Biography
They say Rome wasn't built in a day, and Jon Heisserer would probably agree. As the vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter of St. Louis-based Building Rome, Heisserer has been working to promote his brand of bipolar, verge-of-insanity pop rock since the band was formed in 2003. After six years of writing, recording, playing shows, and promoting relentlessly, they have amassed some amazing results. Building Rome has recorded three albums and an EP, developed a mailing list of over 7,200 fans, played sold out shows at 1,000+ capacity venues, opened for Fall Out Boy on their “Thnks Fr Th Mmrs” tour, and have statistics on MySpace.com and Myxer.com that rival some major label acts.
For Building Rome's latest album, Nightmare, Heisserer's "unique way of writing quirky pop songs" (Riverfront Times) caught the ear of Steven Haigler (Fuel, Brand New, Pixies), who signed up to produce and mix the album during April of 2009. Several local and nationally-recognized artists appear on the album, including Tim Convy and Tim Ferrell from Ludo (Island/Def Jam). In addition, two of the songs that appear on the album were co-written with Ted Bruner (Katy Perry, Bowling for Soup, Plain White T's).
Along the way, Heisserer has found a group of solid musicians to complete the band. Brandon Armour (guitar), Tom Butler (guitar), and Brian Porter (drums) bring a new perspective to the music and live show. "Brian is the most solid drummer I've ever played with, Tom's backup vocals are amazing, and Brandon is an excellent guitar player. It’s really great to find people who are just as dedicated as I am to making it in the music business," notes Heisserer. “It’s been a long road, but we know that only good things can come in the future, no matter what it takes or how long.”
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Interesting facts and career statistics:
Nightmare
- Produced and mixed by Steven Haigler (Brand New, Pixies, Fuel)
- Album release date: September 15, 2009
- CD release party at The Pageant in St. Louis: September 18, 2009
- Tim Ferrell and Tim Convy from Ludo (Island/Def Jam) played on Nightmare
- Two songs on Nightmare were written with Ted Bruner (Katy Perry, Plain White T's, Bowling For Soup)
- As part of the marketing effort for Nightmare, fans entered their names and e-mail addresses to receive a personal thank you on the album, which increased the band’s mailing list from 1,200 to over 7,200 fans
Performance Highlights
- Headlined The Pageant in St. Louis, MO for Nightmare CD release party (Attendance: over 800) – September 18, 2009
- A Very Ludo Xmas 2008 with Ludo (Island/Def Jam) and Family Force Five (Tooth and Nail) – December 28, 2008
- iFest at The Family Arena (St. Louis) to over 1800 people – August 16, 2008
- Won the "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs" contest to open for Fall Out Boy and +44 on the Honda Civic tour in St. Louis – May 18, 2007
- A Very Ludo Xmas 2006 with Ludo (Island/Def Jam) – December 9, 2006
Myspace
- Over 1.6 million plays
- Consistently in the Top 10 on the MySpace Music charts for U.S. unsigned rock artists
Myxer.com
- Over 162,000 total ringtone downloads
- Myxer.com Pick of the Day – July 9, 2008
MTV
- Licensed 13 songs to Bunim-Murray for MTV’s The Real World, Road Rules, and The Bad Girls Club
Radio Airplay
- 105.7 KPNT FM in Saint Louis, MO
- 93.3 KNSX FM in Saint Louis, MO
- Multiple college stations across the country
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Additional links:
http://www.buildingromerock.com
http://www.myspace.com/buildingrome
http://www.facebook.com/buildingrome
http://twitter.com/buildingrome
Instrumentation
Jon Heisserer - Vocals / Guitar
Brandon Armour - Guitar / Backup Vocals
Tom Butler - Guitar / Backup Vocals
Brian Porter - Drums / Backup Vocals
Discography
Nightmare – Produced by platinum-selling producer Steven Haigler (Brand New, Pixies, Fuel), released September 15, 2009
We’re All So Bored – iTunes-only compilation of demos from '06-'08, released 2008
Second Chance For Worst Impressions (EP) – Co-produced and engineered by Marc McClusky, released November 11, 2006
Something Left Of Nothing – Debut album, released August 25, 2005
Links
| http://www.buildingromerock.com |