Roses Are Red (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Rochester, New York , United States |
| Products | Music albums |
| Website | myspace |
Roses Are Red is a rock music group that originated in Rochester, New York. The ensemble was signed under the Trustkill Records label.
History
Initially called Nobody Cares, Roses Are Red came together in the summer of 2002, comprising musicians from various Western New York bands. The founding members were Vincent Minervino handling vocals, Brian and Matthew Gordner on guitars, Kevin Mahoney playing bass, and Michael Lasaponara on drums. Within just two months of formation, they produced a 4-track demo and spent weekends touring through the latter part of 2002. Their first full-length record, Handshakes and Heartbreaks, debuted in June 2003, followed by a nationwide tour during July and August. Recognized as "The Next Big Thing" by Absolutepunk.net, the band attracted attention from record companies and ultimately signed with the New Jersey-based independent label Trustkill Records in spring 2004.
After performing select shows on the 2004 Warped Tour, they released Conversations that autumn, with production by Chris Badami (The Early November, The Starting Line). Their touring schedule included supporting acts such as The Plain White T's, Underoath, Silverstein, Matchbook Romance, Chiodos, and Hawthorne Heights. Roses Are Red returned to the Warped Tour in 2005, sharing the stage with bands like Boys Night Out, Armor For Sleep, From First To Last, and Emery.
In March 2005, during a tour alongside A Thorn For Every Heart, bassist Kevin Mahoney departed and was succeeded by Brad Gilboe from Detroit. Mahoney later transitioned to guitar duties for Polar Bear Club. He briefly rejoined the group to record their sophomore album before leaving again; Andy Champion took over bass responsibilities thereafter. Both Matthew and Brian Gordner left the band toward the end of 2005, with Shaun Murphy and Tom Zenns stepping in as their replacements.
Early in 2006, Roses Are Red composed and recorded their second studio album, What Became Of Me, which was released in June 2006 and featured among Alternative Press Magazine's 'Most Anticipated Albums Of 2006'. The album was produced by Brian McTernan (Thrice, Circa Survive, Darkest Hour, Senses Fail).
Following the departure of Michael Lasaponara and Shaun Murphy in February 2007 after headlining the Glitz 'N Glamour tour—which included acts like Rookie of the Year, Scenes From A Movie, and Four Letter Lie—the band entered a hiatus before eventually disbanding.
Post-break up
Tom Zenns briefly joined Time & Distance before departing. Andy Champion also played bass for Time & Distance prior to collaborating with Zenns in his project Love or Lust. Zenns pursued a short stint in eSports, entering the 2018 NBA2K League draft pool but went undrafted. Subsequently, he gained recognition streaming Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, completing it three times while attracting over 1000 viewers. Champion exited Love or Lust to briefly join Buffalo-based The Boy And His Machine and currently performs with Losers Club. Michael Lasaponara played drums for California’s William Tell, appearing on Last Call with Carson Daly. Afterwards, he worked as a drum technician for groups including The Used, The Academy Is..., Armor For Sleep, Cobra Starship, and Chiodos before joining Cute Is What We Aim For until their breakup in 2009. He now drums for New York’s Nocturnal Me. Brian Gordner transitioned into tour management for Straylight Run and Augustana; his brother Matthew serves as General Manager at Portland indie label Rise Records. Kevin Mahoney plays guitar with Hit The Lights and side project Holy War. Vincent Minervino founded post-hardcore band My Island before launching surf-pop act The Brigantines as vocalist and guitarist. In 2014, he switched to drums to form surf-noir trio Black Flamingos based in Asbury Park, NJ. Alongside his wife, he established Hi-Tide Recordings & Nu-Tone, focusing on surf, lounge, exotica, Latin soul, and cinematic funk genres.
Reunion
In August 2024, following a break of sixteen years, the band revealed plans for fresh material alongside a performance scheduled for September 21 in Rochester, commemorating the 20th anniversary of Conversations. This milestone also saw both Conversations and What Became Of Me issued on vinyl for the first time, accompanied by the release of a new song titled "Memento" on September 2.
Band members
Current lineup
- Vincent Minervino – lead vocals
- Michael Lasaponara – drums
- Shaun Murphy – guitar and vocals
- Tom Zenns – guitar
Past members
- Kevin Mahoney – bass guitar and vocals
- Matthew Gordner – guitar
- Brian Gordner – guitar
- Brad Gilboe – bass guitar and vocals
- Andy Champion – bass guitar
Discography
- Handshakes and Heartbreaks (2003)
- Conversations (2004)
- What Became of Me (2006)
Other appearances
- "White & Gold" featured on Take Action!, Vol. 4 (2004) and the Warped Tour 2005 Compilation (2005)
- "Last Christmas" included in Taste of Christmas (2005)
- "Cherub Rock" contributed to The Killer in You: A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins (2005)
- "300 Motion Pictures" appearing on Trustkill Takeover Vol.1 (2005), Music On the Brain, Vol.2 (2005), and The Best of Taste of Chaos (2006)
- "We Never Knew" from Trustkill Takeover Vol.2 (2006)
- "Failing" featured on the Warped Tour 2006 Compilation (2006)