Stepdad

Stepdad formed in the summer of 2009 in Chicago when roommates Ryan McCarthy and ultramark began working on electro-pop recordings in their apartment. Beginning as a duo, the band first arrived at a modicum of mass exposure in 2010 through their theme song for web comic Axe Cop. The group relocated to Grand Rapids, Michigan later that year and expanded their lineup to include bassist Alex Fives and drummer Jeremy Malvin. The group self-released their first EP Ordinaire digitally, and toured regionally in support of the release. Support slots for more established bands like Passion Pit and Fitz & the Tantrums helped bring Stepdad to the attention of more fans. By September of 2011, Ordinaire was re-released with two bonus tracks on Michigan/Brooklyn label Quite Scientific. The band continued to tour extensively and contributed another theme song to Atom.com web series Top Rope. In 2012, the band completed work on debut full-length Wildlife Pop with Walkmen and Le Savy Fav producer Chris Zane. They signed to Warner Bros. subsidiary label Black Bell Records and the album was slated for release in June of 2012. In the summer of the album's release the band performed on Vans' Warped Tour, filling out their membership with multi-instrumentalist Nathan K.