You, Me and Everyone We Know has had its share of great hardships and downfalls, but it has finally reached two landmarks in 2010: a headlining tour and a full-length release.
The Washington, D.C. band, composed of Ben Liebsch, Rico Vigil and Augustine Rampolla, has often been compared to the likes of Say Anything with the lyrics of a band like The Format. But unlike many others, these guys have taken the distinct step not to be associated with any label. And while they are patient, holding out for the right time to sign, being independent has often proved taxing for the members.
“There have been times when it has nearly come to be too much,” Liebsch told idobi. “The only real difficulty when these things happen is just not having anybody to call. At the end of the day, when you need CDs and you don’t have money, there’s nobody to call. We’re where the buck stops.”
Nevertheless, the band believes that flying solo has been more rewarding than challenging. In the four years it has existed, You, Me and Everyone We Know has been responsible for its own marketing, not to mention writing and releasing a full-length album. At present its members are finishing up their third record, which is due out this summer.
To promote the new album, You, Me and Everyone We Know will tour with Stay, We Are The In Crowd and Breathe Electric next spring. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the D.C. natives will co-headline the tour, something that Liebsch was not aware of until the very last minute.
“We didn’t find out we were headlining the tour until the poster for it was released,” Liebsch said. “But I’m fine with it, and I’m confident.”
In fact, the road to this point was not so straightforward. Over the years the members of You, Me and Everyone We Know have cultivated humbling lessons from failures and hardships that ranged from business mishaps to van accidents. In all, the band’s patience has been tested numerous times, but the members say it has only been for the better.
“I believe that everything bad that has happened had to happen in order for us to be here right now,” Liebsch said. “You can grow, but its harder to do that if you haven’t had these difficulties along the way.”
Right now, the levelheaded members do seem to be poised for any upcoming challenges they may face. But to be certain, one large, albeit self-imposed obstacle remains in the present for the band wishes to continue producing music as an independent act, unsigned to any record label that it feels could potentially constrain its creativity.
“I want people to have a good time and to know that if they have a problem, they’re not alone,” Liebsch said. “If we can do that for as many people as possible without changing or buying into the aspects of the music industry that we don’t like, then we’ve achieved something.”
