OneRepublic is an American pop rock band from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Formed in 2002 by Ryan Tedder and Zach Filkins, the band achieved commercial success on MySpace
as an unsigned act.
In 2003, the band was discovered by actress Kelly Barrett in Hollywood who connected them
directly with her cousins Jimmy Ienner and Donnie Ienner, who was the President of Sony
at that time, by making one phone call to get the AR Reps to their show.
They then signed to Sony BMG for three years, before moving to Mosley Music Group.
In 2007, OneRepublic released their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud.
Its lead single, "Apologize" was notably remixed by Timbaland, becoming a huge international
success, reaching number one in sixteen countries, subsequently earning them a Grammy Award nomination.
The second single, "Stop and Stare" mirrored its predecessor's success.
The album was later certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
The band's second album, Waking Up, produced the successful singles, "All the Right Moves",
"Secrets", "Marchin On", and "Good Life", the latter reaching the top ten of the US
Billboard Hot 100.
OneRepublic's third album, Native, became the band's first top ten album on the Billboard
200, and highest charting album to date, charting at number four.
The lead single, "If I Lose Myself" charted within the top ten in several countries, while
the album's third single, "Counting Stars", became the band's most successful single in
recent years, obtaining top five placements in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, New
Zealand, the U.S. and the UK.
This marks their highest charting single in the United Kingdom to date.
It has also peaked at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, matching their highest peak of "Apologize"
in 2007.
History 1996: Origins
The first incarnation of what evolved into OneRepublic formed in 1996 after Ryan Tedder
and Zach Filkins befriended each other during their senior year at Colorado Springs Christian
High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
During a drive home, as Filkins and Tedder discussed favorite musicians including Fiona
Apple, Peter Gabriel and U2, they decided to put together a band.
They enlisted a few musical friends and named their rock act This Beautiful Mess—a phrase
which first attained cult prominence a year earlier when Sixpence None the Richer released
its award-winning second album, This Beautiful Mess.
Tedder, Filkins & Co. had a few small gigs at Pikes Perk Coffee & Tea House, attended
by friends and family.
Senior year ended, and Tedder and Filkins parted ways, each attending different colleges.
2002–07: Formation Reuniting in Los Angeles in 2002, Tedder and
Filkins reformed their second band under the moniker Republic.
Tedder, by then an established songwriter and record producer, had convinced Filkins
who was living in Chicago to relocate.
Nine months later, the band signed with Columbia Records.
After a few line-up changes, the group finally settled with Tedder on vocals, Filkins on
guitar and backing vocals, Eddie Fisher on drums, Brent Kutzle on bass and cello, and
Drew Brown on lead guitar.
The band's name was changed to OneRepublic after the record company mentioned that the
name Republic might cause controversy with other bands.
The band worked in the studio for two and a half years and recorded its first full length
album.
Two months before the album was due to be released,, OneRepublic was dropped by Columbia
Records.
The band was beginning to gain prominence on MySpace; Tedder said it was the number-one
unsigned act on MySpace, and credits the website for keeping the band together.
The band caught the attention of a number of labels, including Timbaland's Mosley Music
Group.
The band soon signed onto the label, becoming the first rock band to do so.
2007–09: Dreaming Out Loud and mainstream breakthrough
OneRepublic's debut album Dreaming Out Loud was released on November 20, 2007, and debuted
at number 14 in the US with first week sales of 75,000.
Critical reception to the album ranged from negative to mixed.
Allmusic gave the album a modest review, stating the "album sounds derivative" but also "sounds
cohesive and smoothly pleasant".
Robert Christgau gave the album a negative review, and termed it a "dud".
Rolling Stone gave the album 2 out of 5 stars, but placed the band in its "Artists to Watch"
list, which featured ten artists that, according to the magazine, "...are bringing the future
of music, today."
Their lead single, "Apologize", was released in its original version from the band's debut
album Dreaming Out Loud.
The song was also prominently featured as a remix on Timbaland's 2007 release of Shock
Value.
The single, featured on Shock Value, was a major hit both in the United States and internationally.
It peaked a number one globally, including eight consecutive weeks on the Billboard Pop
100 chart, subsequently reaching the top three of the Billboard Hot 100.
The song sold five million copies in the United States alone, receiving a five-times Platinum
certification from the RIAA.
The song was a massive hit internationally, reaching number one in sixteen countries,
including Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and Sweden.
It also spent thirteen weeks at number one in Canada.
It has since been certified over 2x Platinum in 6 countries worldwide, including 4x Platinum
in Australia.
The song ultimately earned the band their first Grammy nomination for best pop performance
in a group or duo.
The second single from the album, "Stop and Stare", released in March 2008, reached the
top ten in eight countries worldwide, including charting at number four in the United Kingdom,
and topping the UK Rock Chart.
It also reached number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100, and number nine on the Pop 100.
Additional singles included "Say" and "Mercy".
The album was later certified Platinum in the United States and Germany, as well as
Gold in Australia, Austria and Canada.
2009–11: Waking Up OneRepublic's second studio album, Waking
Up, was released on November 17, 2009.
charting at number 21 on the Billboard 200, and ultimately selling over 200,000 copies
in the US.
The lead single, "All the Right Moves" was released on September 9, 2009, peaking at
number 18 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and being certified 2x Platinum.
"Secrets", the second single from the album, reached the top five in Austria, Germany,
Luxembourg, Poland and on the US Adult Pop Songs and Adult Contemporary charts.
Furthermore, it reached number 21 on the Hot 100.
The song was used in television series such as Lost, Pretty Little Liars and Nikita, as
well as in the sci-fi fantasy movie, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice".
"Marchin On", the album's third single made top ten appearances in Austria, Germany and
Israel, however it was the fourth single "Good Life" that became the band's most successful
song from the album, particularly in the US.
Released on November 19, 2010, it became their second top ten single on the Billboard Hot
100 at the time, peaking at number 8 and selling over three million copies in the US alone,
earning a 3x Platinum certification.
Rolling Stone put the song on its list of the best 15 whistling songs of all time.
Waking Up was later certified Gold in Austria, Germany and the US for sales of over 500,000,
and has since sold over 800,000 copies worldwide.
In 2009, OneRepublic were featured on Leona Lewis's second studio album Echo on the track
"Lost Then Found".
On June 5, 2010, the band supported Pink on her Funhouse Summer Carnival Tour at Innsbruck.
OneRepublic supported Bon Jovi at The O2 Arena for three dates in June 2010.
The band supported Maroon 5 for a fall 2010 tour.
In November 2011, OneRepublic released their first Christmas single entitled "Christmas
Without You".
2012–present: Native OneRepublic released their third studio album,
Native, on March 22, 2013, marking the end of the band's 3 and a half year hiatus.
The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200 becoming their first top 10 album in the
US, with first week sales of 60,000.
It was also their best opening sales week since their debut album Dreaming Out Loud
which sold 75,000 copies in its first week.
"Feel Again" was originally released as the lead single on August 27, 2012, however after
the album being delayed it was re-branded as a "promotional single".
The song was released as a part of Save the Children's Every Beat Matters campaign, where
a portion of the proceeds from the single's sales would be donated.
It peaked at number 36 on the US Billboard Hot 100, additionally marking top ten positions
in Germany and on the US Adult Pop Songs chart.
The single was later certified Platinum in the US.
The album's first global single, "If I Lose Myself" was released on January 8, 2013.
It reached the top ten in Austria, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland,
yet only managed to peak at number 74 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song has since been certified Gold in both Italy and Australia.
The album's third single "Counting Stars" has become their most successful single from
the album thus far, and the band's biggest release in recent years.
The song achieved significant international success, charting within the top five in Australia,
Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Poland,
New Zealand, Scotland, Slovakia and Spain.
It reached number 1 in the UK, marking the bands highest charting song ever in that country,
while also peaking at number 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, their first song to crack the top
5 since "Apologize" in 2007.
The song has since peaked at number 1 in 5 countries worldwide, and has gone 5x platinum
in Australia, 2x Platinum in New Zealand, Platinum in the UK, Gold in Switzerland and
Germany, as well as currently holding a 3x Platinum certification in the US.
On April 2, 2013, the band embarked on their headlining concert tour The Native Tour in
promotion for the album, beginning in Europe.
This ran throughout 2013/14 and saw the band perform shows across Europe, North America,
Asia and Australia and New Zealand.
The 2013 North American tour was a co-headlining tour with singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles,
while the 2014 North American Tour was a co-headlining tour with The Script.
The tour will finish in Russia on November 9, 2014, marking a total of 169 shows and
the bands largest tour to date.
The album's fourth single, "Something I Need", was released on August 25, 2013.
Despite little promotion of the song upon its release due to the late and unexpected
success of "Counting Stars", the song has still managed to be certified 2x Platinum
in Australia and Platinum in New Zealand as of December 2013.
On April 8, 2014, OneRepublic confirmed via Twitter that their new song, "Love Runs Out",
recorded at Studio Faust Records in Prague, would be released.
Tedder said that the band had intended the song to be the first single on Native, but
that he could not think of a chorus for the song, so the song's release was delayed.
The song was added as the second track on the album's re-release on April 14.
Musical style and influences OneRepublic's varied style of music has been
described by Ryan Tedder: "We're no respecter of genre.
If it's a good song or a good artist whether rock, pop, indie or hip hop, they've probably
influenced us on some level...nothing's new under the sun, we're a sum of a bunch of parts."
They cite The Beatles and U2 as heavier influences on its music.
OneRepublic has expressed a desire to move listeners onstage the way U2 does.
Members Current members
Ryan Tedder – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, keyboard, bass guitar,
tambourine, African drum, percussion Zach Filkins – lead guitar, viola, acoustic
guitar, tambourine, backing vocals Drew Brown – rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar,
keyboard, glockenspiel, marimba, bass guitar, piano, tambourine, percussion, drums, backing
vocals Eddie Fisher – drums, percussion, African
drum, cajón, guitar, glockenspiel Brent Kutzle – bass guitar, cello, acoustic
guitar, keyboard, piano, lead guitar, tambourine, backing vocals
Former members Jerrod Bettis – drums
Tim Myers – bass Timeline
Discography
Studio albums Dreaming Out Loud
Waking Up Native
Tours Good Life Tour
The Native Tour Native Summer Tour
Awards and nominations References
External links Official website
OneRepublic Discography/Lyrics OneRepublic Discography