Biography
Emo-rocking pop-punk act Just Surrender formed in 2003, originally dubbed A Second Chance. The group sprang up around high-school buddies bassist/vocalist Jason Maffucci, guitarist Andrew Meunier, and drummer Steve Miller before the search for a suitable fourth member eventually ended with the addition of guitarist/vocalist Dan Simons. Based out of Dover Plains, NY, the crew recorded a four-song EP with producer John Naclerio (Brand New, Senses Fail), and within months of posting some songs online, their music had logged nearly half a million listens and their tradeoff vocals earned the band comparisons to Taking Back Sunday. As gigs at the Chance Theater in nearby Poughkeepsie were getting visibly bigger, fellow New Yorkers Autopilot Off took notice and brought the young group out on tour. This quickly led to other higher-profile shows with bands like Bayside, Hawthorne Heights, Matchbook Romance, the Early November, and more. In March 2005, A Second Chance inked a deal with Broken English Records — co-owned by Naclerio and Autopilot Off's Chris Hughes — and changed their name to Just Surrender (due to trademark concerns) soon after. Their full-length and label debut, If These Streets Could Talk, was released in July 2005 and the usual rounds of touring commenced. Meunier parted ways with Just Surrender in early 2007.
