart.


The best of luck to all of you guys. You have shaped my life throughout the years through your records and were one of the most influential bands that I have ever encountered. I will forever be a fan.

[agent00013]

Damn. Okay, so this is bad news. Props to them all though and especiall Brett for being so honest. I respect that a ton.

I'm gonna miss 'em. I only had one chance to see them live and sad I won't get another shot. Emotion is Dead will forever be one of my favorite albums and the rest of 'em all have awesome songs, too. Well, I'm gonna go crank up some of their music and start moving on with life...

[CoffeeGirl263]

SO sad.

[absolutemx]

I guess there is no reason in me waiting for them or someone to say "APRIL FOOLS!" since its not april :\

This band is the #1 Reason why i am in this music scene right now... I have never been disappointed with their releases, and its always in my TOP 5 every Year! I started listening to this band on the old MP3.com website wherein i was really trying to look for bands i could get into. Fortunately, they are one of those bands, and I am grateful for that!

I would have really really LOVE to see them live, but since i live in the Philippines and now that they have broke up, there is no chance for that now :'(

[Melie]

wow, i didn't see this one coming at all. i'm mad at myself for missing the tour with lovedrug because now i'll never get to see them. i loved this band. ughhh, i'm going to be sad today.

[Vil de Locke]

All I can say, I'm here writing just because of The Juliana Theory. If I were a multi-milionaire I'd promote the hell out of 'em. They deserved everything, they got nothing. That's all.

[_Thursday]

fuck me :-( not been this sad over a band splitting up in years.
so glad i made the effort to travel to see them on their uk tour.
:-(

[Gleebo]

2006 is really starting to suck ass already.

[HeartLikeAGun27]

Not lame at all. The TJT board was the greatest online community I've ever been a part of. It felt like having a family.

Completely agree

[seancoia]

:(, at least i can say iv seen them live and it was amazing.

[DanEmo]

man, this is so sad....:(
just read an interview with JT in the last issue of rocksound, they said hey were almost KO, but more than ready to fight...guess they weren't....killed by the scene and the industry

i hate this.....

[updownleftright]

i deserve a medal

it was actually really interesting

[slickwataris]

and I was just getting back into them...

[asamovie]

lame.

[ThatGuy]

i wrote a longer entry about them at www.xanga.com/thatguy612. if you wanna read and react that would be appreciated.

[Paul Pelc]

This is pretty incredible in my opinion. I have never seen one band collectively recieve this much love and appreciation on a message board by so many people. I love it. They are deserving of all of it.

[preppyak]

All I can say, I'm here writing just because of The Juliana Theory. If I were a multi-milionaire I'd promote the hell out of 'em. They deserved everything, they got nothing. That's all.
Yeah, it's sad that they had to go out because they couldn't support themselves. If I thought it would bring them back, I'd buy all the merch I could.

[preppyak]

i wrote a longer entry about them at www.xanga.com/thatguy612. if you wanna read and react that would be appreciated.
yeah, very similiar feelings for me. Wanted to point out the part that caught me the most

If they had started this whole journey in 2002 rather than 1997, they might be the ones we are talking about being on TRL rather than Fall Out Boy, The Academy Is.., or Panic! at the Disco. Alas, they did not.
Very true

[TommyGunn]

these guys are one of those bands that blames everyone but themselves for their troubles. "Our fist label could not market us properly", "Our second label did not support us properly", "Our third label..."

Come on guys. You made some amazing records, but please stop being such assholes.

Good riddance I say.

[agent00013]

I started listening to this band on the old MP3.com website wherein i was really trying to look for bands i could get into.(

Me, too. I came across them, streamed some of their songs, and downloaded the ones I could. I fell in love with the music and I don't know if I bought the first album or got it for a birthday or what, but I've been listening ever since.

(This is why labels should let their artists throw a couple MP3s to the masses... if it's good, they'll listen, and if they listen, they'll buy. And if they keep listening, they'll get fans for life.)

[TheDreamIsOver]

Oh fuck me. This is awful :( My heart hurts. God I love this band to death....

[swirlofhues]

Not lame at all. The TJT board was the greatest online community I've ever been a part of. It felt like having a family.

I miss it all so much.

[ThatGuy]

yeah, very similiar feelings for me. Wanted to point out the part that caught me the most


Very true

thanks for reading

[ThatGuy]

these guys are one of those bands that blames everyone but themselves for their troubles. "Our fist label could not market us properly", "Our second label did not support us properly", "Our third label..."

Come on guys. You made some amazing records, but please stop being such assholes.

Good riddance I say.

i was waiting for the turd in the punch bowl to show up. welcome.

[Vil de Locke]

Not lame at all. The TJT board was the greatest online community I've ever been a part of. It felt like having a family.

Yeah. It was amazing. Adam, Split, and many others.. TJT IS a part of my life..

[gob15]

"To this day, there are people who insist that "Understand this is a Dream" is the best thing we've ever done, yet a few weeks ago in Italy a group of guys came up to us to try and argue that "Love" was by far our best album."

All that means is Italy's taste in music is suspect. BTW. Into the dark was WAY better on Emotion. The Love version was not too good at all. It sounded like some other band was covering it.

[Vil de Locke]

these guys are one of those bands that blames everyone but themselves for their troubles. "Our fist label could not market us properly", "Our second label did not support us properly", "Our third label..."

Come on guys. You made some amazing records, but please stop being such assholes.

Good riddance I say.

You know nothing about it. Please, don't say that.

Epic Records didn't even give them money to shoot a video. That's enough said.

[Vil de Locke]

"To this day, there are people who insist that "Understand this is a Dream" is the best thing we've ever done, yet a few weeks ago in Italy a group of guys came up to us to try and argue that "Love" was by far our best album."

All that means is Italy's taste in music is suspect. BTW. Into the dark was WAY better on Emotion. The Love version was not too good at all. It sounded like some other band was covering it.

these guys are one of those bands that blames everyone but themselves for their troubles. "Our fist label could not market us properly", "Our second label did not support us properly", "Our third label..."

Come on guys. You made some amazing records, but please stop being such assholes.

Good riddance I say.
Man, I've never quoted so much people before =) I quite agree with you opinion of Into the Dark, but if you consider the record itself, Love was a huge step ahead fot the guys. I guess that guy who said that in Italy was.. me :) and Chad Alan agreed.

[lefebvre]

that sucks. i was reading that blog last night and man, they'll be missed.

[carramrod2005]

tear:'(

[Paul Pelc]

i was waiting for the turd in the punch bowl to show up. welcome.

Ha Ha exactly.

[The Don]

Let me be the 100th person in this thread to say that I would not be enjoying the music I do today without The Juliana Theory. Understand This Is A Dream opened my eyes to a whole new genre of music I never even knew existed.

Literally, while reading an article on them in 1999, I stumbled onto The Get Up Kids, where I then stumbled onto Jimmy Eat World, and the rest is history.

Thanks for the memories boys.

[HungJury]

It's hard as hell to be a touring musician. The bands need the support at shows, to continue. Yes, album sales help but bands make most of their money at shows. If kids don't come out, they lose bargaining power and sales in merch. The Juliana Theory recently played in the city I live in. At a small venue and it wasn't anywhere near full, when they played. I think a lot of people are truly sad that they broke up. But did you guys go to thier shows to support them? That's the question.

And it sucks what they said about Abacus records. I thought they were building a solid lineup of bands. Maybe they're signing too many bands...hmmm.

[derricklc22]

It's hard as hell to be a touring musician. The bands need the support at shows, to continue. Yes, album sales help but bands make most of their money at shows. If kids don't come out, they lose bargaining power and sales in merch. The Juliana Theory recently played in the city I live in. At a small venue and it wasn't anywhere near full, when they played. I think a lot of people are truly sad that they broke up. But did you guys go to thier shows to support them? That's the question.

And it sucks what they said about Abacus records. I thought they were building a solid lineup of bands. Maybe they're signing too many bands...hmmm.
I respect these guys for being so honest and I loved their music. I'm sorry that you had to go through such hardships, I truly wish you could've got as big as you wanted or lived comfortably. I'll continue to listen to your music and wanted to say thanks for the music, the memories, and your dedication.

[bankrom]

suck.

[stollio]

I'm going to truely miss these guy's music. Thanks for all you have given us TJT.

:'(

[Ruggiero2oo8]

:crytears:

[CloseYetFar]

another good band bites the dust

[weezer283]

sign to Victory they would offer a big contract and promote u well

[number2alien]

thanks for reading

Very well written, my friend.

[eagle1]

August in Bethany was the song that inspired me to start playing guitar.
I still suck but either way I thank them.
I have right now in my Car Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat in the CD Player.
This is a sad day! :(

[Shatter_Glass]

Wow. And I thought the Fuel thing was bad.......well.....Greatest hits out now!?!

[DarylLynn]

I have been listening to this band for 7 years and have seen them live every year with my best friend since elementary school. This is like hearing an old friend is moving away.
I remember the first time I saw the band in Boston I actually got to meet and talk to Bret Detar after the show; you honestly couldn't ask for a better live band.

I'm so disappointed, because Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat is amazing and I was really looking forward to seeing them tour in support of it.

[permanent]

these guys are one of those bands that blames everyone but themselves for their troubles. "Our fist label could not market us properly", "Our second label did not support us properly", "Our third label..."

Come on guys. You made some amazing records, but please stop being such assholes.

Good riddance I say.

They admitted that Love was their worst album. It was rushed and a lot of the songs were pretty poor quality. Like they said though, it does have some good songs on it. They do blame the labels but that's because they did get shafted. Tooth and Nail could not support them at that time, Epic didn't want to support them and everyone knew Abacus couldn't give them the support they needed. The label isn't everything but sadly, the music isn't as well.

[cahrishurr]

sign to Victory they would offer a big contract and promote u well

yeah i mean or not

[Saucey McRib]

The Juliana Theory. Last time I saw them, it was in a crappy lecture hall at MSU, with like 70 people there, and I couldn't believe they were on a major label. It sucks that bands this good have to rely on labels to support them, and when they're too busy selling J-lo records, they ignore great musicians like these guys. Impeccable live show, amazing albums, some of the best songs I've ever heard. I agree with the comments about loyal fans-people on this site never cease to amaze me with their comments about bands. The amount of arguing that goes on to whether this band is good or how bad Fall Out Boy and Hawthorne Heights suck is absolutely incredible. We should be arguing over how great all these bands are...I would much rather hear Fall Out Boy than any country artist, and I think most agree. Instead of wasting our time spreading word about how bad bands in our scene suck, we should spend that time saying how good bands like The Juliana Theory really are, and maybe then more people would have heard about them thanks to us. In the end, the breakup of this band hopefully hits some people hard, because it wasn't a band fight or miscommunication that broke this band up-it was the negativity of the ex-fans and people in the record business (or just negativity in general) that made them believe that they could not go on as a band. Their last show was a blast and I thank them for amazing times. Good luck with your lives, gentlemen.

[s[K]iSo]

saw them in italy few weeks ago

http://www.punkrockvids.com/?mod=videos&subid=official&vid_id=439

great band

[EveryNewDay]

this is the worst news i've heard in a long time. i wanted to repsond yesterday but couldn't find the words. i'll just say that this band is one of the reasons why i want to try and make a living as a touring musician. i saw 8 years ago in a small club in Virginia and i instantly fell in love with their music. from that night on they were one of my favorite bands and i just want to say thank you for every single song and show that i've had the pleasure of seeing and listening to.

[XDarknessXLiesX]

This is truely a horrible day for music fans everywhere, JT were a great band, emotion is dead is one of my top 10 cds ever

[HiddenInNJ]

This is the discussion I had with my friend and it is sad to see a band go down this way.



Young music fans now are quick to dismiss and disown a band that changes their sound or their ideas. To see an example, just look at the posts on a website like Absolutepunk.net (http://absolutepunk.net/) that will be inevitable when this news reaches websites like it.


</B></U></I>Me they are right

</B></U></I>Him definitely

</B></U></I>Him cuz kids just listen for a single now

</B></U></I>Him: its gay

</B></U></I>Memtv man

</B></U></I>Him just wait for the music video to come out or a song to hit trl

</B></U></I>Him its fuckin weak

</B></U></I>Methe scene has emcompassed more than it intended to and now bands can't escape it

</B></U></I>Himyup, they get shit for doing what they want and if they dont conform to whats "pop"

</B></U></I>Him thats why it sucked to see the get up kids go, but they only reason they started the band was for an opportunity to tour the world, they got that got out

</B></U></I>Him made amazing music and did there own thing

</B></U></I>Me yea they peaced when labels were forcing them to conform to things

</B></U></I>HIm yup

</B></U></I>Him damn quality bands are hard to find now

</B></U></I>Him: like emery

</B></U></I>Him - they are older dudes doing there own thing still

</B></U></I>Me- most today have one good cd and they're gone for manipulation after that

</B></U></I>Him- sucks, its so true

</B></U></I>Me - We wanted to make sure that we were prepared to go into the studio and play these songs like a real band. We knew that if they sounded complete in our rehearsal space without anything that the 5 of us could not do live, on the spot, then the album would truly translate live. We were ready to make an album that didn't need the help of tons of overdubs, punch-ins, digital editing, and general studio magic

</B></U></I>Me -best quote about the "scene" today

</B></U></I>Him- definitely

[NameTaken69]

that sucks so bad

[endure]

its to bad the fans and the scene couldnt give honest music a listen and its too bad that so many people even commenting on this web site are so stuck on emotion is dead that they couldnt go pick up any of the new records including the new album " deadbeat sweatheart beat" its trully a great-enjoyable album...I think it was a stretch to blame tooth and nail..epic i completly understand, Abacus was the label for them it was just to late for this band unfortunitly. Look at the Piebald and Hot Rod Curcuit tour that just wrapped up it wasnt a succesfull one because the kids today.....arnt "loyal" (brett) and all the millions of new scensters arnt hear for the good music and "heart" there here for mother fucking hawthorn hieghts.

[konstantine128]

i have to admit i saw it coming, but it doesn't make it any less sad :-(

[DidntHaveTo]

As Brett says, "The Juliana Theory is dead." However, The MUSIC of TJT will be alive forever.

:-)