Frankie Muniz’s band You Hang Up have recently relaunched their website and continue to prepare for the release of their debut album.
On the new site, you can listen to samples of tracks from the new album and there’s even a new email list you can sign up for to get updates on the band.
Hey Everyone,
Check out the sneak preview of our upcoming release, we put together short clips of 4 different songs that will be featured on the new disc. We can’t wait for you guys to hear it. We’ll also be announcing a whole bunch of shows in the near future…stay tuned
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Take a look at their new website, sign up for the newsletter; and you can also check out the material they’ve already released on iTunes and on Amazon (US, UK, affiliate links).
The two most striking facts about Phoenix, AZ, rock band YOU HANG UP can be learned within the first five minutes of meeting them.
First, and most obvious, is the fact that the man behind the drum kit is a stranger to no one. Prior to assuming the throne for YOU HANG UP, Frankie Muniz was already a household name as an actor, most notably from his time performing the title role of “Malcolm” in the beloved sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”
Second, and perhaps more impressive, is the fact that YOU HANG UP’s music is so honest, catchy and genuinely impactful that any novelty of a celebrity playing in the band is immediately overshadowed.
What matters to the members of YOU HANG UP are not the benefits (or, let’s be honest, detriments) of having a famous drummer, but the band’s melodic, driving and sharply poignant songs, whose pop immediacy and unbridled emotion are matched only by their anthemic power. “YOU HANG UP is all about the music,” explains singer/guitarist/primary songwriter Aaron Brown. “We do what we do because all four of us have a passion to write great, gripping and just all around fun music.”
That passion will be captured in its full glory on the band’s debut full-length album, due out later in 2011. The album was recorded by super-producer Joe Fitz, whose credits include B.o.B’s Grammy nominated The Adventures of Bobby Ray. “Working with Joe has been a great experience. He is an amazing guy personally and professionally,” Muniz says. “The whole tracking process was a lot of fun and very grueling at the same time. We were tracking pretty much 24 hours a day. Every part of the experience, even the stressful ones, were amazing.”
YOU HANG UP began as a solo project for Brown in 2007. After releasing an EP on which he played every instrument himself, Brown realized it was time to surround himself with equally passionate musicians who could bring his vision to fruition. A few lineup shifts later, the current version of YOU HANG UP was assembled. Since then, says Muniz, it’s been a bit of a fairy tale experience. “It has been amazing. We’ve already established some die hard fans across the world. We already have some great tour stories and nightmares, but overall, it’s just great to have such a positive group of guys that are all on the same page musically.”
It’s easy for people unfamiliar with the band’s music to reduce YOU HANG UP to “the band with Frankie Muniz on drums,” or to saddle them with the preconceived notions. But, Brown says, that same group of people can be the most satisfying to win over. “We always say that our favorite reaction is, ‘I was NOT expecting that at all!’” he says, “Most people are expecting our performance to be a complete trainwreck. But we work hard at creating great music and a great live show, and we hold our own. It is a great feeling to win over new fans.”
Just last week, Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) took part in the Phoenix Suns Celebrity Shootout 2011. It’s not the first time Frankie has participated in a celebrity basketball event for charity — he in fact participated in the very same event last year, as well as having previously taken part in a similar celebrity basketball game way back in 2004.
You Hang Up’s are scheduled to play many more shows throughout August and September across different states:
Fri, August 20 — 6:00 PM — at Marquee — Tulsa, OK
Sat, August 21 — 6:30 PM — at New Daisy Theatre — Memphis, TN
Sun, August 22 — 7:00 PM — at The Subterannean — Chicago, IL
Mon, August 23 — 9:00 PM — at Mexicali Live — Teaneck, NJ
Tue, August 24 — 8:00 PM — at Towson University — Towson, MD
Wed, August 25 — 6:30 PM — at The Canal Club — Richmond, VA
Thurs, August 26 — 8:00 PM — at Tremont Music Hall — Charlotte, NC
Fri, August 27 — 8:30 PM — at The Loft — Dallas, TX
Sat, August 28 — 8:00 PM — at House of Blues — Houston, TX
Sat, September 4 — 7:00 PM — at Martini Ranch — Scottsdale, AZ
You can find out more information about the band at You Hang Up.
If you are near Richmond, VA, you can win 2 “Hang out with the band” passes for the You
Hang Up show at the Canal Club. For a chance to win, listen to Gods of the Bobbleheads, locally or online, on Saturday 21st August, between 8-10pm.
Frankie Muniz’s new band You Hang Up are releasing their first single featuring Frankie as drummer next week. We have heard some ‘pre-mix’ sample tracks of the new You Hang Up, but this will be the first completed song with the new line-up. Entitled Losing Me, the single will be available on iTunes and the Amazon MP3 Store on July 27.
You can take a listen to the song below; we’d encourage you to purchase it on your favourite music store when it is released!
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First off, we love the song, man.
Oh, cool, thank you.
So what’s life been like lately?
I filmed a movie in April, and the day I came home, the band went to the studio and recorded. We wanted to hurry up and record some new stuff just so people could hear the progression we’ve made as a band. It’s funny, ’cause even since we recorded those, we’ve got like 10 new songs we wish we’d had on there.
Sounds like the rock life is going well.
I don’t know if this is for every band, but you write a song and think it’s amazing and you’re so stoked on it, and then you continue writing songs and they become your favorites. The great thing about You Hang Up, what I love about being in the band, is I love all of our music. We run through our set and after pretty much every song we’re like, “That’s our favorite song.” That’s a good thing. It’s going really well — I’m having the time of my life doing exactly what I want to be doing.
How many songs are you guys sporting?
We’re up to maybe 20 songs. They’ve basically all been written in the past three weeks. About two months ago we started trying to go full-time and get ready for this upcoming tour we have and write new music and continue to progress. Literally every practice we feel like we’re so much tighter and better as a band. I think people are gonna be shocked when they hear us live.
What’s the reaction to the band been like these last few months?
I think a lot of people, when they hear I’m in a band, expect it to be like most “actor bands,” which is not usually the greatest music, but especially not great performed live. Most bands can make a recording sound good, but when you come hear us live … I think people will be impressed. We want to come out with a bang. And I would definitely love my fans to follow my new career and hopefully enjoy it.
And that movie — was it a supporting role or are you really back to acting?
I played the lead in a movie called ‘Pizza Man,’ a little independent movie. I had an amazing time filming it. I hadn’t done any acting in four years or so, focusing on the racing and stuff. I realized I did miss acting, which is cool. I’d been thinking about if I’d want to go back and do it, and the opportunity was in front of me. I really enjoyed the script, so I went and did it. And it was one of the best times I’ve ever had on any production. Hopefully people will enjoy it and it’ll be a success, but either way, it taught me a lot about myself — after the first day of filming, I told my girlfriend, “I feel like this is what I’m supposed to be doing in my life.” I don’t know if it’s necessarily what I’m going to be doing, ’cause I’ve got my hand in so many other things, but I enjoy it for sure.
You Hang Up will take their show on the road in August, with a string of 10 dates across America. Scope the dates here, or visit the band’s Myspace for more info:
8/14: Universal City Walk – Hollywood, CA
8/20: Marquee – Tulsa, OK
8/21: New Daisy Theatre – Memphis, TN
8/22: The Subterannean – Chicago, IL
8/23: Mexicali Live – Teaneck, NJ
8/24: Towson University – Towson, MD
8/25: The Canal Club – Richmond, VA
8/26: Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC
8/27: The Loft – Dallas, TX
8/28: House of Blues – Houston, TX
The movie My Dog Skip was an important turning point for Frankie’s career, giving him mainstream success which may well have been crucial in allowing him to land the role of Malcolm later on. The film also featured Moose, the father of Enzo, who played the older Skip in some scenes. Enzo’s versatility and talent as a dog actor was remarkable:
Animal trainer Matilde Decagney, whose experience includes the feature films “As Good As It Gets” and “Homeward Bound 2″ as well as the NBC series “Frasier,” cited two months of preparation and lots of pampering, including an air-conditioned trailer to fight the Southern heat, to keep the film’s fuzzy co-stars focused. The main Skip, the three-year-old Enzo, was asked not only to display a range of moods, from sweet to protectively fierce, but to play baseball, football and drive a car!
“The tricks are not hard for him to do, as long as he’s in good condition and not too hot,” explains Decagney. While cast and crew were allowed to pet Enzo and the other dogs between takes, any food that might distract a canine nose was strictly prohibited.
“Skip never failed us. I wish I worked with actors who were as well prepared as Skip,” admits Mark Johnson. “There was not a trick or a piece of business we asked the dog to do that he wasn’t able to do; it was uncanny. The trainers were so good, they could stop him on a mark, he could lift his leg, he could do a somersault. I expected to see him reading the New York Times any day.”
Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) joined You Hang Up in December 2009, after the band were looking for a drummer.
The band is now going to be touring the United States in August:
Sat, August 7 – 7:00 PM — at Vibes Main 1 — Medford, OR
Fri, August 20 — 6:00 PM — at Marquee — Tulsa, OK
Sat, August 21 – 6:30 PM — at New Daisy Theatre — Memphis, TN
Sun, August 22 – 7:00 PM — at The Subterannean — Chicago, IL
Mon, August 23 – 9:00 PM — at Mexicali Live — Teaneck, NJ
Tue, August 24 – 8:00 PM — at Towson University– Towson, MD
Wed, August 25 – 6:30 PM — at The Canal Club– Richmond, VA
Thurs, August 26 – 8:00 PM – at Tremont Music Hall — Charlotte, NC
Fri, August 27 — 8:30 PM — at The Loft — Dallas, TX
Sat, August 28 — 8:00 PM — at House of Blues — Houston, TX
Some new tracks, featuring Frankie’s drumming have also been put up (in an unfinished ‘pre-mix’ state) on the band’s MySpace page. These are the first tracks that we have heard that have Frankie on drums; the previous ‘Release Me EP’ tracks were released before Frankie joined the band (you can purchase the older EP tracks on the iTunes Store).
‘The Search’ pre-mix — You Hang Up
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‘Running’ pre-mix — You Hang Up
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You can also hear an interview Frankie Muniz did for the JohnJay and Rich radio show, back in January 2010, where he first talks about becoming a member of the band:
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I wanted to let everyone know that I am now the drummer of an amazing band called “You Hang Up”. Check us out at www.youhangup.com and be sure to add us as a friend.
I can’t wait to see all of you at our shows!
This is something I have always wanted in my life, and I’m thrilled to be associated with such a great group of guys!
Exclusive: We learned last week that Frankie Muniz, former star of sitcom ‘Malcolm in the Middle’ and two-part Hollywood franchise ‘Agent Cody Banks,’ is the drummer for unsigned Arizona rock act You Hang Up. Frankie, 24, spoke to PopEater about his new life as an aspiring rocker, why playing live for 15 people was more nerve-wracking than being broadcast to millions of homes each week and what he thinks about other actors who rock.
What’s your background with music?
I’ve been playing since I was 12 years old, but nothing serious. I was a five-minute-per-week hobby drummer. I’d only played to my iPod with headphones on. It was always a dream to be in a band, but with acting going on, I never really considered it being something that could actually happen. And if I could get in a band, I wanted it to be something that was completely serious, with good music. But it felt like one of those jobs when you’re a kid and you want to be an astronaut or something. I’ve been very fortunate in my life to have three of those jobs — being an actor, a race car driver and now a musician.
How does the L.A.-based star end up behind the kit of this unknown Arizona band?
My girlfriend was contacted by the lead singer, Aaron, just kind of saying, ‘We have mutual friends, check out our music.’ So we listened to You Hang Up, and I really, really liked it — it’s the type of music I listen to. Then Aaron said he saw a video of me drumming on my Myspace profile. He asked if I’ve ever been interested in playing in a band, and literally that day we got lunch and talked about the band and the music and I said I’d love to be a part of it. That was Dec. 20; we had our first practice Jan. 1.
So just under two months in the band. What’s it been like?
We’ve progressed insanely. We’ve been trying to keep everything completely under the radar as long as possible, playing small shows under different band names. Now we’re ready to go out and show everyone what we’re made of. We had rehearsal last night — the new stuff we’re coming out with is exciting. So far it’s been an amazingly fun experience, and that’s what’s important.
Were you leery You Hang Up might’ve just been drooling at the prospect of ‘Agent Cody Banks: The Drummer’?
Nah, I could tell. After ten years in show business, I can tell when people are really excited because I was on TV. These guys were super cool. They could tell I just like playing drums. I’ve never felt like they wanted me ’cause I was on TV or in movies.
So what’s it been like to play live after dreaming of this for so long? Did you get the same rush you got from your first race or from seeing yourself on primetime TV?
I really did. I had never played in front of more than two people in my whole life. I’m actually pretty shy, especially when it comes to drumming. But once I started playing with the guys, I got really comfortable. A few days before our first show, we invited our families to our rehearsal space just to show them what our set was gonna be, and I can’t explain how nervous I was for that. And then when we played in front of 200 people, I wasn’t nervous at all. Once we’d gotten over that initial practice concert, I was ready. Now everything we’ve done, I don’t even have a hint of butterflies. It’s still so fresh, though — it’s a totally different environment from anything I’ve done. Although it kind of reminds of going to award shows and having to announce an award — I was so nervous.
Who are your favorite drummers?
I started playing the drums by watching Hanson — they were 10, 11, 12 years old at the same time I was — and I thought, ‘I wanna do that.’ But once I really got into drumming I became a big fan of Dave Matthews Band, and Carter Beauford is insane. He’s one of my favorites — he can do anything, any style of music.
How about that five-year-old YouTube drummer?
Yeah, what’s his name — Jonah Rocks? I don’t understand how you teach a tiny kid rhythm like that. It’s crazy. He’s pretty cool.
There’s not many I know other than Jared Leto who have done it and had the music be great. I don’t follow that many — I can name Keanu Reaves, Jason Schwartzmann. I mean, there are the pop star ones, the Leighton Meesters and the Hillary Duffs, but…
You’re not the next Hillary Duff?
I’m not singing and dancing to pop music! I’m just playing the drums. But I have my own goal: To just enjoy myself. I’ve realized in my limited years that that’s what’s important. I enjoyed acting, but it got to the point where I wanted to focus on racing, just because as a person, I felt better doing it. Now doing the music, it’s just the way it makes me feel inside.
As long as you don’t end up like Joaquin Phoenix, you’re all set. So what‘s You Hang Up’s next move?
We’re about to record three new songs, and we’re writing a few more so our setlist is bigger. We’re about to start going crazy on shows — I can’t wait to be on the road, rocking out every night. We want to go out and blow everyone away. We want people to say, ‘Ah, let’s go check out this band,’ and leave thinking, ‘Wow, that was the best show I’ve ever seen.’
What’s the future look like in the racing and acting departments?
I want to go racing, for sure, but I’m really excited about the band. I’ve also got some acting things going, a show I’m developing. I’m busy! Acting was on the back burner for a few years, but now I’ve got the option of heading back that way. The problem is that all three jobs are full-time.
Frankie Muniz (Malcolm) has been good friends with the members of pop rock band Hanson for a long time; Frankie even was inspired to play the drums because of Hanson (Frankie is now drumming for You Hang Up).
Frankie and his girlfriend Elycia Marie met up with Taylor, Zac and Isaac on Wednesday last week, first at Greasewood Flat, ‘the original stagecoach stop between Fort McDowell and Phoenix’, then later at Tempe Beach Park. Finally, Frankie and Elycia stayed with the trio for a BBQ and slumber party.
Hanson were actually livestreaming the meetup at their alive@hnet page.. If you have any more pictures, or video captures from the meetup, we’d love to put them up here on the site!
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