"At the end of the day The struggle makes it all OK, Even if we never get there. This is all I need. There's no in between." Living is different than surviving. Living is sweating in an old truck, playing your songs to new ears every night. Living is following an improbable lifelong dream, if not for guaranteed success then at least real stories about a life once lived. Surviving is trying to make enough money to pay for rent and school loans, for milk and diapers. Surviving is hoping you have a job when you get back home from tour, because the cold reality of the matter is that you need it. STATE AND MADISON is a band well aware of both sides of the life they've chosen. "We were never trust fund kids," says singer and songwriter Nickolas Blazina. "The closest we ever got to Silver Spoons was watching Rick Schroeder grow up on TV." Having to work 2 or 3 jobs to keep the ship afloat feels normal to these boys from the Southside of Chicago. After all, it was their parents, the handyman, the nurse, the paralegal, who instilled early the notion that hard work and perseverance would never go unrewarded, even if that reward was something you hadn't anticipated - Your life rich regardless. STATE AND MADISON was formed in 2005 by Blazina, guitarist Mark Tatara, and bassist Anthony Martino, all three neighborhood friends who grew up playing music on the Southside of Chicago. After releasing their debut EP "Simplicity Is The Name Of The Game" (2006) and then “Consider This A Confession” (2007), the group slowly but surely developed a loyal, hometown fan-base by becoming staples of the local scene, obsessing in the time-honored Chicago tradition of working the local circuit by promoting with flyers and burned demos. “We literally built our following from the ground up” says Blazina. “If you were going to see a rock show in Chicago, you were going to see us there, and you were going to get a CD”. The band turned a corner with 2008's "Become The Not Found", a full-length digital/vinyl LP unveiled at a sold out release show at Chicago's famous Beat Kitchen, further evidence of their progress. Featuring immediate fan favorite sing alongs like “If this was The Moon”, with “Become The Not Found” the band began to garner some regional buzz, nabbing showcase slots on the VAN’S WARPED TOUR and Milwaukee's mega SUMMERFEST. Throughout 2009, STATE AND MADISON rode a wave of momentum, establishing themselves as one of Chicago’s premier local bands by releasing digital singles throughout the year to feed the craving of their growing fan-base. Praise began pouring in from across the country, with glowing features in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE, CS MAGAZINE, REDEYE and THE MEN’S BOOK. ALTERNATIVE PRESS magazine featured the band as a Chicago Hometown Hero, and in their annual AP&R 2010 praised the band’s "melodies made for top 40", comparing them to major label acts Ludo and Panic! At The Disco. Through it all, the band continued to chug along, writing dozens of songs, selecting only a few for the next phase of releases. For STATE AND MADISON it's that time again. With a new batch of singles to show the world, the band is ready to continue their journey toward a future made by music. This time though the gloves are off. These three all-new tracks are Pop Music without shame. Yet, they are still energized with the Rock format towards which the band has always leaned. Again like before, time was spent with their old friend J. Hall in the spring of this year at the SoundKitchen in Nashville, TN. The results are undoubtedly their best songs yet. "At The End of the Day" recalls Incubus and John Mayer. The four on the floor stomp of "Prom Mrs." shows the band digging into a groove that would make Adam Levine proud. And in the standout title track "The Wolfman", the sweet singable chorus melody masks darker lyrical undertones in a manner that can only be described as classic STATE AND MADISON. It’s because of this unique sound that STATE AND MADISON stands out in a competitive musical landscape. Blazina’s melodies and arrangements are unabashedly pop, so strong in fact, the darker lyrical themes that permeate most of his songs could be easily missed by the casual listener. But despite being catchy and upbeat, there’s a depth to the music that reveals a strong ethos, one that is painfully aware life isn’t fair, but regardless, refuses to be negative. It’s an ethos the band lives by. “We can’t afford a van, so we tour in [guitarist] Mark’s parents' truck.” explains Blazina. “Nothing is going to stop us from living our dream.” That’s because, for STATE AND MADISON, the journey is part of the destination. It’s the effort that gives them meaning, and, at the end of the day, it’s the struggle that makes it all OK. ### www.stateandmadison.net www.facebook.com/stateandmadison @stateandmadison on twitter management contact : tony (at) stateandmadison (dot) net