This confidence encouraged the band to repeatedly try to convince Smallman Records to come and see their live show in January 2004. When Smallman did show up, the band did not disappoint. Their show had all the dedicated intensity that the label was looking for, including an unfortunate post show hospital trip for White due to a torn lip from his over-enthusiastic performance. With a label now in place, White and Nelan along with Jeremy Widerman(guitar), Cam Bordignon (drums) and Ronson Armstrong (Bass), went into the Music Gym in Burlington ON to record their first full length entitled Ravenna. The new album reflected the band’s continued self-assurance in themselves and in their song writing abilities. “We were writing in avenues and musical styles that we hadn’t ventured into before,” says White of the songs that appear on Ravenna. It is by challenging the norm that The Reason are now incorporating some of the things that they’ve learned from punk and even perhaps dancey pop music. This in turn is allowing them to challenge a new world. “There are a lot of dance and groove influences in this album. Everything we’ve ever done has been with a punk ethic, but the style of the music now revolves more around the beat. Everything’s a little more intricate, it’s still hardcore or rock but it comes out with a little more dance feel almost. When we listen to it now - we just never thought we could do something like that,” states White with a genuine sense of surprise and pride. This musical concept of creating “new from the old” played an integral role in inspiring the title of the forthcoming album - alongside the changes in both the band and personal dynamics that were occurring at the time. “We wanted the title to revolve around a changing of the guard theme,” offers White on the Ravenna moniker. “Obviously to a much lesser extent, it’s similar to when the Roman Empire moved the capital city from Rome to Ravenna and created this new kingdom and made everything new from the old empire. There’s this theme of a Trojan archer in our artwork as well. It’s all just metaphorical for the personal struggles that have happened in the past few years.” Their strong group chemistry was solidified with the addition of Jeremy Widerman (replacing Erik on Guitar) in the summer of 2004, Now with an incredible drive and purpose, The Reason is challenging the standards of the stage, the sound and the scene itself. In March 2007 the band released their second record, Things Couldn’t Be Better. |
|
 | ||||||||||||||||
