Renowned as one of the most successful pop-rock outfits of the past decade, OneRepublic’s musical journey since the beginning has been a thrilling, roller coaster of a ride which needs to be taken note of!! With several hits under their belt which include the likes of ‘Apologize’, ‘Counting Stars’, ‘Kids’ amongst countless others, the California-based band brought to life by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins has enthralled music fans around the world with their mesmerizing tracks and breathtaking live performances. So without further ado, let us welcome one of our most favourite bands on the planet, and Artist of the Month for April 2018, One Republic.
Before OneRepublic took its final shape, Ryan and Zach formed a rock band called This Beautiful Mess in 1996 which came to an unfortunate end soon after as they both parted ways. Come 2002, they reunited for Republic before settling for the name OneRepublic as the former might have resulted in legal action from other similarly named acts.
Comprising of Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, Eddie Fisher, Drew Brown and Zach Filkins, the band initially began to gain popularity on MySpace. In 2007, listeners around the world were treated to their debut album ‘Dreaming Out Loud’ which was released via super producer Timbaland’s label Mosley Music Group. Boasting of cuts like the platinum hit ‘Apologize’ which was rearranged by Timbaland himself, ‘Stop and Stare’ amongst others, their first offering has also gone onto receive platinum certification.
After quickly managing to secure their spot as one of the hottest acts to watch out for, OneRepublic returned to action in 2009 as the band’s sophomore album ‘Waking Up’ hit shelves. Treating listeners to hits like ‘All the Right Moves’, ‘Secrets’, ‘Marchin On’ and ‘Good Life’, the early 2010s also saw them tour alongside the likes of Pink, Bon Jovi and Maroon 5.
A three and a half year hiatus which followed after that, the Ryan Tedder-led outfit made a triumphant comeback in 2013 which brought along one of their most successful albums till date. With ‘Native’, OneRepublic secured their first Top 10 album in the US besides also dishing out ‘Counting Stars’, their biggest single till date. Accompanied by tracks like the worldwide hit ‘If I Lose Myself’ which was further popularised by Alesso‘s stunning remix, ‘Love Runs Out’ and ‘I Lived’, ‘Native’ certainly turned out to be a blockbuster hit for the band.
During late 2014, they started to tease fans with the imminent arrival of their fourth album. And come October 2016, OneRepublic finally delivered their highly awaited ‘Oh My My’ LP. Besides becoming the band’s highest-charting debut to date, the album also packed hits like ‘Kids’, ‘Wherever I Go’ and ‘Let’s Hurt Tonight’.
In 2017, Ryan took to social media to announce the future of the band in terms of releasing new music. Besides putting the spotlight on how he dealt with “crippling anxiety” and became ill to constant touring, recording, and promoting the band’s releases, he also revealed that OneRepublic would release singles for now. In recent months, they have dished out tracks like ‘No Vacancy’, ‘Truth to Power’, ‘Rich Love’ with Seeb and even the Kygo-assisted ‘Stranger Things’.
As stated by Ryan late last year, OneRepublic have already begun working on their fifth studio album which is reportedly due out in 2018. Unarguably, one of music’s finest outfits, what’s not to love about them! And as they gear up to make their way to Mumbai for their debut performance in India later this month, make sure not to miss out on what promises to be a memorable night for passionate fans around the country.
