Miya Pearson
Armor for Sleep was an American rock band formed in Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2001. The band was founded by Ben Jorgensen, who was later joined by Nash Breen and Peter James PJ DeCicco. They released their first two albums, Dream to Make Believe and What to Do When You Are Dead, on Equal Vision Records in 2003 and 2005, respectively. In 2006, the band signed to Warner Brothers/Sire Records and released their third album, Smile for Them, in 2007. After a period of inactivity, Armor for Sleep officially announced their disbandment in 2009. However, in 2020, the band reunited and released a new album, The Rain Museum, in 2022. They have since been actively performing and touring.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Founding | Founded by Ben Jorgensen in 2001 in Teaneck, New Jersey |
| Band Members | Ben Jorgensen, Nash Breen, Peter James "PJ" DeCicco, Paul Abrahamian |
| Genre | Disputed; considered by some to be post-hardcore, pop-punk, or emo |
| Record Label | Originally signed to Equal Vision Records; moved to Warner Brothers/Sire Records in 2006 |
| Albums | Dream to Make Believe (2003), What to Do When You Are Dead (2005), Smile for Them (2007), The Rain Museum (2022) |
| EPs | The Way Out Is Broken (2008) |
| Tours | Reunited for a US tour in 2021, followed by several tours in 2022 and 2023 |
| Hiatus | Went on an indefinite hiatus in 2009 |
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Armor For Sleep's founding and early years
Armor For Sleep was founded by Ben Jorgensen in 2001 in Teaneck, New Jersey. Jorgensen named the band based on his early experiences of writing music and being unable to sleep. He recorded a two-song demo containing the songs "Dream to Make Believe" and "Slip Like Space", which were later re-recorded and released on their first album. Nash Breen and Peter James "PJ" DeCicco later joined the band after leaving fellow New Jersey band Prevent Falls.
The band initially signed to Equal Vision Records, releasing their first two albums, "Dream to Make Believe" in 2003 and "What to Do When You Are Dead" in 2005. The latter proved to be a breakthrough for the band, and Jorgensen wanted to create albums that were part of larger stories. However, the band followed what Jorgensen later called bad advice and signed to a major label, Warner Brothers/Sire Records, in 2006. This led to a change in direction, and the band released their third album, "Smile for Them", in 2007.
Armor For Sleep's music has been described as having roots in both pop-punk and post-hardcore, with some considering them emo as well due to their sound and the time period in which they emerged. The band's songs have always been emotional experiences, and Jorgensen has said that their music is a form of therapy for him. This is particularly evident in their later work, such as their 2022 album "The Rain Museum", which Jorgensen created after his marriage of eight years fell apart.
In 2008, Armor For Sleep announced an extended play (EP) entitled "The Way Out Is Broken". However, on October 28, 2009, the band officially announced that they would be parting ways. In 2020, they reunited for a summer tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of "What to Do When You Are Dead", and they have since released new music and toured extensively.
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The band's record deal and album releases
Armor for Sleep was founded by Ben Jorgensen in 2001 in Teaneck, New Jersey. The band initially signed to Equal Vision Records, where they released their first two albums, "Dream to Make Believe" in 2003 and "What to Do When You Are Dead" in 2005. This was followed by the band signing to Warner Brothers/Sire Records in 2006, citing it was "time for a change".
The band's third album, "Smile for Them", was released on October 30, 2007, through Warner Brothers/Sire Records. The album's title track was featured in the 2007 film "Transformers". On August 20, 2008, Armor for Sleep released an extended play (EP) titled "The Way Out Is Broken".
In 2009, the band announced they were parting ways. However, in 2020, they reunited to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their album "What to Do When You Are Dead". The celebration included a summer tour across 19 US cities, which was later postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, Jorgensen worked on a new album that he had conceived 17 years earlier, which became "The Rain Museum". This album was released on September 9, 2022, marking the band's first full-length release in 15 years.
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Their indefinite hiatus in 2009
Armor for Sleep went on an indefinite hiatus in 2009, parting ways on October 28. The band had released their third album, *Smile for Them*, in 2007, and in 2008, they announced an extended play (EP) called *The Way Out Is Broken*. However, their plans for future albums were disrupted when Ben Jorgensen's marriage of eight years fell apart. Jorgensen channelled his emotions into the story arc of the record he was crafting, and the result was *The Rain Museum*, an album that doubled as a form of therapy and a concept album about a concept album that never was.
Jorgensen had originally intended to make *The Rain Museum* immediately after the release of *What to Do When You Are Dead* in 2005. However, the band followed what Jorgensen later called \"bad advice\" and signed to a major label, which convinced them to shelve the idea of making another concept record. This decision led to the band \"sputtering\" before going on hiatus.
After signing with Warner Brothers/Sire Records in 2006, Armor for Sleep released a remix of their track "Remember to Feel Real" on the *Snakes on a Plane* soundtrack in August of that year. The following year, they debuted a new track, "End of the World", on the *Transformers* soundtrack. This song later appeared on their next record with some changes, including reduced vocal effects and keyboards.
In 2020, the band announced they would be reuniting for a summer tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of *What to Do When You Are Dead*. The tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and new dates were announced for 2021. In July 2022, Armor for Sleep announced *The Rain Museum*, which was released on September 9, 2022, 15 years after their previous full-length album.
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Armor For Sleep's reunion and new music
Armor For Sleep, the New Jersey band founded by Ben Jorgensen in 2001, parted ways in 2009. However, in February 2020, the band announced on Facebook that they would be reuniting for a US tour to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their album What to Do When You Are Dead. The tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the new dates were announced for 2021.
In July 2022, Armor For Sleep announced a new album, The Rain Museum, which was released on September 9, 2022. The album had been in the works for a long time, with Jorgensen intending to make it a complimentary piece to a short story he had written, but after the release of What to Do When You Are Dead, the band signed to a major label, which convinced them to shelve the concept album idea.
The Rain Museum became an opportunity for Jorgensen to explore his grief following the end of his eight-year marriage. It also became a concept album about a concept album that never was, combining the original idea with Jorgensen's personal experiences. The album was also a form of therapy for Jorgensen, with the songs bristling and aching with raw passion.
In the summer of 2022, Armor for Sleep performed on select dates of the Hello Gone Days tour, co-headlined by Dashboard Confessional and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness. In the spring of 2023, the band co-headlined the Pitch Black Forever tour with Hawthorne Heights. In the fall of the same year, they went on tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Dream to Make Believe, with guests The Early November and The Spill Canvas.
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Ben Jorgensen's influence on the band
Ben Jorgensen founded Armor for Sleep in 2001 in Teaneck, New Jersey. Jorgensen was the frontman and songwriter for the band. He named the band after his early experiences of writing music and not being able to sleep. Jorgensen recalled, "I guess when I started the band I was kind of, like, retreating in my room and I kind of couldn't really fall asleep, so I started playing music. I just thought of the name Armor for Sleep, because it was really, the music was keeping me from passing out!".
Jorgensen recorded a two-song demo containing the songs "Dream to Make Believe" and "Slip Like Space", which were later re-recorded and released on their first album, "Dream to Make Believe". After Armor for Sleep parted ways in 2009, Jorgensen briefly started an electronic project called "God Loves a Challenge" and also embarked on a solo career, releasing the EP "There Is Nowhere Left to Go" in 2010.
In an interview, Jorgensen was asked about the differences between how he used to write music when he first started and how he does it now. He responded that the process is pretty much the same, although he now has more tools in his toolkit. He also mentioned that he always asks himself the same question when writing music: "How can I express something that I really feel in a way that’s never quite been vocalized before?".
Jorgensen's influence on the band's sound is evident in their most recent album, "The Rain Museum", which was released in 2022. In an interview, Jorgensen stated that the album is a continuation of their second record, "What to Do When You Are Dead", and focuses on a post-apocalyptic world. He also mentioned that the band has always had a unique sound due to their proximity to hardcore and DIY music in the New Jersey music scene of the 90s and early 2000s.
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Frequently asked questions
Armor for Sleep went on an indefinite hiatus in 2009, but reunited in 2020 to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their album, *What to Do When You Are Dead*. They released a new album, *The Rain Museum*, in 2022.
After the release of *What to Do When You Are Dead*, Armor for Sleep signed to a major label, Warner Brothers/Sire Records, in 2006. They released their third album, *Smile for Them*, in 2007.
After their third album, Armor for Sleep announced an extended play (EP) called *The Way Out Is Broken* in 2008. In 2009, the band announced they would be parting ways.
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