“Bam! They be in my face!” says one brand new Distorted Penguins fan getting to see the guys in action for the very first time. That’s how it has been for the past seven years due to their energetic and prevailing live performances.
Starting out in high school as an original band called Feedback in 1996, they built a loyal following of fans in Keyser, WV and the surrounding cities. Expanding their fan base into Cumberland, MD opened new doors for Feedback where they performed with ska bands like Regatta 69, The Beatdowns, and The Smooths.
After putting out a few cassette demos of live recordings done at various practices, Feedback started recording their first album in the summer of ’97 on a Fostex digital 8-track recorder. They then took the recordings to a local studio to get them mixed properly.
In September of ’97 they decided to change their band name to Distorted Penguins. At that time they used the name ‘Distorted Penguins Records’ as their D.I.Y. label to put out their demos. There were many reasons for changing the band name, but one of the main reasons was that literally hundreds of other bands had already used the name Feedback (U2 at one point was named Feedback). The boys decided to go with Distorted Penguins because it was more original.
After the release of “Ain’t Got None Monies” in December of 1997, the Distorted Penguins grew as a talented, innovative band, and expanded their fan base into Morgantown, WV, home of the West Virginia Mountaineers. Performing for the University and the WWVU (U92) radio shows, ‘DP’ gained a strong following of high school and college fans.
DP performed throughout the region over the next few years doing shows in Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, trying to get their name out. After breaking into the city of Pittsburgh, PA, DP met and befriended a band called the Buzz Poets. The Poets helped DP tremendously by giving them opening spots at many shows, and by making several guest appearances on their new album.
DP started work on this album in August of 1999. The studio of choice was Soundscape Studios in McKeesport, PA with engineer Billy Rossi and producer Buddy Hall. The recording of the album was a long process since the majority of the band was starting college and had to drive a few hours each way to get to the studio.
Many months went by and on April 24, 2000 the final vocal tracks were recorded. This completed the recording process for the album. Then, just two days later the heart and soul and lead singer/songwriter of the Distorted Penguins, Magic Dave Mussen, had his life tragically taken from him. The following weeks and months were tough for everyone that had ever come in contact with Dave, especially the band. The future of DP was in jeopardy and no one was sure what should be done. In time however a unanimous decision was made to keep the band together and keep Dave’s music alive.
After a line-up switch and the addition of a few new members the Distorted Penguins were ready to venture back out into the world. It took some time to get used to the tremendous change, but their main goal was to complete their album for Magic Dave. Finances were scarce, so the mixing, mastering, artwork, and duplication process took many months. The 2001 “Pittsburgh X-Files” CD released by 105.9 ‘the X’ was dedicated to Magic Dave and had DP’s song ‘Cloud Nine’ and Buzz Poets’ song ‘Angel Eyes (Song for Dave)’ on it. That helped both bands get the message out about how much Dave meant to everyone.
After releasing their album ‘Magic’ in February of 2001, DP traveled throughout the Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia regions playing anywhere they possibly could. Performing at colleges, bars, clubs, parties, and benefits, a spot on the Vans Warped tour in Pittsburgh, and opening for national acts such as Reel Big Fish, 2 Skinnee J’s, and Blues Traveler helped elevate the Distorted Penguins and establish them as an exceptional rock band.
In May of 2001, DP started recording a five-track EP in order to get out some of their new material. This also took many months due to lack of money. ‘What Would Your Mother Say?’ was released on April 12, 2002 and the band received incredible acclaim for their work. Since then they have extended their reach throughout Ohio, into Eastern Maryland, New Jersey, and parts of the North Eastern United States.
Through radio airplay on multiple national and college radio stations, a featured song on the Pittsburgh X-Files 2001 Compilation CD, and singles included on several episodes of MTV’s ‘Undressed’, DP is earning national and international recognition in the D.I.Y. fashion. Fans throughout the United States, Canada, England, France, Russia, Germany, and Australia have proven their love with over 300,000 downloads on mp3.com. DP has contributed their songs to independent movies and video games, as well as special CD compilations to help raise money for the American Red Cross, the Children’s Hospital of Boston, teen suicide prevention, domestic violence, and charities that help battered women and children.
2003 is going to be a year to remember for the Distorted Penguins. They plan on doing a Canadian and U.S. tour this summer with performance footage and crazy happenings to be released on a special DVD. Then in the winter they hope to start the initial phases of recording a new album, which has the potential to be the best album of the millennium. Keep your eyes and ears open and rock out to the sweet, sweet sounds.
