Frederick Paul Mascherino (born July 27, 1974) is an American musician best known for his work as lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist in
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
band
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, New York, formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999. The band's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, voc ...
. He is currently active with bands
The Color Fred
The Color Fred is a band headed by former Taking Back Sunday guitarist and singer Fred Mascherino. The band got their name by a poll taken on the internet and ''The Color Fred'' was declared as the fans' favorite name.
History
The band was star ...
and
Say Anything Say Anything may refer to:
Film and television
* '' Say Anything...'', a 1989 American film by Cameron Crowe
* "Say Anything" (''BoJack Horseman''), a television episode
Music
* Say Anything (band), an American rock band
** ''Say Anything'' (al ...
. Fred is also known for working with
Terrible Things
Terrible Things is an alternative rock band initially formed in 2009 by Fred Mascherino, formerly of Taking Back Sunday, Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit, and Josh Eppard, from Coheed and Cambria.Biography Allmusic The group released a self- ...
. He also runs the record label Heading East Records. He is
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal source foods, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. A person who practices veganism is known as a ve ...
and
straight edge
Straight edge (sometimes abbreviated as sXe or signified by XXX or simply X) is a subculture of hardcore punk whose adherents refrain from using alcohol, tobacco, and other recreational drugs in reaction to the punk subculture's excesses. Some ...
.
Biography
Mascherino was born in
West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located in the Delaware Valley, Philadelphia metropolitan area, the borough had a population of 18,671 at the 2020 census. West ...
, and raised in
Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Coatesville is the only city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,350 at the 2020 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia. It developed along the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike ...
. He graduated from
Temple University
Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...
in Philadelphia, where he earned a degree in Jazz Guitar. Fred is an active environmentalist and has been a vegan since 1996.
Career
Brody (1992–1999)
From 1992 to 1999, Mascherino was in a band named Brody, whose members included Kevin Ruggeri, Bill Loughin, Billy Warburton, Brodie Ruland, Keith Cucuzza, Pat Higgins and Dan Sagherian. It was during this time that he met
Eddie Reyes, then of Clockwise. Brody released a 7-inch EP on Creep Records entitled "Against Forgetting" and a full-length CD entitled "Worth Dying For" on Harvest records. The band was also featured on several compilations, including
Blackout! Records' "Punk Rock Jukebox."
Breaking Pangaea (2000–2003)
In 2000, after Brody broke up, Mascherino became lead singer and guitarist for
Breaking Pangaea, a band from Philadelphia. Other members included drummer
Will Noon
Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, ''Straylight Run'' and '' The Needles the Space'', as well as three EPs, ''Prepare to Be Wrong'', ''About Time'', and ''Un Mas Dos''. ...
, and bassist
Clint Stelfox. They were taken on by Florida label
Undecided Records, and produced EP "Take Apart the Words" and full-length CD "A Cannon to a Whisper".
In May 2003, Breaking Pangaea released an EP entitled "Phoenix" through Equal Vision Records.
In 2004, the members of Breaking Pangaea met up again and played to a sold out crowd at the First Unitarian Church in Philly. From the stage, Mascherino told the crowd it would not be their last show.
Taking Back Sunday (2003–2007)
Mascherino joined Taking Back Sunday in 2003, replacing original guitarist/singer
John Nolan after Nolan left the band with bassist
Shaun Cooper to pursue different musical interests with
Straylight Run
Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, ''Straylight Run (album), Straylight Run'' and ''The Needles the Space'', as well as three EPs, ''Prepare to Be Wrong'', ''About Time' ...
. During his stint with
Taking Back Sunday
Taking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, New York, formed by guitarist Eddie Reyes and bassist Jesse Lacey in late 1999. The band's current members are Adam Lazzara (lead vocals), John Nolan (lead guitar, keyboards, voc ...
, Mascherino was a major collaborator, and was responsible for co-writing the majority of ''Louder Now'', as well as many songs from ''Where You Want To Be''.
Fred's main guitar is a
Gibson SG Special, while his main amp consists of a
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
JCM 800 2203 100-watt head, and a
Marshall
Marshall may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Marshall, Victoria, a suburb of Geelong, Victoria
** Marshall railway station
Canada
* Marshall, Saskatchewan
* The Marshall, a mountain in British Columbia
Liberia
* Marshall, Liberia
Marshall Is ...
1960A cabinet with
Celestion
Celestion is a British designer and exporter of professional loudspeakers.
History
Origins
What became Celestion was started in Hampton Wick (suburban London) in 1924. Cyril French and his three brothers had taken over a plating works and ...
Greenback speakers. He notes that the cabinet accounts for 75% of his sound.
During the 2006
Taste of Chaos
Taste of Chaos (or "TOC") was a live music tour that was started in the winter of 2005 by Kevin Lyman, the creator of the successful Warped Tour along with his friend and business partner, John Reese. The Taste of Chaos tour catered to fans of ...
tour (for which Taking Back Sunday was headlining), Fred returned home due to family commitments. His bandmates were forced to continue without him, supported onstage by members of
Saosin
Saosin ( or ) is an American rock band formed in 2003 in Orange County, California. The group originally consisted of Beau Burchell, Justin Shekoski, Zach Kennedy and Anthony Green. They released their debut EP, '' Translating the Name'', i ...
,
Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag was an American punk rock band formed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1988. The band was known for its left-wing politics, left-wing political activism. For the majority of the band's career, their members included Justin Sane (voc ...
and
Underoath
Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...
. It was later revealed that Fred's family commitments were in regard to his mother-in-law's battle with cancer.
On October 4, it was announced that Fred had left the band to work on his solo project,
The Color Fred
The Color Fred is a band headed by former Taking Back Sunday guitarist and singer Fred Mascherino. The band got their name by a poll taken on the internet and ''The Color Fred'' was declared as the fans' favorite name.
History
The band was star ...
.
The Color Fred (2006–present)
The Color Fred
The Color Fred is a band headed by former Taking Back Sunday guitarist and singer Fred Mascherino. The band got their name by a poll taken on the internet and ''The Color Fred'' was declared as the fans' favorite name.
History
The band was star ...
is Mascherino's solo project. On October 30, 2007,
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is an independent record label based in Albany, New York. It was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo, the singer for the punk bands Youth of Today, Shelter, and Better Than a Thousand.
Initially, the label existed sol ...
released a full-length CD for the project titled "Bend to Break". Although considered a solo project, Fred was joined on the recording by Steve Curtiss on drums,
PJ Bond on bass and backing vocals and Keys/piano played by
Breaking Pangaea bassist, Clint Stelfox. At the time of the CD's release, the group was on tour with
Straylight Run
Straylight Run is an indie rock band based in Baldwin, Nassau County, New York. The band released two albums, ''Straylight Run (album), Straylight Run'' and ''The Needles the Space'', as well as three EPs, ''Prepare to Be Wrong'', ''About Time' ...
followed by tours with
Angels and Airwaves,
The Vans Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a touring rock music festival that toured the United States and Canada each summer from 1995 until 2019, and returned in 2025 for its 30th anniversary. By 2015, Warped was the largest traveling music festival in the United St ...
and the Give It A Name Tour in the UK with
Four Year Strong
Four Year Strong is an American pop-punk band from Worcester, Massachusetts, formed in 2001. The group consists of vocalists and guitarists Dan O'Connor and Alan Day, bassist Joe Weiss, and drummer Jake Massucco. They have released eight studio ...
and
Mayday Parade
Mayday Parade is an American rock band formed in Tallahassee, Florida, in 2005, as the result of a merger between two local Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment. Their debut EP '' Tales Told by Dead Friends'' was released i ...
.
On April 18, 2009, an acoustic CD titled, The Color Fred "The Intervention EP" was released to commemorate
Record Store Day
Record Store Day is a semi-annual event established in 2008 to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". Held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November, the day brings together f ...
. The CD had acoustic versions and demos of songs from "Bend to Break" as well as unreleased songs. Fred supported this release playing acoustic on tours with
Craig Owens
Craig Owens (born August 26, 1984) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of Chiodos. He has also had an involvement in various projects such as Cinematic Sunrise, The Sound of Animals Fighting, Isles & Glaciers, and Destroy ...
and
The Summer Aesthetic.
On April 1, 2022, having reunited with a new lineup three years prior, The Color Fred released its sophomore album, ''A Year and Change'', on indie label Heading East Records, which was founded by Mascherino earlier in the year.
Terrible Things
On October 25, 2009, Mascherino and Andy Jackson (Death in the Park/ex-
Hot Rod Circuit) announced plans for a new music project called Initials. The band later changed its name to
Terrible Things
Terrible Things is an alternative rock band initially formed in 2009 by Fred Mascherino, formerly of Taking Back Sunday, Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit, and Josh Eppard, from Coheed and Cambria.Biography Allmusic The group released a self- ...
. They were soon joined by ex-
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York, formed in 1995. It consists of Claudio Sanchez (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Travis Stever (guitars, vocals), Josh Eppard (drums, keyboards, backing vocals), and Za ...
drummer, Josh Eppard, and released their first full-length album, ''
Terrible Things
Terrible Things is an alternative rock band initially formed in 2009 by Fred Mascherino, formerly of Taking Back Sunday, Andy Jackson of Hot Rod Circuit, and Josh Eppard, from Coheed and Cambria.Biography Allmusic The group released a self- ...
'', on August 31, 2010. The album is a concept album revolving around a string of arson fires in Mascherino's hometown, Coatesville, Pennsylvania. On April 20, 2011, Andy Jackson announced that he was leaving the band. The band and Jackson are still on good terms, and the band has continued without him, with Eppard aiding Mascherino with vocal duties. In November 2011, Josh Eppard left to rejoin Coheed and Cambria. Fred worked on a new Terrible Things album with producer, Jason Elgin.
The Lemonheads
In the winter of 2012, Fred spent 9 weeks on the road playing bass for
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After their initial punk-influenced releases and tours as an indep ...
. The band was playing "It's a Shame About Ray" in its entirety, one of Fred's favorite albums in college.
Solo
In Spring 2012, Mascherino announced a small solo tour throughout the northeast region of the United States. Named the "Super Karate Tour," the live shows also feature
Scott Reynolds, vocalist for All and the Pavers, as well as Philadelphia, PA-based Toy Cannons.
[Tours: Scott Reynolds / Fred Mascherino / Toy Cannons](_blank)
[The Super Karate Tour](_blank)
.
Say Anything
During the summer of 2014, Mascherino joined the indie-punk group
Say Anything Say Anything may refer to:
Film and television
* '' Say Anything...'', a 1989 American film by Cameron Crowe
* "Say Anything" (''BoJack Horseman''), a television episode
Music
* Say Anything (band), an American rock band
** ''Say Anything'' (al ...
as a touring guitarist and backup vocalist for the group's ''Hebrews Tour''. He rejoined the recently reformed band in 2023 and appears on their newest single "Psyche!" as well as on their ninth album, ''...Is Committed''.
Producing
Mascherino is credited as a producer and engineer on the 2014 EP ''Light Years and Heavy Lifting'' by Only on Weekends. He also produced the 2014 EP "Every Light" by Modern Suits.
[Pop-punkers Only On Weekends are releasing a new EP and celebrating with some Philly shows](_blank)
/ref>
On March 26, 2015, Mascherino performed a guitar solo on the Double Experience track "Goddamn Mimetic Business" Mascherino also performed a guitar solo on Joe Matera's "Endless Summer", from his debut album ''Creature of Habit'', released in 2012.
Released on September 18, 2024, Mascherino performed guest vocals on the track "Without a Doubt" on the self-titled album by Mighty Tortuga, a band signed to Heading East Records. He also produced and engineered the album alongside Stephen Angello.
References
External links
Ultimate Guitar
Taking Back Sunday Official Website
The Color Fred Official Website
The Color Fred on Myspace
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mascherino, Fred
1974 births
Living people
American people of Italian descent
American rock singers
American rock guitarists
American male guitarists
Singers from Pennsylvania
Temple University alumni
People from Coatesville, Pennsylvania
Guitarists from Philadelphia
21st-century American singers
21st-century American guitarists
21st-century American male singers