Team-Building Republic

“It was a monumental effort and the best time we’ve had recording to date,” says Republic of Letters drummer Nick Venti on their debut album Painted Hour. “We really wanted to push our sound on this one. We stripped away a lot of the guitar effects and focused on the songwriting and tons of other intricacies and details that we never had studio time to focus on in the past.”

The 11-song album, recorded with Brian Karscig (Louis XIV, Nervous Wreckords) at Blue Roof Studios (owned by Sean Cornell of Transfer), is the result of a year and a half of songwriting that produced over 30 songs.

“We spent the entire month of July [2009] tracking,” says Venti. “Twelve-hour days, six days a week, hammering out this recording.”

The full-length is set to be released “soon” on an unspecified label. In the meantime, RoL will release an EP featuring five or six songs from Painted Hour.

Formed by brothers Chris (vocals, guitar) and Nick Venti (drums) in 2005, RoL recorded their first six-song EP, Spirit or a Ghost, in March 2007 at Big Fish Recording Studios with Ben Moore (who has worked with Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes, and Switchfoot).

Citing influences such as the Who and Springsteen, RoL plays a catchy brand of melodic indie rock, marked by swelling guitar, punchy Joy Division bass, and emotional vocals reminiscent of early Thom York or Bono.

RoL was nominated for the San Diego Music Awards in 2008 and 2009 as Best Alternative Band and has been invited to open for acts such as Hot Water Music and Unwritten Law. Their songs can be heard on radio stations nationwide.

Since their last EP, RoL have toured California, Arizona, and Texas (SXSW 2008, 2009). They’ve picked up a manager and an entertainment lawyer and shot a video for their song “Stories” at the Ruby Room.

“We’ve really been focusing on our live show and building our team,” Venti says.

The band anticipates a tour to San Francisco at the end of April, a West Coast tour in June, another EP release in July/August, and an East Coast tour in August.

The EP release is April 24 at Queen Bee’s in North Park. The ten-dollar admission gets you a copy of the disc.