Something Corporate
By All Music Guide
By All Music Guide
Before the Orange County, CA, band became Something Corporate, McMahon, drummer Brian Ireland, and bassist Clutch played in another band they had started to compete in a high school battle of the bands. And even though they won the battle, the band didnt last too long. The turning point came when McMahon met guitarist Josh Partington at a high school party. With a renewed sense of enthusiasm, the teens started jamming together as Something Corporate. Soon they added guitarist William Tell and were playing local clubs; not soon after, they were playing one-off gigs opening for bands like Sugar Ray and Better Than Ezra.
Around this time, Drive-Thru came knocking, and even though the label was known primarily as a youth punk label and Something Corporate was far from that, the partnership made sense -- Drive-Thru recognized the bands potential as a crossover act and Something Corporate recognized the labels reputation as a respected indie. MCA then came into the picture primarily as a distributor, though the major label did use its clout to market the band. Their summer-tinged debut full-length, Leaving Through the Window, shared both logos and appeared in spring 2002. Subsequent touring followed before their somewhat darker sophomore effort, North, was issued in October 2003.
Guitarist William Tell amicably left the group in early 2004 to work on solo material, shortly before Something Corporate headed out on a nationwide co-headlining tour with Yellowcard. Bob (formerly of River City High) replaced Tell on the tour; a live DVD was next released in November 2004 called Live at the Ventura Theater. Aside from playing plenty of shows, McMahon also took time out to work on his solo project, Jacks Mannequin. The debut Mannequin record came out in late summer 2005, but a supporting tour was canceled after McMahon was diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia in June. Touring for both bands was then put on hold while he went through treatment; Something Corporate had regrouped by the years end as he recovered from a successful bone marrow transplant from his sister.
