Jeff Schneeweis - Vocals / Guitar Ben Tietz - Guitar / BGV's Trevor Sellers - Bass Jordan Mallory - Drums / BGV's
Chico, California may not seem like a hotbed of modern rock activity, but for the foursome known as NUMBER ONE GUN it's been a great place to cut their teeth.
Nearly three years ago, Jeff Schneeweis (vocals/guitar) and Jordan Mallory (drums) had begun to put together a band. They had gone to school together and started playing under the moniker "Paper Trees," and had started to achieve some success.
Ben Tietz (guitar/vocals) and Trevor Sellers (bass) had also attended their high school, but were involved in other bands around the area. Then, nearly a year ago, a place for a bass player and guitarist opened up and the line-up and the name were complete. Number One Gun was ready to take on the west coast music scene.
After recording a 5 song EP titled "Forever" in their garage in August of 2002, Number One Gun hit the road and sold a respectable 1000 units out of the back of the van. During the tour, NUMBER ONE GUN opened for PAX217, and became acquainted with Dave Tosti, who is not only in the band, but is the A&R Director for Salvage Records. After seeing the band, they were quickly offered a deal with the young label and began to record their present album in January 2003 with veteran producer Bob Burch. "We literally lived at his house for over a month. He became more than a producer: he became a mentor and a great friend. It was a fantastic experience."
"Since we were staying at his house, we all ended up doing chores every day, and feeling like part of the family. It wasn't what we were expecting - but it turned out so much better than what we were expecting as well!"
During the recording, Salvage approached Floodgate Records to help in the marketing of the album. Their success with bands such as East West and Denison Marrs, combined with their love of indie music, made perfect sense. Not long after Floodgate agreed to take on the project, directing the marketing and putting "Celebrate Mistakes" through their Word Entertainment / WEA distribution channels.
The album's theme is summed up in the title Celebrate Mistakes. "Really it's all about humbling yourself, realizing our humanity," explains Jeff. "When you make mistakes you just have to face it, learn from it and get on with life. God has given us the resources to deal with any situation we are put in. He gives us hope, and a way out. That's really what the album is all about."
