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Californian band features Pinoy drummer

Wednesday, November 5, 2008 01:23 AM
Photography: Courtesy of Sony BMG

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Anthony Improgo (rightmost) is the Filipino drummer of the Los Angeles-based pop band Metro Station. In this photo, he is joined by his bandmates (from left) Trace Cyrus, Mason Musso, and Blake Healy. Their self-titled album is now available locally courtesy of Sony BMG.

Even before the American rock band Journey chose to have Arnel Pineda as their vocalist, a Los Angeles-based pop band has been performing with a Filipino drummer for some time now.

Metro Station, a band formed in late 2006, is best known for their Top 10 Billboard hit single "Shake It" from their self-titled debut album. In the Philippines, this song is used as the jingle of the TV commercial for a popular orange juice drink.

This band is composed of Trace Cyrus on vocals and guitar (who is also the half-brother of Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus), Mason Musso on vocals and guitar, Blake Healy on keyboards and synth and Anthony Improgo on percussion-who is actually Pinoy.

Metro Station's brazenly catchy dance hooks and yearning lyrics aim to capture what it feels like to be a teenager in today's culture. Aside from "Shake It," Metro Station is also known for its new song titled "Seventeen Forever."

The band gained early success when online fans made them MySpace stars in a matter of weeks. They caught the early attention of Alternative Press (earning a spot as one of the magazine's "22 Best Underground Bands"), along with URB and Teen Vogue magazines, months before they signed to a label. Since their discovery, the band members let go of their mall jobs to become recording artists with Motion City Soundtrack in the same year.

"We were on MySpace three months before we hit the charts" says Trace. "And when that happened, we were like, oh my god, this could really happen for us. Before that it had all seemed unreal."

The band first performed a show at The Echo, where a little-known musician by the name of Beck happened to be opening for them. "It was a secret show for him that sold out," says Trace. "We showed up and there was Beck. He used our equipment to play and we went on right after. We had only played ten shows at that point, but it was one of our best nights yet."

Metro Station signed to Sony BMG in late 2006 (after an intern discovered them on MySpace) and recorded their album in New York City. Warped Tour veterans Motion City Soundtrack produced two tracks, off their debut album, and the band worked on the remaining tracks with celebrated producers Sam Hollander and Dave Katz (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls).

Metro Station's self-titled debut album is now out in CDs at leading record stores in the Philippines under Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

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