Long Island, NY

New York natives C.J. Baran (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Steve Scarola (guitar/keyboards), Nick Deturris (bass), and Derek Ries (drums) formed the edgy pop outfit Push Play while still in high school. Though young, the longtime friends played off each other like brothers, resulting in a flurry of critical and commercial acclaim that soon extended far outside their beloved Long Island. Through heavy bouts of touring and Internet promotion, Push Play carved out a sizable audience that helped to bring the quartet out of the clubs, into Lincoln Center, and eventually across the country. Drawing comparisons to contemporary modern rock acts like Fall Out Boy and the Jonas Brothers, Push Play released their independent debut, Deserted, in 2007, followed by the nationally distributed Found in 2009. ~ James Christopher Monger