The Used

The Used biography

The Used is an American rock band from Orem, Utah. Formed in 2001, the group signed to Reprise Records the same year and rose to fame in June 2002 after releasing their self-titled debut album. They followed up with their second album, In Love and Death, in September 2004 and their third album, Lies for the Liars, in May 2007. Shallow Believer, an EP that featured most of the band's B-sides, was released in February 2008. They spent 2008 working on their fourth studio album, Artwork, which was released on August 31, 2009. A fifth album, titled Vulnerable, was released in March 2012 through the independent label Hopeless Records. Albums by the used have achieved gold and platinum statuses in more than six countries worldwide. , they had sold over 3 million records worldwide.

History

Formation and Demos from the Basement (2001)

The Used was founded in January 2001 with the recruitment of members Branden Steineckert, Quinn Allman and Jeph Howard. They had music already prepared, but did not have lyrics and required a vocalist. They held auditions at Howard's residence, but the band was not satisfied with any of the vocalists, describing the auditions as "terrible". Allman then asked Bert McCracken if he was interested in joining the band. McCracken's was impressed with the material the band had created. After being given music that the band had written, McCracken wrote the lyrics to what would become "Maybe Memories" and returned the next day to record a demo version of the song. McCracken was then officially confirmed as being the band's vocalist. Throughout all of this, the band members suffered from poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, panhandling for change in order to buy food. The members decided upon the name "Used" after friends claimed they felt "used" when contact with the band members waned as they became more engrossed in the project.

The Used continued to write songs together and recorded a demo album in drummer Steineckert's bedroom titled Demos from the Basement. Steineckert sent their songs to producer John Feldmann from the ska group Goldfinger. On hearing the song "A Box Full of Sharp Objects", Feldman helped The Used find a record label. Feldmann flew the band to Los Angeles, taking them out of their home state for the first time in their lives. They played for various record executives, but received little interest. Eventually, after sending copies of their demo to many record companies, they began to receive offers. With many labels at The Used's choice, they decided to sign to Reprise Records in late 2001.

Self-titled album and Maybe Memories (2002-2003)

In 2002, it was discovered that a Boston band had already trademarked the name "Used." The band decided to add "The" to their name, thus deciding "The Used". Their self-titled debut album, produced by John Feldmann, was released on June 25, 2002 to mixed reviews. The album featured four singles: "A Box Full of Sharp Objects", "The Taste of Ink", "Buried Myself Alive", and "Blue and Yellow", with the latter three entering the charts. The album has been certified gold. The Used went on to play Warped Tour, Ozzfest, and Projekt Revolution, as well as Box Car Racer's first and only tour. During these tours, they employed a touring guitarist named Greg Bester. He was later forced to return to his home country when he couldn't get a working visa. The band received much recognition when Bert McCracken dated Kelly Osbourne. In July 2003, The Used released a compilation CD/DVD combo package titled Maybe Memories. The CD features live, rare, previously unreleased tracks, and demo material, while the DVD features the history of the band, member bios, and part of a live concert. Maybe Memories has been certified platinum.

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