UNWRITTEN LAW

Biography

Scott Russo – vocals
Wade Youman - drums
Jonny Grill – bass
Chris Lewis – guitars


Southern California’s UNWRITTEN LAW has become synonymous with the sounds of summer by releasing some of the most celebrated rock records of recent memory, touring the world to play for sold out crowds, holding the #1 slot on the Billboard Modern Rock charts and becoming a staple of the summer’s biggest festival, Vans Warped Tour. Not only have they become rock idols but also they have overcome pitfalls that would end the careers of most bands in order to remain relevant as others from the scene fade away. Now UNWRITTEN LAW is set to return with SWAN, their sixth studio album due out March 29 on BreakSilence Recordings/Suburban Noize Records.

Marred by drugs, alcohol and personal struggles, UNWRITTEN LAW channeled their problems into writing and have crafted one of the most personal rock records of their career. “There was a lot of interpersonal turmoil going on with the band itself and in our personal lives when we were making this album,” recalls Unwritten Law guitarist Steve Morris. One such battle came in the form of front man Scott Russo losing his house and possessions in a terrible fire last year; however the band battled back in the face of adversity to make Swan. Anthemic songs such as lead single “Starships and Apocalypse” and “Dark Dayz” make this record the catchiest UNWRITTEN LAW record yet.

"It took a long time to write this record because we were creating something real in a time when fake, bullshit, phony music rules the airwaves," commented Russo. "It seems like artists have forgotten the art of creating an album. Everyone writes one good song and then fills the rest of the album with B-Sides. We spent six months just writing the music and then I spent another eight months writing lyrics. For this album we had to make sure that every song was a great song and there was zero filler.”

UNWRITTEN LAW also teamed up with a few names of note on Swan. “Chicken Scratch” features guest vocals by the legendary rapper Del The Funky Homosapien, a collaboration that was hooked up by Danny Way (legendary skateboarder and co-founder of DC Shoes and Plan B Skateboards). Cisco Adler also lends a hand with writing and production on “Dark Dayz,” “Nevermind,” “Last Chance” and “Swan Song”. What results is a blend of amazing musicianship and a new found inspiration of lyrics.. From the blazing, edgy “Starships and Apocalypse” to the inspired, Beatles-esque “Let You Go” and the obviously hip-hop tinged “Chicken (Ready to Go)”, Swan shows incredible growth and proves that innovative music still exists in a time of carbon copies and fading trends.

The band has continued to make awe-inspiring music and is now excited to hit the road in support of the record and show off the incredible new album to audiences around the world. UNWRITTEN LAW has already begun to plot numerous routes across the globe. Then, this summer the band will return to the stage where they began to make a name for themselves so long ago: Vans Warped Tour.

Looking back on the past few years, UNWRITTEN LAW can’t help but smile. “We had taken ourselves and the music from something ugly that no one wanted to be a part of and turned it into something everyone loved and was proud of," adds Morris. They know that they have risen above the struggles that have stood in their way and are ready to make a splash in 2011 with Swan.

Unwritten Law was formed in 1990, in Poway, California. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.