Senses Fail and Initiate

The group formed in 2002 in Ridgewood, New Jersey, US after lead singer Buddy Nielsen placed a band advertisement on the internet, attracting responses from drummer Dan Trapp, who in turn convinced his friends to join, which included James Gill, Dave Miller, and Garrett Zablocki. Former Tokyo Rose drummer Mike Glita completed the group’s initial line up, taking on the role of bassist.

Senses Fail derived their name from a theme common in Eastern religion and philosophy (particularly Hinduism) in which nirvana is reached through suppressing all sensory perception. They have integrated their love of philosophical ideas such as this as well as poetry and pure emotional expression into their sound. Their unique take on punk music as well as their endearing work ethic gained them a strong and steadily growing fan base.

The group put on live shows anytime and anywhere they got a chance, including unorthodox venues such as skate parks and churches. Once they gathered a following they started recording demos to meet their fans demands. Their first “official” release comprised their early demos into the 6 track EP “From the Depths of Dreams, which came out through ECA Records. Though the recording was released independently it was a minor success, impressive enough to get Drive-Thru Records to sign a recording contract with them. Their EP was reissued through the label in 2003 and featured an additional 2 tracks. This re-issue was very successful, rising to No. 144 on the Billboard charts and gaining them supporting bills with Finch, The Used, Millencolin, and the Starting Line.

By early 2004 Senses Fail put out their studio debut through the label Vagrant Records. The band drew lyrical inspiration from a broad range of sources such as poet Charles Bukowski, mythologist Joseph Campbell and the 6th century sage Laozi. The album was immensely successful selling 400,000 copies in the United States and producing two singles “Buried a Lie” and “Rum Is For Drinking”. Senses Fail went on to promote the album through a long lasting tour that made stops at festivals like Vans Warped Tour and Taste of Chaos.

The release of 2006’s “Still Searching” followed the band’s extensive tour. The album was produced by Brian McTernan whose past credits include works by Texas Is the Reason, Converge, Hot Rod Circuit, and Thrice. The deluxe edition of the album was released in November 2007 and featured the Cranberries cover “Salvation”.

The group’s 3rd album “Life Is Not a Waiting Room” came out on 7 October 2008 and was supported by a national tour that started a day later. The group reconnected with McTeran to record their 4th studio album “The Fire”, which was released in the Fall of 2010. Garrett Zablocki left the band shortly after to pursue a college degree and focus on music compositions for film.

Near the close of 2011 the band embarked on another tour alongside “Stick To Your Guns”, “Make Do and Mend”, and “The Story So Far”. In the Summer of 2012 they released their greatest hits album “Follow Your Bliss: The Best of Senses Fail” and in early 2013 issued their 5th studio album “Renacer”.