Three of the original four band members, bassist Jamie Krents, vocalist/drummer Nick Stumpf, and vocalist/guitarist Matthew Stinchcomb, are from Washington, D.C. They were heavily influenced by the hardcore scene that flourished during their youth in the D.C. area. They began playing together in a series of bands while in their teens and then all attended Oberlin College in Ohio, where they continued to play together. The three friends then moved to Brooklyn, New York after college, where the French Kicks were formed with vocalist/guitarist Josh Wise, a Princeton grad who originally hailed from Huntsville, Alabama. In 1999 they released a self titled EP The French Kicks under the label My Pal God. Soon, after a lot of touring, the band signed to Startime International. They soon released the Young Lawyer EP in 2001. The group then embarked on a tour with fellow garage rockers The Vue and The Walkmen. In 2002 they released their first full length album, One Time Bells. Jamie Krents departed the band the next year, and was replaced on bass by Lawrence Stumpf, Nick’s younger brother. In 2004, their next album, The Trial of the Century was released. Another personnel change occurred when Nick stopped playing drums at live shows to concentrate on his lead singing. A series of temporary drummers filled his spot until the band settled on Aaron Thurston, a Massachusetts native. In late 2005, Stinchcomb announced that he was leaving the band. Their video for their single “So Far We Are” also features actress Olivia Wilde. www.frenchkicks.com |
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