Reeve Oliver is an American
pop rock
Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
band formed in 2000 in
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. They have released two albums and several EPs and have toured with larger acts such as
The Vandals
The Vandals are an American punk rock band, established in 1980 in Orange County, California. They have released ten full-length studio albums, three live albums, three live DVDs and have toured the world extensively, including performances on ...
,
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...
, and
Switchfoot
Switchfoot is an American rock music, rock band from San Diego, California. The band's members are Jon Foreman (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Foreman (bass guitar, backing vocals), Chad Butler (drum kit, drums, percussion), and Jerome Fontamillas (g ...
. They have been locally recognized at the
San Diego Music Awards
The San Diego Music Awards is an awards show held annually in San Diego, California, United States, to recognize the best artists and bands in local music. The awards show benefits the San Diego Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedica ...
, earning "best rock album" in 2003 for ''
The Reeveolution EP'' and again in 2005 for ''
Reeve Oliver
Reeve Oliver is an American pop rock band formed in 2000 in San Diego, California. They have released two albums and several EPs and have toured with larger acts such as The Vandals, Yellowcard, and Switchfoot. They have been locally recognized ...
'', and being named "best rock act" at the 2006 awards.
Band history
Reeve Oliver was formed by vocalist/guitarist Sean O'Donnell while he was a member of the
Christian punk band
Dogwood
''Cornus'' is a genus of about 30–60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods or cornels, which can generally be distinguished by their blossoms, berries, and distinctive bark. Most are deciduous ...
. While writing songs for Dogwood, O'Donnell found himself writing more pop-based rock songs as well that did not fit the band's style. When Dogwood's album ''
Building a Better Me'' was completed ahead of schedule, O'Donnell and
Noise Ratchet
Noise Ratchet is an alternative rock band originating from Southern California.
Noise Ratchet began as a pop punk/ska band in February 1997 in San Diego, California. In 1998, they released their first independent album, ''Never Going Back'', at ...
drummer Brandon Young used the remaining studio time to record Reeve Oliver's first 5-song demo. O'Donnell left Dogwood in 2001 and he and Young formed Reeve Oliver as a full-time band, initially with Dogwood bassist Jason Harper who soon left and was replaced by
Otis Bartholameu of the band
Fluf
Fluf (stylized as fluf) is an American punk rock band formed in San Diego, California, in 1992.
History
O ( Otis Barthoulameu - vocals, guitar) and Jonny Donhowe (bass guitar) formed the band after their previous band, Olivelawn, split up, rec ...
(known simply by his first initial, O).
Eventually Young's commitments to Noise Ratchet led to his replacement by Brad Davis, a longtime friend of O'Donnell's. O'Donnell and Davis also work as entertainers and show hosts at
SeaWorld
SeaWorld is an American theme park chain with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. It is a proprietor of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers owned by United Parks & Resorts. The parks host shows st ...
.
In 2003 Reeve Oliver was awarded "best rock album" at the
San Diego Music Awards
The San Diego Music Awards is an awards show held annually in San Diego, California, United States, to recognize the best artists and bands in local music. The awards show benefits the San Diego Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedica ...
for ''
The Reeveolution EP''.
This was followed by their debut self-titled album in 2005 which received the same award, and a 2006 award for "best rock act."
During this time the band performed as the opening act for
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...
on tour and also performed on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour is a Concert tour, touring Rock music, 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 ...
. In 2006 the band signed to major label
Capitol
Capitol, capitols or The Capitol may refer to:
Places and buildings Legislative building
* United States Capitol, in Washington, D.C.
* National Capitol of Colombia, in Bogotá
* Palacio Federal Legislativo, in Caracas, Venezuela
* National Ca ...
, however they were soon dropped during the label's merger with
Virgin
Virginity is a social construct that denotes the state of a person who has never engaged in sexual intercourse. As it is not an objective term with an operational definition, social definitions of what constitutes virginity, or the lack thereof ...
. In March 2007 they released ''The Endless Bummer EP'' through Apple Danish Records. That December they self-released their second album ''
Touchtone Inferno!!!'', recorded under their contract with Capitol.
In February 2009 O'Donnell announced his involvement in a new musical project called
Big If
Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop-pu ...
with
Ryan Key
William Ryan Key (born December 17, 1979) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the rock band Yellowcard. He is the owner/operator of a recording studio in Jacksonville, Florida, called The Lone ...
of
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...
. This effectively put Reeve Oliver on hiatus, with Key stating that "Neither Yellowcard or Reeve Oliver feel like it is necessary to announce official break ups. There may come a time down the road where we want to get together and play shows with those bands. Who knows when that may be, but we aren't ruling it out completely."
O'Donnell went on to serve as the bassist for
Yellowcard
Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...
from April 2010 until February 2012.
Band members
Current members
*Sean O'Donnell –
vocals
Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
*Brad Davis –
drums
The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...
, backing vocals
Former members
*O (
Otis Barthoulameu) –
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Wood
* Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...
, backing vocals (died 2023)
*Jason Harper – guitar
*Brandon Young – drums
Discography
Albums
EPs
Non-album tracks
Videography
Music videos
References
External links
Official websiteOfficial Myspace profile
{{Authority control
American pop rock music groups
Musical groups from San Diego
Musical groups established in 2000
2000 establishments in California