We (The Federalists) are an indie rock band from the East Bay. We formed in 2005, and kicked things off with a challenge, recording our eponymous debut live in the studio. Instead of hiding behind studio trickery, we wanted to prove that we were the real thing from the start. The album took two days to record and was released in July 2006, but by the winter of that year we already had enough songs to begin work on our second album. We decided not to hurry ourselves this time, and spent all of 2007 developing and perfecting our second self-titled record which was released in February 2008.
In 2006 we played a showcase for multiple indie and major record labels. The indies told us we were too mainstream; the majors told us we were too indie. This is exactly the line we’d like to walk, being accessible while maintaining artistic integrity. We don’t evaluate ourselves based on what a label tells us or what is being played on the radio. We don’t strive to be part of a fad. We aim for timelessness; we aim for greatness.