Pressure 4-5
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
Pressure 4-5 was a rock group originating from Santa Barbara, California, known for their singular studio release, Burning the Process, which came out in October 2001. They toured throughout 2002 before members chose to leave the music industry and pursue other professions.
Although frequently categorized under alternative metal and nu metal genres, Pressure 4-5 distanced themselves from the metal label, instead defining their sound as "heavy rock with thoughtful and somewhat intellectual lyrics," setting themselves apart from rap rock styles.
Band history
Pressure 4-5 was established in January 1998 by vocalist Adam Rich alongside guitarist Mark Barry. Soon after, bassist Lyle McKeany and guitarist Joe Schmidt—who initially joined as a DJ—completed the lineup. The original drummer Jake Fowler was eventually replaced by Tom Schmidt.
The band's name arose from uncertainty surrounding Joe Schmidt’s commitment, placing the remaining four members under "Pressure 4-5."
In 1999, the group self-released the EP Antechnology and cultivated a loyal California following through live performances and online fanzines. They secured a deal with DreamWorks Records in 2000 and subsequently launched Burning the Process in fall 2001. Amidst the nu metal wave, they gained visibility performing on Ozzfest’s Second Stage and touring alongside bands such as Dredg, The Used, and Lit. Their October 2001 concert in Colorado was filmed for an MTV special. Shortly after the September 11 attacks, they notably sold out a show with Alien Ant Farm at WWF New York. The album achieved sales near 80,000 copies.
Following the release of singles like "Beat The World," whose video was directed by Marc Webb, and "Melt Me Down," which received airplay on MTV2 in 2001, Pressure 4-5 began working on new tracks. Their spring 2002 headlining MTV2 Presents Tour featured these new songs along with performances by Apex Theory and Lostprophets. Appearances on radio shows alongside Blink-182 and 311 helped broaden their audience.
Early in 2003, founding members Tom Schmidt and Lyle McKeany left the band—Schmidt departing to study culinary arts in Tuscany. After being dropped by DreamWorks, Pressure 4-5 recorded demos with replacement musicians that remained unreleased before officially disbanding in July of that year.
Guitarist Mark Barry announced the group's dissolution on their website: "Pressure 4-5 is no longer active. Following our final performance in Santa Barbara, Adam chose to move on to other pursuits, and the rest of us have done likewise. I’m grateful for all the support over these past five years."
After the breakup, Joe Schmidt became part of Primal Tribe. Adam Rich later held the position of principal at Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville, California from 2016 until 2022.
In 2013, bassist Lyle McKeany disclosed that their contract with DreamWorks and EMI had resulted in over a million dollars of debt due to substantial expenses related to recording and video production:
"We spent approximately $350,000 recording our album at NRG studios and about $250,000 filming our video at Universal Studios. Adding a $500,000 advance for a five-member band brings us to $1,150,000—and that was before we even started touring!"
Band members
- Last roster
- Adam Rich – lead vocals (1998–2003)
- Joe Schmidt – rhythm guitar (1998–2003), turntables (1998)
- Mark Barry – lead guitar (1998–2003)
- John Miller – bass guitar (2003)
- Andrew Bogert – drums (2003)
- Former lineup
- Lyle McKeany – bass guitar, backing vocals (1998–2003)
- Jake Fowler – drums (1998–1999)
- Tom Schmidt – drums (1999–2003)
Timeline
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Colors =
id:LV value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:LG value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:RG value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:B value:blue legend:Bass id:D value:orange legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_release id:Lines1 value:gray(0.5) legend:EP
LineData =
color:Lines1 layer:back at:21/06/1999 color:black layer:back at:02/10/2001
BarData =
bar:MH text:"Adam Rich" bar:RA text:"Joe Schmidt"
bar:JH text:"Mark Barry"
bar:RL text:"Lyle McKeany" bar:JL text:"John Miller"
bar:JF text:"Jake Fowler" bar:JG text:"Tom Schmidt" bar:AB text:"Andrew Bogert"
PlotData=
width:11 bar:MH from:start till:end color:LV bar:JH from:start till:end color:LG bar:RA from:start till:end color:RG
bar:RL from:start till:01/07/2003 color:B bar:JL from:01/01/2003 till:end color:B bar:JF from:start till:01/07/1999 color:D bar:JG from:01/07/1999 till:01/01/2003 color:D bar:AB from:01/01/2003 till:end color:D
</timeline>
Discography
- Albums in studio
- Burning the Process (2001)
- Extended plays
- Antechnology (1999)
External links
- Pressure 4-5 on MusicBrainz
- [ Pressure 4-5] on Allmusic
- []