Pencey Prep

Background

Several of the Pencey Prep members came from local punk bands, Frank Iero from Sector 12 and Neil Sabatino from Stick Figure Suicide. While a student at Rutgers University, Iero was guitarist and lead vocalist for Prencey Prep. Between 2000 and 2001, Pencey Prep signed with Eyeball Records. Like their label-mates Thursday, Pencey Prep was considered part of New Jersey's growing post-hardcore and punk scene. They performed across the United States alongside Atom & His Package and Nada Surf. Pencey Prep released their only album to date Heartbreak in Stereo in 2002; it was later re-released under Eyeball Records in 2004. Low attendance during a three-week tour in the midwest and fighting within the band led to the bands demise, and by May 2002 the members of Pencey Prep parted ways.

According to the band's Myspace page, the name is taken from the book The Catcher In The Rye; Pencey Prep was the name of the school that the main character Holden got expelled from.

After Pencey Prep

Shortly after their 2002 release Pencey Prep disbanded and Iero played with the bands I Am A Graveyard, and Give Up The Ghost, before ultimately landing a spot as rhythm guitarist with My Chemical Romance. He signed with My Chemical Romance days before they began recording their 2002 debut album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love, also released under Eyeball Records. The experience Iero gained from playing live with Pencey Prep, according to Laura La Bella's biography My Chemical Romance, "[became] invaluable when the band eventually booked live shows other than basement parties." Keyboardist Simon went on to tour with My Chemical Romance, as well as co-author the 2013 comic-book series The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys with Gerard Way.

Sabatino left Pencey Prep in 2001 and started Fairmont, originally a solo acoustic project; however, McGuire joined on bass shortly afterwards. Looking back at the early days of Sabatino's band Fairmont, he concedes "I so desperately wanted it to be my former band Pencey Prep, I built the band up to being a five-piece with two guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, vocals and a screamer. That lineup lasted very briefly.. ..I had felt in a way that I was being fake and trying to write heavy music just to fit in with the rest of the New Jersey scene of the time." In 2007, McGuire joined Iero to form the hardcore band Leathermouth.

Band members

Discography