Boyce Avenue

Boyce Avenue

Boyce Avenue is an alternative rock and pop rock group from Sarasota, Florida, formed in 2004 and active since then. The band consists of brothers Alejandro Manzano, Fabian Manzano and Daniel Manzano. It is also known for its acoustic approach and its early presence on YouTube.

Origins and lineup

The group begins with Alejandro and Fabian, who start playing guitar together as teenagers, before they perform publicly with their older brother Daniel. Alejandro handles lead vocals, guitar and piano, Fabian plays guitar and sings, and Daniel plays bass, percussion and vocals. The brothers grow up in Sarasota and perform at Pine View High School while they are students there. During later years, Fabian studies Architecture at the University of Florida, and Daniel studies at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, while the group continues to meet whenever possible to make music.

Early development and first recordings

Boyce Avenue becomes a more regular project in 2004, when Daniel returns to Florida after graduating from law school and joins as full-time bassist. Alejandro then begins writing the band’s first original song, “Find Me.” The group performs locally in Sarasota and gives a final Pine View High School performance in 2005, at the Mr. Pine View competition, which Alejandro wins. After Alejandro finishes high school, he and Fabian study at the University of Florida in Gainesville, where the band develops its sound in venues such as Market Street and Side Bar.

In 2006, the band records its first three singles at Nickel and Dime Studios near Atlanta, with engineering by Kris Sampson and production by Don McCollister. It later records additional songs in Atlanta at Electron Gardens Studio in the Biltmore Hotel, and in Orlando at RMP Studios. These sessions involve engineers Gary Pfaff, Tim Delaney, Veit Renn and Adam Barber, with some tracks produced by Boyce Avenue itself.

Debut album and recognition

The debut album, All You’re Meant To Be, is released in 2008 on Boyce Avenue’s own label, 3 Peace Records. Austin Deptula mixes the songs and Rodney Mills masters the full project. The album includes songs such as “Dare To Believe,” “On My Way” and “Hear Me Now (piano acoustic),” along with earlier singles including “Find Me” and “All The While.”

The band receives notice in several songwriting competitions. “All The While” is named a semi-finalist in the 2007 International Songwriting Competition and one of twelve Lennon Award winners in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. “Find Me” becomes a finalist in the Pop category of the U.S.A. Songwriting Competition, and “Hear Me Now (piano acoustic)” is a finalist in the Best Group/Duo category of the IAMA songwriting competition and in the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. The group also qualifies as a Southeast semifinalist in the 2007 IMWS competition.

Later profile

After the debut album, Boyce Avenue is written about in outlets including CNN Money and Kings of A&R, and its songs appear on MTV programmes. The band builds a large following on YouTube and tours in the United States and the Philippines, which leads to a worldwide tour in 2009. It also licenses All You’re Meant To Be for sale in the Philippines through MCA Music.