We Came as Romans is an American rock band from Troy, Michigan. Formed in 2005, the band signed to Equal Vision Records in April 2009 and have released two EPs, Demonstrations (2008) and Dreams (2008), and two full-length albums, To Plant a Seed (2009) and Understanding What We've Grown to Be (2011). We Came as Romans have been known to use Detroit, Michigan as a reference to home, and have toured across the United States, Canada, Europe, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines.

History [link]

Formation and early years as This Emergency (2005–2008) [link]

In August 2005, high school seniors Sean N. Zelda, David Stephens, Jonny Nabors, Mark Myatt, and Joshua Moore formed a band called "This Emergency". Now frontman, David Stephens played guitar during this period. They performed various gigs throughout the metro Detroit area. In November 2005, the band parted ways with bass player Jonny Nabors and replaced him with Sean E. Daly. In June 2006, Zelda quit the band to attend the University of Michigan. In the summer of 2006, a close friend of the band, Larry Clark, officially joined on vocals and with Myatt changed the name to We Came as Romans.^[1] According to David Stephens, during this time, two songs entitled "Mouth to Mouth" and the original version of Colours were released with Larry Clark as the vocalist. According to the band's publicist at Equal Vision Records, Joshua Moore assumed duties of writing the majority of the lyrics from this point on.

[edit] Demonstrations and Dreams EP's (2008–2009)

After the name change they spent the next few years getting their members to the band's current lineup. Their first EP, Demonstrations (sometimes referred to as the "Motions EP") was sold at concerts and online through their website. Between EPs, We Came as Romans embarked on the "V-Neck & Shaved Chest" Tour (June 2008) with Close to Home. Afterwards, Dreams was released on December 12, 2008. It was produced by Joey Sturgis and was met with many favorable reviews.^[2] AbsolutePunk gave Dreams a 79/100 review. Sputnikmusic gave them a 3.5/5. They called the EP "Short and sweet, but lasting and fulfilling".^[3] Two days before the release of To Plant a Seed, We Came as Romans concluded support of Oh, Sleeper and The Chariot on their co-headlining "Here a tour, there a tour, everywhere a tour tour" Tour (September - November 2009).^[4]

[edit] To Plant a Seed (2009–2011)

To Plant a Seed, We Came as Romans' first full-length album, was released on November 3, 2009.^[5] Like Dreams, this album was produced alongside Joey Sturgis and features re-recorded versions of "Dreams" and "Intentions" (featuring Tyler "Telle" Smith) originally from Dreams. We Came as Romans finished 2009 with the "Leave It to the Suits Tour" (November and December 2009) with I See Stars, Of Mice & Men, and Broadway.^[6]

During January 2010, they sporadically headlined events, and then set out on "The Emptiness Tour" (February and March 2010) with Alesana, A Skylit Drive, The Word Alive, and Of Mice & Men^[7] (which was recorded by BVTV "Band of the Week" for viewing on YouTube),^[8] the headlining "We Are Not Meaningless" tour (April - May 2010) with Four Letter Lie and Life on Repeat,^[9] and "The Welcome to the Circus Tour" (May and June 2010) with Asking Alexandria, From First to Last, Our Last Night, and A Bullet for Pretty Boy,^[10] to promote this album. The first video single "To Plant a Seed" was released on May 11, 2010 according to iTunes. The band was in the studio between June 15 and June 20, 2010.^[11] These studio sessions would result in the release of the single, To Move on Is to Grow.

The following tours in 2010 included the "Scream It Like You Mean It 2010" Tour (July and August 2010) with Silverstein, Emery, Dance Gavin Dance, I Set My Friends On Fire, Sky Eats Airplane, Ivoryline, and Close to Home,^[12] the "Band of Brothers Tour" (August - October 2010), which included full U.S. and Canada dates with In Fear and Faith, Confide, Upon a Burning Body, and Abandon All Ships^[13] (also recorded by BVTV "Band of the Week" for viewing on YouTube),^[14] the Imperial "Never Say Die" European Tour (October and November 2010) with Parkway Drive, Comeback Kid, Bleeding Through, War from a Harlots Mouth, Emmure, and Your Demise,^[15] and finally, the "No Sleep Til" Festival Tour (December 2010) closing out the year in New Zealand and Australia with Megadeth headlining.^[15] We Came as Romans appeared on "Punk Goes Pop Volume Three", released November 1, 2010, covering Justin Timberlake's "My Love".^[16] We Came as Roman's second video single "To Move on Is to Grow" was released on December 14, 2010 according to iTunes. We Came as Roman's title track "To Plant a Seed" appeared on "Equal Vision Records Presents: New Sounds 2011" released December 21, 2010 on iTunes. On January 6, 2011, the band's label, Equal Vision Records, announced that, To Plant a Seed, would be re-released including the new single "To Move on Is to Grow" as a CD/DVD deluxe version. The DVD includes 38-minutes of exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, live performances from their recent United States, 2010 tours (Scream It Like You Mean It and Band of Brothers), and the new music video for “To Move on Is to Grow”. To Plant a Seed made a big debut on the Billboard charts reaching #6 on Top Heatseekers, #25 on Top Independent, and #175 on Top 200 charts, respectively.

[edit] Understanding What We've Grown To Be (2011–present)

Although recording (Part 1) for the follow-up of To Plant a Seed was not scheduled until February and March 2011,^[11] We Came as Romans embarked on the headlining Motel 6 "Rock Yourself to Sleep" Tour (January and February 2011) with Woe, Is Me, For Today, The Word Alive, and Texas in July,^[17] which included the Outerloop Presents Amped and Alive "Ice Jam" festival on January 30, 2011 at Sonar, in Baltimore, Maryland with Silverstein co-headlining the event with We Came as Romans.^[18] On January 10, 2011, five days into the "Rock Yourself to Sleep" Tour, Equal Vision Records released a statement regarding the health of guitarist, Joshua Moore, stating, "Early this morning, We Came as Romans’ guitarist Joshua Moore was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and is currently being treated at a hospital in Nebraska." Joshua Moore was not scheduled to appear on any of the future Motel 6 "Rock Yourself to Sleep" tour dates, however through Joshua Moore's Twitter and Facebook accounts on February 1, 2011, he stated that with a second doctor's approval, he may be cleared to rejoin the tour, and on February 4, 2011 he rejoined the band in Lancaster, PA. Also, during the beginning stages of Joshua Moore's illness recovery, We Came As Romans officially cancelled shows in Denver, CO (January 10, 2011) and Salt Lake City, UT (January 11, 2011) due to inclement weather.^[19]

The band then went on supporting A Day to Remember for their headlining "Game Changers Tour" (March - April 2011),^[20] and headlining the "Scream It Like You Mean It 2011" European Tour (April - May 2011) with Miss May I, The Word Alive, and This or the Apocalypse.^[21] Recording (Part 2) for the follow-up of To Plant a Seed was also scheduled for May - July 2011.^[11] On December 8, 2010 (first day of band releases), We Came as Romans were among the initial list of bands announced to play the Vans Warped Tour 2011, playing all of the tour dates (June - August 2011).^[22] According to We Came as Romans' label, Equal Vision Records, "The band is currently writing for their sophomore full-length album, which they will be recording with Joey Sturgis between tours and is expected to see a Fall 2011 release date".^[23] In an interview with Brian Walsh, a Monster Energy Pit reporter for Warped Tour 2011, Joshua Moore confirmed that their second album is indeed all planned out and they will be entering the studio before embarking on Warped Tour.^[24] During this time, We Came as Romans appeared in the #25 (June/July 2011) issue of Substream Music Press magazine, and Dave Stephens appeared in Alternative Press magazine issue #227.2 (August 2011). The band was also highlighted in the Vans Warped Tour Official Program.

Understanding What We've Grown to Be was finished and given a September 13, 2011, release date. On June 22, 2011, the first single, entitled "Mis//Understanding" was released via Equal Vision Records through YouTube.^[25] On June 23, 2011 the title track to the album, "Understanding What We've Grown to Be" was also released via YouTube.^[26] Both of these songs were bundled into a pre-order for sale on iTunes which was released on July 5, 2011.^[27] On July 14, 2011, cover art for Understanding What We've Grown to Be was released via puzzle on the band's homepage.^[28]

According to the band, "musically and lyrically, Understanding What We've Grown to Be holds a much darker tone than their previous release, To Plant a Seed. While still maintaining the band’s overall theme of positivity and brotherhood, the new material takes on a more straightforward approach to life’s struggles and the challenges of growing up."^[29] On August 24, 2011, Equal Vision Records via YouTube released the third single entitled "What I Wished I Never Had".^[26] On August 28, 2011, Understanding What We've Grown to Be was leaked unofficially by an unknown source. On September 13, 2011, Hot Topic released the "Alternative Press Limited Edition We Came As Romans Mini Magazine", packaged with a commemorative "I'm Alive" bracelet and compilation disc featuring the title track "Understanding What We've Grown To Be".^[30] Understanding What We've Grown to Be was released on September 16, 2011 by Nuclear Blast throughout Europe.^[31] We Came as Romans headlined the United States and Canada, Merchnow.com + Arkaik Clothing "I'm Alive" Tour (September - October 2011) with support from Miss May I, Of Mice & Men, Texas in July, and Close to Home to support the release of this record.^[29] According to an Outerloop Management source, as of September 21, 2011, Understanding What We've Grown to Be reached #20 on Billboard Top 200, #7 on Independent Current Albums (Indie Chart), #5 on Top Hard Music Albums, #10 on Top Current Rock Albums, and #16 on Overall Digital Albums. According to the same Outerloop Management source, as of September 28, 2011, Understanding What We've Grown to Be stayed in the Billboard Top 200 at #103. On October 16, 2011, We Came as Romans came in at #43 on Independent Albums and #22 on Hard Rock Albums on Billboard Top 200. "Mis//Understanding" was officially released, exclusively by ArtistDirect.com as the album's first music video on November 11, 2011.^[32] It was released via iTunes on November 22, 2011. It is the first of a three part series of music videos for songs off of the band’s recently released album, Understanding What We've Grown to Be. The videos were filmed in Brooklyn, NY in September, with director Travis Kopach (AFI, 3OH!3, Panic! At The Disco).^[31] The second video, "Just Keep Breathing" was released on December 16, 2011 via Livestream.com. The third video, "Understanding What We've Grown To Be" was released February 2, 2012 via VeVo. It was released via iTunes on January 31, 2012. According to the band's Facebook post on February 2, 2012, "The three videos we shot portray a person lost, confused and struggling to find purpose in life. He sees himself at his darkest in the first video, trying endlessly to find his way out. After going through a traumatic experience, he finds his way out and his eyes begin to open to a new journey of finding out what really makes him feel alive. Through this journey the man traces back to his childhood house, where it all began. Overwhelming feelings wash over him as he remembers the feeling he once had long ago. Now, with a sense of purpose, he embarks back into the world to take the path he should have taken long ago".

Tour Activity (November 2011–present) [link]

We Came as Romans headlined the Merchnow.com and EveryConcertEver.com "Take A Picture, It Will Last Longer" Tour (November - December 2011) with support from Falling In Reverse, Sleeping with Sirens, Atilla, and For All I Am. On November 10, 2011, it was confirmed that Falling in Reverse dropped from this tour, and Emmure was added as direct support.^[31] We Came as Romans played the Third String Productions’ annual Christmas show "Unsilent Night 4 Music Festival", presented by ZH Entertainment, The Prophet Bar, and Prekindle on December 10, 2011 at Centennial Hall (Fair Park) in Dallas, Texas.^[33] We Came as Romans played Irving Plaza in New York City on December 11, 2011, and officially closed out their 2011 tour schedule headlining the MerchConnectionInc.com "December to Remember" Festival at the City National Grove of Anaheim, California on December 18, 2011 with support from Of Mice & Men, Winds of Plague, Blessthefall, The Word Alive, Motionless In White, As Blood Runs Black, For The Fallen Dreams, Upon A Burning Body, Like Moths To Flames, In the Midst of Lions, At The Skylines, and The Great Commission.^[34] To begin 2012, We Came as Romans co-headlined the Macbeth Footwear and Keep A Breast "European Tour" (January - February) with Alesana and special guest support from Iwrestledabearonce and Glamour of The Kill. We Came as Romans played the "Scream Out Fest" (February 17-19, 2012) in Tokyo, Japan. During this time, We Came as Romans appeared on the cover of issue #285.2 (April 2012) of Alternative Press magazine. On March 5, 2012, We Came as Romans announced a free show to 500 local fans on March 7th at The Crowfoot in Pontiac, Michigan; and then headlined the Keep A Breast in conjunction with MerchNow.com's "The Fire and Ice Tour" (March - April 2012) with support from Emmure, Blessthefall, Woe, Is Me, and The Color Morale, which included headlining the South By So What? Festival on March 17, 2012 at QuikTrip Park, Grand Prairie, Texas; the "Houston We Have A Problem Festival" on March 18, 2012 at the Verizon Wireless Theatre in Houston, Texas; and day 1 of the Go Ahead Booking and Alternative Press' 2012 Jamboree Music Festival 3 at the Omni in Toledo, Ohio, on April 14, 2012. We Came as Romans participated in the Pulp Summer Slam 12 with Darkest Hour, Periphery, August Burns Red, Blessthefall, and Arch Enemy, on April 28, 2012 at the Amoranto Stadium in Quezon City, Philippines.^[35] We Came as Romans played day 1 and day 2's surprise of the annual Bamboozle Festival at Asbury Park, New Jersey on May 18-19, 2012. We Came as Romans were scheduled to support Underoath on their "South American Tour 2012" (May 2012) with additional support from Protest The Hero and Close Your Eyes; but this tour was cancelled. We Came as Romans headlined a free show at Santos Party House in New York City on May 22, 2012 with support from Like Moths to Flames and Texas in July; which was broadcasted in real time on LiveStream.com. We Came as Romans are also scheduled to headline a show on June 21, 2012 at Peabody's in Cleveland, Ohio; and then play Rockapalooza on June 23, 2012 at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Jackson, Michigan, alongside Woe, Is Me, Puddle of Mudd, Saliva, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; and two dates supporting the mall skate demo enthused "Zumiez Couch Tour" on June 24th in Chicago, Illinois and June 26th at The Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota with Set Your Goals. On April 18, 2012, We Came as Romans were announced as part of the "Scream It Like You Mean It 2012" tour (July - August 2012) alongside headliner Attack Attack! with The Acacia Strain, Oceano, Like Moths to Flames, Close to Home, Impending Doom, Woe, Is Me, Abandon All Ships, Secrets, Volumes, For All Those Sleeping, The Chariot, Glass Cloud, At The Skylines, Texas in July, In Fear and Faith, and Hands Like Houses.

Guest appearances [link]

David Stephens appeared as a vocalist on the track "Captain Tyin' Knots vs. Mr. Walkway (No Way)" by Sleeping with Sirens. This track appeared on the group's debut full-length album With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, which was released on March 23, 2010, through Rise Records.

Stephens also appeared as a vocalist on the track "Rock N' No Soul" by I Am Abomination. This track was featured on I Am Abomination's debut full-length album To Our Forefathers, which released on May 11, 2010 via Good Fight Records.^[36]

Joshua Moore co-wrote, and Stephens appeared as a vocalist on the track "The Wretched" by metal band The Word Alive. This song appeared on the band's debut full-length album Deceiver, which released on August 31, 2010, through Fearless Records. Stephens has also appeared onstage with The Word Alive performing the song alongside the band on a number of occasions.

Christian band debate [link]

When asked if they are a Christian band, lead guitarist, Joshua Moore replied, "We have Christian dudes in our band and we have non-Christian dudes in our band, and as a whole, we're not a Christian band. We definitely get it, but we also get it a lot because our music, as a whole, has a positive message to it, and there aren't a whole lot of bands with a positive message who aren't Christian bands. Typically, it's just Christian bands who promote a positive message. Just because we have a message, and it's not about killing each other, we get the Christian band tag."^[37]

Band members [link]

Discography [link]

Studio albums

Eps

• Dreams (self-released, December 2008)
• Demonstrations (self-released, 2008)

Music Videos [link]

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official website