We Are the Union
American ska punk band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
We Are the Union is an American ska punk band from Ann Arbor, Michigan, formed in 2005. The band has had many lineup changes since its inception, with vocalist/guitarist Reade Wolcott and bassist Brandon Benson as the only remaining original members. As of 2022, their live lineup often features guest horn players and touring members.
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- Youth Owned
- Self-released
- Paper + Plastick[3][5]
- Bad Time
We Are the Union | |
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2021 promotional photo of We Are The Union. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States[1] |
| Genres | |
| Years active | |
| Labels |
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| Members |
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| Past members | See members section |
| Website | wearetheunion |
History
Early years and hiatus (2005–2013)
The band formed in August 2005 in Ann Arbor, Michigan[1] due to members being "unhappy with the current state of ska music."[6] Their debut album, Who We Are, was released in 2007.[9]
Who We Are would be followed by albums Great Leaps Forward in 2010[10] and You Can't Hide the Sun in 2012.[11] In 2013, We Are the Union announced they were going on an indefinite hiatus,[12] stating: "We've decided to take a hiatus from active status. […] We were a band. Maybe someday we will be again. We've had some amazing times, and we truly appreciate those of you who've contributed to our existence. We've never been a supercool hype band or uberpunx beardy band, so we thank each and every one of you who listened to our music over the years."[8]
Return, Self Care, and Ordinary Life (2015–present)
The band returned from hiatus in 2015,[13] with Jer Hunter of the YouTube channel Skatune Network joining the band on trombone.[14] They released their fourth studio album, Self Care, in 2018. Following this album release, the band appeared on Audiotree,[15] and released new singles in 2020.[16]
In April 2021, We Are The Union announced a new album, Ordinary Life, to be released on June 4, 2021, via Bad Time Records.[17] Along with the album announcement, lead vocalist Reade Wolcott came out as a trans woman, with much of the album exploring topics surrounding her transition.[18]
In November 2022, it was announced that drummer Brent Friedman would be leaving the group.[19]
Influences and musical style
We Are the Union cites Lifetime, Kid Dynamite, Slapstick, Less Than Jake, and This Is A Standoff as influences.[6] More recently, they have been influenced by indie pop and pop music.[20]
Discography
Adapted from Bandcamp, Spotify, Tumblr and YouTube[21][22][23][24][25][26]
Studio albums
Extended plays
Singles
As lead artist
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | "Call In Dead"[39] | Keep It Down |
| 2018 | "What's Wrong With Me?"[40] | Self Care |
| "A Better Home"[41] | ||
| 2020 | "Goin' Down the Road Feelin' Bad"[42] | Non-album single |
| "Your Way, Your Time"[43] | ||
| "You're Dead / Vampire Ska" (Norma Tanega/Horny Toad cover)[44] | ||
| "I'm Working Retail For Christmas"[45] | ||
| 2021 | "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Punk Rock Stars"[46] | |
| "Rasputin" (Boney M. cover)[47] | ||
| "Morbid Obsessions"[48] | Ordinary Life | |
| "Boys Will Be Girls" | ||
| "Make It Easy" | ||
| "Sound System" (Operation Ivy cover; ft. Eve 6) | Non-album single | |
| 2022 | "OHMYGOD" (Eichlers cover) | |
| "Yr Always Alone (On Christmas)" | ||
As featured artist
Demos
Live albums
Music videos
| Year | Song | Director | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "This is My Life (And It's Ending One Minute At A Time)" | Tyler Capehart | [52] |
| 2012 | "We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" | Tyler Capehart,
Joelle Andrés |
[53] |
| 2015 | "Call In Dead" (lyric video) | We Are the Union | [39] |
| 2018 | "A Better Home" (lyric video) | [54] | |
| "Dust on the Hourglass" (acoustic in-studio) | [55] | ||
| "What's Wrong With Me?" (lyric video) | [56] | ||
| 2020 | "Your Way, Your Time" | Chris Graue | [57] |
| "Pre-Expatriate" | [58] | ||
| "You're Dead / Vampire Ska" | [59] | ||
| "I'm Working Retail For Christmas" | |||
| 2021 | "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Punk Rock Stars" | ||
| "Rasputin" | |||
| "Morbid Obsessions" | |||
| "Boys Will Be Girls" | |||
| "Make It Easy" | |||
| "Sound System" | |||
| 2022 | "OHMYGOD" | Reade Wolcott | |
| "Surfing on the Waves of Caffeination" | Chris Graue | ||
| "December" | Rae Mystic | ||
| "Yr Always Alone (On Christmas)" |
Compilation appearances
Band members
Current members
- Reade Wolcott[17][18] – guitar, lead vocals (2005-2013, 2015-present)
- Brandon Benson[3] – bass, backing vocals (2005-2013, 2015-present)
- Ricky Weber[3] – lead guitar (2008-2013, 2015-present)
- Jer Hunter[62][63][64] – trombone, backing vocals (2015-present)[14]
- Devan Bentley - drums (2022–present)
Former members
- Emily Williams – tenor saxophone (2022–2024)
- Brent Friedman[1] – drums (2015-2022)
- Jim Margle[3][65] – drums
- Charlie Held – drums
- Trey Cook – drums
- John Ryan Jr. – saxophone
- Denni Skagalera – saxophone
- Matt Belanger[3][66] – trombone
- David Lackey – trombone
- Barney – trombone
- Daniel Ray – trombone
- Ryan Collins – guitar
- Noah Fenton- guitar
- Ben Wixson – guitar