The Juliana Theory
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Greensburg and Latrobe , United States |
| Products | Music albums, live performances |
The Juliana Theory is a rock and emo duo originating from Greensburg and Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Their initial contract was with Tooth & Nail Records, followed by a signing with Epic Records for the release of their album Love. Over their career, the group produced four studio albums before disbanding in 2006. They reunited briefly in 2010 for eight performances, came together again in 2017 to celebrate their 20th anniversary with a tour, and in 2020 announced a new partnership with Equal Vision Records.
Their musical inspirations include iconic acts such as the Beatles, the Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Rush, Roger Waters, and Pink Floyd.
Formation
Established in 1997 by Joshua Fiedler and Neil Hebrank (previously of Noisome), along with Chad Monticue (formerly of Pensive), Jeremiah Momper, and Brett Detar (who was also involved with Zao and Pensive), The Juliana Theory started as a side endeavor. Detar and Monticue had been friends since childhood, while Fiedler met Detar during high school. Although initially a casual project, the band rapidly became their main focus.
The origin of the band's name is arbitrary; it was selected without particular significance prior to their debut performance. Lead vocalist Brett Detar later described the name as "pretty stupid," admitting it was simply their chosen moniker.
Their first live show took place at Saint Vincent College as an opening act. They caught the attention of Brandon Ebel from Tooth & Nail Records after performing on an impromptu stage for unsigned bands at the Cornerstone Music Festival. Their first recorded release was a split EP with Dawson High on Arise Records, which led to a multi-album contract with Seattle’s Tooth & Nail Records.
The Tooth & Nail Era
Following extensive touring, the band signed with independent label Tooth & Nail, releasing their debut album Understand This Is a Dream on March 23, 1999. Shortly after this release, Joshua Kosker replaced Jeremiah Momper. The band and label then issued Emotion Is Dead in 2000; combined sales of both albums reached about 130,000 copies.
Tensions arose between The Juliana Theory and Tooth & Nail due to disagreements over creative control and promotional efforts. Dissatisfied with the marketing support provided, the band eventually left the label to explore other options.
The Epic Era
In 2001, The Juliana Theory signed with Epic/Sony and joined the Warped Tour lineup. On October 23, 2001, they released the Music from Another Room EP through Tooth & Nail.
During this period, drummer Josh "Chip" Walters replaced Neil Hebrank prior to recording their third full-length album for Epic, Love. Produced by Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads—who had previously worked with Live and No Doubt—the album was recorded both in California and at lead singer Brett Detar’s home studio in Pennsylvania. Despite limited radio airplay and minimal label backing, Love sold over 100,000 copies, debuted at number 71 on the Billboard 200 chart, and remained within the top 200 for five consecutive weeks. This success supported more than 260 live shows during its release year.
Between January and March 2003, The Juliana Theory co-headlined a tour alongside Something Corporate that included major markets such as New York City and Los Angeles. Both groups had transitioned from independent labels to major record companies by that time and were supported by Vendetta Red.
In an interview conducted in 2003, Detar expressed dissatisfaction with Sony Records, indicating that his expectations were not met during their tenure. Following this period, The Juliana Theory ended their contract with Epic Records and signed with Rykodisc. Later on MySpace, Detar disclosed that after changes in management at Rykodisc occurred, they chose to leave the label and independently finance their next studio album with help from manager Josh Karchmer.
Paper Fist Period
Following their departure from Epic Records, the group established their own imprint, Paper Fist, connected with Abacus Recordings. The label's name was inspired by their track "To the Tune of 5,000 Screaming Children." Their fourth full-length album, Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat, was released on September 13, 2005.
The album was produced by John Travis alongside frontman Brett Detar as co-producer. Recording sessions took place between late 2004 and early 2005 at Seedy Underbelly Studios in California and Studio 66 in Pennsylvania. A limited edition version featured a 25-minute documentary on the album’s creation, including band commentary and exclusive tracks.
The band identified four standout songs as the core of the record: "This Is a Lovesong... For the Loveless," "This Valentine Ain't No Saint," "French Kiss Off," and "Shotgun Serenade." Chad characterized the album’s themes as encompassing love, automobiles, alcohol, drugs, sex, and homicide, while Brett highlighted its lyrical sharpness and a sense of "bite and venom."
Disbandment
On February 9, 2006, the band declared their dissolution, attributing it primarily to disputes with record companies Tooth and Nail and Epic.
After the Split
A MySpace blog update in 2007 informed fans about new ventures: Josh Fiedler launched Vesta, and Josh "Chip" Walters became drummer for Crushing Ground. In 2009, subtle indications of a reunion emerged via Juliana Theory’s official Twitter profile. Later that year, former lead vocalist Brett Detar revealed intentions to release a Juliana Theory Rarities & B-Sides compilation.
Vesta
In 2008, Joshua Fiedler, Joshua Kosker, and Chad Alan from The Juliana Theory formed a new group named Vesta. Their live debut occurred on April 25, 2009, in Bowling Green, Ohio. During this period, they recorded their initial album with Pittsburgh-based musician and engineer Jonathan Gunnell.
On October 6, 2009, Vesta independently launched their first EP titled 0.1 Daylight's Coming, which was recorded and mixed by Gunnell and mastered by Garrett Haines at Treelady Studios. The following year saw the addition of two tracks before releasing the album under Paper Fist Recordings.
Reunion
On December 14, 2009, the band announced plans for two reunion performances during summer 2010 to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Emotion Is Dead, playing the entire record along with fan favorites. By January 20, 2010, seven final tour dates had been confirmed.
A show at New York City’s Highline Ballroom was scheduled for August 20, 2010, featuring a full performance of Emotion Is Dead plus greatest hits. On March 23, 2010, Mightier Than Sword Records issued Understand This Is a Dream on vinyl as part of their tenth Anniversary Series.
In August 2010, the group released an online collection of B-sides and rarities containing 28 tracks, mastered by Jonathan Gunnell. Their concluding performance took place on September 11, 2010, at The Altar Bar in Pittsburgh with proceeds benefiting the Mario Lemieux Foundation.
Mind Over Matter Records reissued Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat on August 19, 2016, as a double LP featuring four bonus songs. On April 17, 2017, the band announced a North American summer reunion tour marking their twentieth anniversary, which included participation in the Vans Warped Rewind at Sea event traveling from New Orleans to Cozumel in late October.
Equal Vision Records Period
On November 20, 2020, the group entered into a contract with Equal Vision Records and introduced the single "Can't Go Home". Subsequently, on January 1, 2021, they unveiled "Better Now" via YouTube.
Their first full-length release since 2005, A Dream Away, was launched on March 26, 2021, through Rude and Equal Vision Records. This album included the track "Better Now" alongside reworked versions of earlier songs such as "Into the Dark" and "If I Told You This Was Killing Me, Would You Stop?".
During the summer of 2022, The Juliana Theory joined Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness as supporting acts on the Hello Gone Days tour. In summer 2023, they performed as an acoustic duo opening for The Rocket Summer on the Shadowkasters tour.
Band members
Current lineup
- Brett Detar – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, programming (1997–2006, 2010, 2017–present)
- Joshua Fiedler – lead guitar, backing vocals (1997–2006, 2010, 2017–present); bass guitar (2017–present)
- Ryan Seaman – drums (2021–present)
Past members
- Chad Alan – bass guitar, backing vocals (1997–2006, 2010, 2017)
- Joshua Kosker – rhythm and lead guitar, backing vocals (1999–2006, 2010, 2017)
- Josh "Chip" Walters – drums (2001–06, 2010, 2017)
- Jeremiah Momper – rhythm and lead guitar (1997–1999)
- Neil Hebrank – drums (1997–2001)
Timeline
Studio albums
| Title | Album information | Highest chart position |
|---|---|---|
| Billboard 200 | ||
| Understand This Is a Dream |
|
— |
| Emotion Is Dead |
|
— |
| Love |
|
71 |
| Deadbeat Sweetheartbeat |
|
— |
| A Dream Away |
|
— |
Live albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Live October 13, 2001 |
|
| Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA 11.3.05 |
|
| Scrappy's – Tucson, AZ 11.8.05 |
|
| Downtown Brewing Co. – San Luis Obispo, CA 11.2.05 |
|
| Neckbeard's – Tempe, AZ 11.7.05 |
|
| Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA 11.5.05 |
|
Extended plays
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| Music from Another Room |
|
| Still The Same Kids Pt. 1 |
|
Compilation albums
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| A Small Noise |
|
| 28 B-Sides and Rarities |
|
Split albums
| Title | Release information |
|---|---|
| The Juliana Theory / Dawson High |
|
| Three-Way Split |
|
Singles
| Title | Year of release | Associated album |
|---|---|---|
| "Understand the Dream Is Over" | 2001 | Emotion Is Dead |
| "Do You Believe Me?" | 2002 | Love |
| "Can't Go Home" | 2020 | Standalone single (non-album) |
| "Better Now" | 2021 | A Dream Away |
Other appearances
| Track title | Year released | Compilation or album name |
|---|---|---|
| "Bring It Low" | 2002 | MTV Road Rules: Don't Make Me Pull This Thing Over – Volume 1 |
| "Can't Suspend It" | 2005 | Drive-Thru Records and Purevolume.com |
Music videos
| Video title | Year produced | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Do You Believe Me?" | 2002 | |
| "My Heart Is A Soldier" | 2004 | |
| "This Is A Lovesong... For the Loveless" | 2005 | Travis Kopach |
| "Can't Go Home" | 2020 | Brett Detar |
| "Better Now" | 2021 | Jesse Korman |
| "We're At The Top Of The World (Reimagined)" | ||
| "Playback '99 (Burn The Cassette Deck)" | 2022 | |
| "Less Talk" | Eric Angelo | |
| "Constellation" | 2024 |