Tom Denney

Tom Denney started playing guitar from the age of 10.[1] Denney was later in a band called 2 Days 2 Late with drummer Bobby Scruggs;[nb 1] Denney called vocalist Jeremy McKinnon (who was in another band at the time) asking if he wanted to form another band, later called A Day to Remember.[3] Denney performed on the band's first three albums: And Their Name Was Treason (2005),[4] For Those Who Have Heart (2007),[5] and Homesick (2009).[6] Denney has stated that Nirvana was a major influence on him, adding that "if it wasn't for Nirvana, I honestly wouldn't be here".[7] Other inspirations include country music artists such as George Jones and Johnny Cash.[8]

On June 2, 2009, the band announced that Denney had left the group; and was replaced by Four Letter Lie guitarist Kevin Skaff.[9] The band stated that Denney left because he wants to focus on his marriage, a family, and his recording studio.[9] Regardless of his departure from the band, he still remained a part of the writing process of new material.[10][11][12] Denney has since contributed music to a number of the band's albums: What Separates Me from You (2010),[13] Common Courtesy (2013), and Bad Vibrations (2016).[14]

Brian Calzini, a friend of Denney's, stopped by Denney's Titan Studio, while he was working on a song.[15] Calzini asked whether he could overdub vocals to it: "we stayed up all night fucking around on this song and I just randomly made up lyrics to it as I went. The song had a very nu-metal singing part so Tom sang on it to be funny. The song was a complete joke just for fun".[15] Later that night after the session had finished, Calzini took the track home with him, and put it on MySpace, titling it "I'll Swing My Fists".[15] After changing the name of his MySpace account, due to the growing number of plays of the song, to Boston B; the pair soon recorded several tracks that Denney had left unused to which Calzini added lyrics to.[15] Calzini gathered a group of people to pose as a band, and to record music with, at Denney's studio; naming the group as Paddock Park and releasing the songs on With False Hope EP (2007).[15] All the songs featured on the EP were later re-recorded in August 2008, with Denney producing, with some new songs to make it a full-length album.[15]

On July 26, 2011, it was announced that Denney would be releasing a solo EP in the fall of that year on his own record label, 33 Records.[16] A short preview of one song, rap song "I'm Gangsta", was released on the same day.[16] The song was later released as a single on October 25;[17][18] the music video of which had its premiere via Alternative Press' APTV, on November 1.[19] Band Mest released a single on June 4, 2013, "Radio (Something to Believe)", which was co-written with Denney and features McKinnon as a guest musician.[20] It was also produced by Denney.[21]