Post by Lauren Curtis on Dec 16, 2006 4:15:19 GMT -5
be your own PET (often abbreviated to BYOP) are a four-piece punk rock group from Nashville, Tennessee, USA.
The band consists of lead singer Jemina Pearl Abegg, the daughter of Christian artist/photographer Jimmy Abegg; guitarist Jonas Stein, the son of manager Burt Stein; and Nathan Vasquez (bass), son of acclaimed Latin Jazz guitarist Rafael Vasquez. Vasquez replaced Jake Orrall, the founding member of BYOP, who left the band to spend a year in Iceland.
BYOP formed in 2003 in the basement of Orrall’s house, which doubles as a home studio/rehearsal space for indie label Infinity Cat Recordings.
Their sound is basic, primal garage rock and are often compared to popular New York group Yeah Yeah Yeahs, not just for their style, featuring heavy rock guitars with abrasive vocals and erratic, angular rhythms, but also due to critical comparisons of Abegg to Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O. Both being female and having a dynamic stage presence.
Be your own PET generated a massive amount of press following the release of their debut single "Damn Damn Leash" on Infinity Cat. The single was produced by Kings Of Leon producer Angelo and Infinity Cat's Robert Ellis Orrall, and mixed by Modest Mouse mix engineer Jaquire King. The press included an interview in Rolling Stone, and appearances at the Glastonbury and Reading/Leeds festivals, as well as successful appearances at SXSW and slots supporting bands such as The Kills. The band also appeared on the Queen tribute album, Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen, covering "Bicycle Race". The band released their eponymous album in the UK in March 2006, and in the US on June 6th, 2006.
In September 2006, Jamin Orral left the band to pursue college, his family owned record label, Infinity Cat, and JEFF, the band he and his brother, Jake Orrall formed in 2002. [1]