Tickle Me Pink 'Madeline' album

With their debut album Madeline, The Fort Collins, Colorado band explores mortality, drug use, suicide, loss, brutal breakups and the trappings of suburbia. The band had to face the subject of death on what should have been one of the best moments of their career, the national release of their first album. On July 1, 2008, the day their album was released, bassist/guitarist Johnny Schou tragically passed away at the age of 22 ears-old.

Formed in 2005, Tickle Me Pink includes Sean Kennedy (lead vocals, bass), Stefan Runstrom (drums), Steven Beck (guitar, vocals) and Joey Barba (guitar). Tickle Me Pink has built a loyal following by playing hundreds of live shows and independently releasing two EPs, If Only We Were Twenty One And Up (2005) and Half Seas Over (2006), and their debut full-length, Madeline. Selling out the 650-capacity Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, Tickle Me Pink has become one of the biggest bands in Colorado.

The urgency and depth of Tickle Me Pink is best captured with the title track of their new album. "Madeline" is a cautionary tale of substance abuse, documenting the death of the album's namesake heroine. Kennedy states, "Madeline represents my friends who have gone off of the deep end. It illustrates how sorry I feel that my impact on some of my friends has not been more positive. Every activity shared in the song may have been fun at the time, but ultimately brought Madeline to her death. Living with the thought that you might have been the final straw is a tough mental battle."

The single, "Typical" is now impacting Alternative.

The band has announced plans to move towards the future following the passing of band member Johnny Schou. Singer Sean Kennedy shared, "Johnny always wanted to bring purpose to other people's lives. He had a quiet leadership that lives in all of us as a band. His legacy is in his music and every show we play we are sharing a piece of Johnny's heart with our listeners. Not only would he want us to carry on, but we owe it to him." He continued, "We have had to do some major soul searching as a band. We not only have lost a band member, but our best friend. The process is just beginning. We will never be able to replace Johnny, but through this tragedy we have all grown even closer together and are going to make him proud." Drummer Stefan Runstrom added, "Following a period of mourning over the loss of a great friend, it was only natural to want to move on. For two weeks, we were wrapped up in what seemed to be an enormous setback for our band. Now, it's proven to be more of an opportunity to unite and see something through till the end."

Tickle Me Pink has enlisted long-time friend Joey Barba to join them on the road as guitarist. On this selection, singer Sean Kennedy offers, "Joey has been a long time band friend. His old band, The Brotherhood of Dae Han, and Tickle Me Pink have grown up playing shows together. Through this, we have all made a special bond, especially with Joey. He appears on our nationally released live DVD on a few songs, and was in the studio with us during some of the recordings. Joey is not only a brilliant player; he is a great friend to us and was to Johnny. Johnny would want it this way if he could somehow have a say." Drummer Stefan Runstrom adds, "Joey has been a great friend of ours and Johnny's since the very beginning. In addition to being an amazing musician with reputable songwriting ability, he is also one of the nicest guys I know."

In moving towards the future, Kennedy concludes, "It is somewhat ironic that many of our songs deal with death and a higher purpose. We don't think it is a coincidence that these songs came about on our record. We want to let the world know how short life is; embrace the ones you love and treasure each moment without regret."

tour dates
7/28 SACRAMENTO, CA THE BOARDWALK
7/30 PORTLAND, OR HAWTHORNE THEATER
7/31 SEATTLE, WA EL CORAZON
8/01 BOISE, ID THE BIG EASY
8/02 SALT LAKE CITY, UT AVALON THEATER
8/03 DENVER, CO CERVANTE'S MASTERPIECE BALLROOM
8/04 ALBUQUERQUE, NM SUNSHINE THEATER
8/05 TEMPE, AZ THE CLUBHOUSE
8/15 LOUISVILLE, CO DOWNTOWN STREET FAIR (W/O SKSK & FINCH)
8/16 FORT COLLINS, CO BOHEMIAN NIGHTS @ NEW WEST (W/O SKSK & F)
8/25 LAWRENCE, KS THE BOTTLENECK
8/26 OMAHA, NE SOKOL AUD
8/27 ST. PAUL, MN STATION 4
8/28 CHICAGO, IL METRO
8/29 DETROIT, MI ST. ANDREWS HALL
8/30 CLEVELAND, OH HOUSE OF BLUES
8/31 BUFFALO, NY XTREME WHEELZ
9/02 CAMBRIDGE, MA MIDDLE EAST
9/03 NEW YORK, NY IRVING PLAZA
9/04 BALTIMORE, MD RAMS HEAD LIVE!
9/05 SAYREVILLE, NJ STARLAND BALLROOM
9/06 PHILADELPHIA, PA TROCADERO THEATER
9/07 NORFOLK, VA NORVA THEATER
9/09 CHARLOTTE, NC TREMONT MUSIC HALL
9/10 NASHVILLE, TN ROCKETOWN
9/11 ATLANTA, GA MASQUERADE MUSIC PARK
9/12 LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL HOUSE OF BLUES
9/13 ST. PETERSBURG, FL STATE THEATER
9/14 FT. LAUDERDALE, FL CULTURE ROOM
9/16 METAIRE, LA THE HIGH GROUND
9/17 HOUSTON, TX MERIDIAN
9/18 DALLAS, TX HOUSE OF BLUES
9/19 SAN ANTONIO, TX WHITE RABBIT
9/20 AUSTIN, TX ANTONES

biography
Fort Collins, Colorado sits just outside of the bustling urban landscape of Denver. Money Magazine dubbed Fort Collins, “the number one place to live in America.” Representing suburbia at its finest and the American dream for some, the setting is as safe and unchallenging as it comes. Boiling to the surface of the Fort Collins music scene, Tickle Me Pink has challenged the status quo, attempting to peel away the veneer of alleged perfection in a small town.

Formed in 2005, Tickle Me Pink includes Sean Kennedy (lead vocals, guitar, bass), Johnny Schou (bass, guitar, backup vocals), Stefan Runstrom (drums), and Steven Beck (guitar, vocals). Tickle Me Pink has built a loyal following by playing hundreds of live shows and independently releasing two EPs, If Only We Were Twenty One And Up (2005) and Half Seas Over (2006), and their newly conceived full-length, Madeline. Selling out the 650-capacity Aggie Theater in Fort Collins, Tickle Me Pink has become one of the biggest bands in Colorado thanks to their D.I.Y. punk rock work ethic. The band has toured throughout the United States, gaining fans wherever they go.

Tickle Me Pink recorded their debut album, Madeline, at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins. Produced by Lee Miles (The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Puddle Of Mudd), the epic album explores brutal breakups, love, loss, drug use, mortality and the trappings of suburbia.

Tickle Me Pink singer and lyricist Sean Kenney used Madeline as a means to challenge his own personal demons. “I have lots of inward battles. I was raised in a very religious home; I constantly struggle with my conscience, a higher purpose, contentment and the curse of always wanting more,” says Kennedy. “I have to make music, it makes me whole, and it is a part of my blood and soul.”

Standout track “The Time Is Wrong” is a song that deals with inner conflict and personal struggle. Kennedy explains, “This is a darker song about the devil within us all. Its goal is to portray how selfish our flesh is. There might be a raging battle in our heads, but we are too prideful to not hurt someone else, someone else who is unhappy brings comfort. So what would make you feel better: hurting the person so they are miserable alongside you, or being alone for the night? The entire song is an internal struggle.”

From the addictive melodies and explosive vocals on “Typical” to the roaring rocker “I Can’t Breathe” and the heartbreaking exploration of suicide on “Tomorrow’s Ending,” Tickle Me Pink have crafted a sonically challenging album that is as varied and eclectic as you will find in rock today.

With only two members of the band able to legally drink, the musical prowess and bleeding of youth is evident in Tickle Me Pink. The band’s blunt force trauma of honesty and exploration of life is captured on Madeline. Despite their age, each band member has accumulated years of experience.

Sean Kennedy has played music for over 11 years, taking lessons for opera, guitar and piano. Kennedy has developed a unique style all of his own and was trained by classical guitarist Dave Beegle. Outside of Tickle Me Pink, he also released an acoustic solo album in 2006.

Guitarist and bassist Johnny Schou has an ear for songwriting that far exceeds his age. The co-writer of Tickle Me Pink cut his teeth as an assistant engineer at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins where he worked with the legendary Bill Stevenson (The Descendents, Black Flag, Lemonheads).“I began working under Bill when I was 17. He was the first “father figure” in my life, and I quickly picked up on his ideas and approach to not only music and producing but also life. Bill is the most humble and modest person I know; the hours spent with him are really what make me the person I am today. I have a no bullshit approach to life,” says Schou.

Serving as an engineer at The Blasting Room, Schou worked on a wide-range of albums that helped shape his appreciation for songwriting and recording. Schou worked on albums from modern punk legends like Propagandhi (Potekmin City Limits), The Descendents (Myage), The Casualties (Under Attack), Comeback Kid (Wake The Dead, Broadcasting) and his all-time favorite band, Rise Against (The Suffer And The Witness).

Drummer Stefan Runstrom was immediately added to Tickle Me Pink when fellow members watched him win a battle of the bands on his own. A session drummer and drum teacher, Runstrom’s powerful technique is the backbone of Tickle Me Pink. Runstrom started playing at the age of 12. His early inspiration was classic rock, particularly John Bonham of Led Zeppelin. After Bonham, it was Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters who really made Runstrom want to play drums.

Tickle Me Pink were a three piece for over a year before guitarist Steven Beck joined the group. The band played the Coors Amphitheatre in Denver with Social Distortion when they decided that they needed another member for a bigger live sound. Beck has been playing guitar since age six. Beck has taught guitar for four years at the Academy of Guitar in Fort Collins and currently teaches over 30 students at the Academy and hosts a live show with them every three months.

The urgency and depth of Tickle Me Pink is best captured with the title track of their new album. "Madeline" is a cautionary tale of substance abuse, documenting the death of the album's namesake heroine. "Madeline" is introduced slowly with Kennedy's quiet vocals, picking up stream as the stomping of the bass and drums beat down. The beautifully tragic song builds sharply; accelerating at an ambitious pace into a frantic frenzy as the words “Madeline” are screamed.

Kennedy states, “Madeline represents my friends who have gone off of the deep end. It illustrates how sorry I feel that my impact on some of my friends has not been more positive. Every activity shared in the song may have been fun at the time, but ultimately brought Madeline to her death. Living with the thought that you might have been the final straw is a tough mental battle.”

With influences that recall the bombastic tension of At The Drive-In, the heart-on-the-sleeve approach of Brand New, the pop sensibilities of Third Eye Blind and the explosive energy of Rage Against The Machine, Madeline defies convention. With an onslaught of modern artists pigeonholed into singular sounds, Madeline is an eclectic offering that changes colors like a chameleon, yet never loses its heart or identity.

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Tickle Me Pink - Madeline