Plain White T's

Plain White T's

Plain White T's are a pop-punk band from Chicago, United States, formed in 1997 and active since then. The group’s line-up includes Tom Higgenson, Dave Tirio, Mike Retondo, De'Mar Hamilton, Tim Lopez, Ken Fletcher and Steve Mast. Their sound is associated with pop punk, alternative rock, emo pop and acoustic rock.

Career overview

The band begins in a suburban basement, where it starts out playing covers before developing a following through Tom Higgenson’s songwriting. Higgenson grows up in the Chicago area, writes songs on a four-track at home in Villa Park, Illinois, and later brings in school friends including guitarist Dave Tirio. The group then plays Chicago’s Metro and builds a local reputation before moving into wider national attention.

Plain White T's self-release their 2002 debut album Stop, which sells thousands of copies. Fearless Records then reissues that album and also reissues All That We Needed from 2005. Later, after work with Hollywood Records, the band moves to Megaforce Records for American Nights in 2015 and later returns to Fearless Records.

Major releases and songs

The band is best known for “Hey There Delilah”, a number one hit that becomes platinum in 2007 and earns two Grammy nominations. “1, 2, 3, 4” and “Rhythm of Love” also reach platinum status, in 2009 and 2011 respectively. The track “Natural Disaster” appears alongside “1, 2, 3, 4” as a hit from the 2008 album Big Bad World.

On Every Second Counts, Higgenson works with Mike Retondo, De'Mar Hamilton and Tim Lopez, and the album includes “Hate (I Really Don’t Like You)”, “Friends Don’t Let Friends Dial Drunk”, “Our Time Now”, “Come Back to Me” and “Write You a Song”. The 2010 album The Wonders of the Younger includes “Rhythm of Love”, which reaches number five on the Hot AC chart. The band also issues the four-song EP Should’ve Gone to Bed in 2013.

Touring, television and collaborations

Plain White T's tour widely and appear on Warped Tour three times. They also open for acts including Jimmy Eat World and AFI, and later join the Rock Band Live tour with Panic! at the Disco, Dashboard Confessional and The Cab. The band performs “Our Time Now” on an episode of iCarly, and the song also serves as the theme for the ABC Family series Greek.

In 2012, they cover the Ramones’ “Pet Sematary” for the soundtrack of the Disney film Frankenweenie. In 2015, they appear on Blues Traveler’s album Blow Up the Moon, co-writing “Nikkia’s Prom”.

Other notes

The band’s music often centres on relationships, heartbreak and teenage emotions, with Higgenson’s writing shaping much of its identity. Plain White T's continue to be associated with a melodic pop-punk style that moves between energetic songs and more acoustic material.