Tooth & Nail Records announces the launch of a major marketing campaign to promote the August 27 release of Again For the First Time, the first new album from award-winning rock band Bleach in over three years. Since the release of their critically acclaimed self-titled third album in 1999, the band has made two changes in their line-up as well as making Tooth & Nail Records their new label home.
Having joined the band not long after the release of Bleach's third album, brothers Jared and Milam Byers are no strangers to rock music. Jared, endorsed by the Orange County Drums and Percussion, is the former drummer of pop punk band, Relient K, and Milam is the former lead guitarist for alterna-pop rock diva, Miss Angie. Even though the brothers have toured as part of the Bleach line-up for the past 2 years, Again For the First Time will be their first studio album with the group.
This album is also a landmark for the band as it is their first project with new label home, Tooth & Nail Records. Brandon Ebel, president of Tooth & Nail, comments, "Bleach is a band that we've been following for years. These guys have proven themselves as a band that can not only write great rock songs, but deliver them live. More importantly, Bleach is a band with an outstanding reputation with youth pastors, industry folks, other bands, and fans. We're thrilled to have them in the Tooth & Nail family."
As this is the band's first project with Tooth & Nail, the label has created an aggressive, multi-faceted marketing strategy in anticipation of the album's release. Tyson Paoletti, director of sales and marketing at Tooth & Nail comments, "We are really excited for the opportunity to work with these guys. They are an amazing band, and we are working hard to make sure that everyone knows about this album!"
As Bleach's stellar live shows have become a trademark for the band, Tooth & Nail focused heavily on touring for the launch of Again For the First Time. Performing nearly 150 dates per year, Bleach will be touring extensively throughout the summer and fall. Headlining many festivals this summer, the band is scheduled to perform at Creation East and West, Cornerstone, Crossroads, Lifest, Sonshine, Spirit West Coast, and others. In between festivals, the band will be playing additional dates with PAX217 and Philmore. In the fall, Bleach will join forces with Relient K for the highly awaited Back To the Few tour. The 40-city national tour will hit major market cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, Seattle, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, and many others.
With a street team boasting several hundred members, Bleach will have a promotionally dynamic grassroots presence at their tour performances. Street team members will pass out decals advertising the street date of the album and $2 coupons redeemable at most local Christian bookstores. The street team will also be packing promotional posters of the band and three-song EPs to give away. Additionally, street team members will be wearing T-shirts touting the album's release.
If fans are not able to make it to a Bleach concert over the summer, they will still be able to hear Bleach on their favorite radio stations as Tooth & Nail prepares to release the first single from Again For the First Time, "We Are Tomorrow." Musically comparable to bands such as Weezer and Jimmy Eat World, Tooth & Nail is placing heavy emphasis on radio airplay. "We Are Tomorrow" will be serviced to CHR, Rock, and college radio July 12. Also, Bleach will be making stops during their tour schedule to visit dozens of key radio stations to promote the single and the new album.
Given the band's past successes with multimedia, Tooth & Nail will also be placing heavy emphasis on television, video, and film. In past years, Bleach has consistently had songs appear on MTV's Tough Enough and several series on the WB network including Dawson's Creek, Party of Five, Grosse Point, Grape Vine, and Jack & Jill. The band has played on The Jenny Jones Show and has a single on the soundtrack for the recent movie, Extreme Days. Fossil, one of America's leading watch and accessories companies, is currently using one of Bleach's singles in their commercials. In anticipation of the release, Bleach also shot a video for the first single, "We Are Tomorrow," in Atlanta, GA on June 15. Once post-production is completed, the video will be serviced to video shows nationally.
In addition to touring and media coverage, Tooth & Nail will be pursuing a number of different promotions for Again For the First Time with retailers. Plans include store displays, advertising, listening stations, and band appearances. In addition to Christian retailers such as Family Christian Stores, LifeWay, Berean, and Parable, a focused campaign will also target mainstream retailers like Best Buy, Borders, and Wherehouse Music.
Tooth & Nail also has some unique promotions on retail's horizon for Bleach. One of the most notable of these promotions is a compilation CD featuring two Bleach songs in Hot Topic stores across the United States. Boasting 420+ stores in 48 states, Hot Topic is a mall-based chain of retail stores that specializes in merchandise for teenagers that reflects a variety of music-related lifestyles, which include street wear, retro influenced lounge, punk, club, and gothic.
Bleach's first single from Again For the First Time, "We Are Womorrow," will also be featured in a promotional tie-in between electronics giant, Phillips-Magnavox, and Internet digital music delivery company, Liquid Audio. People who purchase Phillips-Magnavox products such as DVD players and stereos will receive a Liquid Audio pass code to download a free Liquid Audio player that comes pre-loaded with the Bleach single. Liquid Audio will be servicing 4 million players to Phillips-Magnavox consumers.
Tooth and Nail Records seeks to provide a platform for Christians to create art through music, whether the artist's passion is outreach, encouragement, or simply entertainment. Tooth and Nail, started in 1993, is distributed world wide through the EMI-CMG system.
