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Band Guide · Taking Back Sunday · Emo / Post-Hardcore · Amityville, New York

Taking Back SundayBand Guide

Formed 1999 · Amityville, New York · Emo / Post-Hardcore / Alternative Rock

Taking Back Sunday arrived with one of the best debut albums in emo history and have spent two decades making the case that the genre is capable of more than its detractors allow. Tell All Your Friends (2002) is a record built on two vocalists trading lines across a shared lyric, guitar interplay that owes as much to post-hardcore as pop-punk, and an emotional directness that didn't need irony as a defence mechanism. Adam Lazzara's microphone swinging, John Nolan's dual-vocal counterpoint, and a set of songs that sounded simultaneously raw and perfectly constructed made them one of the most compelling live and recorded acts of their generation. This is the complete guide.

Best Songs Ranked Play Rock Heardle
Taking Back Sunday band photo
Formed1999Amityville, NY
Studio Albums7
GenreEmo / Post-HardcoreAlternative Rock
Best AlbumTell All Your Friends2002
Start WithA Decade Under the Influence

Who Are Taking Back Sunday?

Taking Back Sunday are an American rock band formed in Amityville, New York in 1999. The band's classic lineup — vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist and vocalist John Nolan, guitarist Eddie Reyes, bassist Shaun Cooper, and drummer Mark O'Connell — produced their debut album Tell All Your Friends on Victory Records in 2002. The record is widely regarded as one of the defining albums of early 2000s emo and post-hardcore: a collection of songs built around the dual-vocal interplay between Lazzara and Nolan, intertwining guitar lines, and an emotional intensity that felt genuinely urgent.

The dual-vocal approach — Lazzara and Nolan trading lead lines and harmonising on each other's parts, often finishing sentences the other had started — was a defining element of the band's identity and a large part of what made the debut feel distinctive. The technique created a sense of argument and dialogue within the songs themselves, which suited the interpersonal tensions in the lyrics perfectly. It has been widely cited as an influence on subsequent acts in the genre.

The Nolan Departure & Reunion

John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper departed Taking Back Sunday in 2003 amid tensions attributed to personal conflicts between Nolan and Lazzara — including a relationship between Nolan and Lazzara's sister — as well as creative differences. They subsequently formed Straylight Run. Fred Mascherino and Matt Rubano joined as replacements, and the band recorded Where You Want to Be (2004) and Louder Now (2006) in the altered lineup.

In 2010, Nolan and Cooper rejoined the band, restoring the original five-piece lineup that had recorded Tell All Your Friends. The reunion produced New Again (2010) and the subsequent albums. The original lineup has remained intact since, with the full classic configuration continuing to tour and record over a decade after the reunion.

New to Taking Back Sunday?

Start with A Decade Under the Influence — the most immediately accessible entry point and still the song most people associate with the band. Then Tell All Your Friends (2002) as a full album — one of the most important emo records of its era and the correct first full-album listen.

The Classic Lineup

AL
Adam Lazzara
Vocals · 1999–present
The band's primary frontman and one of the most physically compelling vocalists in the emo and post-hardcore scene — known as much for his microphone swinging on stage as for the emotional intensity of his delivery. His vocal interplay with Nolan on the debut remains one of the most distinctive and imitated approaches in the genre. His melodic range and instinct for a hook underpinned the band's commercial accessibility throughout their career.
JN
John Nolan
Guitar · Vocals · 1999–2003, 2010–present
Co-vocalist and guitarist whose dual-vocal interplay with Lazzara on Tell All Your Friends was the record's most distinctive element. Nolan's guitar lines and vocal harmonies created the sense of dialogue within the songs — sentences completed by the other vocalist, shared and contested melodic territory — that defined the band's identity. Left in 2003, rejoined in 2010, and has been part of the lineup since. Also formed Straylight Run during his absence from the band.
ER
Eddie Reyes
Guitar · 1999–present
Founding guitarist and the member who recruited much of the original lineup. Reyes' rhythm guitar work provided the foundation for the dual-guitar interplay that defined the band's sound, and his role as an early organiser and recruiter was central to the band's formation and early development in the Long Island scene.
MO
Mark O'Connell
Drums · 1999–present
The band's drummer throughout their entire career, O'Connell's playing drives the post-hardcore energy of the early records while adapting to the more varied rhythmic demands of the later material. His consistent presence alongside Reyes gives the band a stable rhythmic core across all seven studio albums and the multiple lineup configurations.
SC
Shaun Cooper
Bass · 1999–2003, 2010–present
Original bassist who departed with Nolan in 2003 and rejoined the full classic lineup in 2010. Cooper's melodic bass approach on the debut sits actively in the arrangements rather than simply providing rhythmic support, contributing to the harmonic density that distinguishes Tell All Your Friends from its contemporaries.

Band History

1999
Taking Back Sunday form in Amityville, New York, assembled largely by guitarist Eddie Reyes from the Long Island underground music scene. The classic five-piece lineup of Reyes, Adam Lazzara, John Nolan, Shaun Cooper and Mark O'Connell comes together.
2001
Self-titled EP released, establishing the band within the Long Island and broader northeast US underground circuit and leading to the Victory Records deal that follows.
2002
Tell All Your Friends released on Victory Records. The album becomes one of the defining records of early 2000s emo — "Cute Without the 'E'" and the dual-vocal approach make it immediately distinctive. The record sells modestly at first but grows steadily to become a landmark of the genre.
2003
John Nolan and Shaun Cooper depart amid personal and creative tensions. Fred Mascherino joins on guitar and vocals, Matt Rubano on bass. The lineup shift fundamentally alters the band's dual-vocal dynamic but the creative output remains strong.
2004
Where You Want to Be released on Victory Records. The album contains "A Decade Under the Influence" — their most widely heard single — and demonstrates the band's ability to reach a broader audience while retaining the intensity of the debut. Debuts at number three on the Billboard 200.
2006
Louder Now released on Warner Bros. Records. The major label debut reaches number two on the Billboard 200 and contains "MakeDamnSure" — one of their most enduring and radio-friendly tracks. The band's commercial peak.
2008
New Again begun with the new lineup, though the album would be released in 2009. Fred Mascherino departs during this period.
2010
John Nolan and Shaun Cooper rejoin the band, restoring the original five-piece lineup. The reunion is announced to significant enthusiasm from the fanbase, and the classic lineup records and releases New Again.
2011
Self-titled album released — the first full studio album from the reunited original lineup. The record demonstrates that the classic dual-vocal dynamic remains intact.
2014
Happiness Is released — one of the band's most melodically refined and emotionally mature records, well received critically and by the established fanbase.
2016
Tidal Wave released. The band continue to record and tour with the full original lineup, maintaining a committed following across the US and internationally.

Discography

2002
Tell All Your Friends
Cute Without the 'E', There's No 'I' in Team, Timberwolves at New Jersey. The debut. One of the defining emo albums of the 2000s. Start here.
Essential
2004
Where You Want to Be
A Decade Under the Influence, This Photograph Is Proof. The most widely heard album. More immediate and accessible than the debut.
Essential
2006
Louder Now
MakeDamnSure, Divine Intervention. The major label commercial peak — number two on the Billboard 200.
Essential
2014
Happiness Is
Flicker Fade, All the Way Down. The reunited lineup's most melodically refined record. Underrated.
Great
2011
Taking Back Sunday
El Paso, Faith (When I Let You Down). The first full reunion album — classic dual-vocal dynamic restored.
Great
2016
Tidal Wave
Death Wolf, I Felt It Too. The most recent full album — confident and consistent.
Good

Taking Back Sunday Trivia Quiz

Five questions — how many can you get right?

Best Songs by Mood

Not sure where to begin? Use this as your entry point.

First song ever
A Decade Under the Influence
Best debut track
Cute Without the 'E'
Most radio-ready
MakeDamnSure
Most intense
There's No 'I' in Team
Best dual-vocal track
You're So Last Summer
Most emotionally direct
This Photograph Is Proof
Best reunion-era track
Flicker Fade
Best deep cut
Timberwolves at New Jersey

Taking Back Sunday FAQ

When did Taking Back Sunday form?
Taking Back Sunday formed in Amityville, New York in 1999, assembled largely by guitarist Eddie Reyes from the Long Island underground music scene. Their debut album Tell All Your Friends was released on Victory Records in 2002 and is widely regarded as one of the defining records of early 2000s emo and post-hardcore.
Why did John Nolan leave Taking Back Sunday?
John Nolan and bassist Shaun Cooper departed in 2003. The departure was attributed to a combination of personal tensions — including a relationship between Nolan and Adam Lazzara's sister — and creative differences. Nolan and Cooper subsequently formed Straylight Run. They rejoined Taking Back Sunday in 2010, restoring the original five-piece lineup, and have remained with the band since.
What makes Tell All Your Friends such an important emo album?
Tell All Your Friends is considered important because of its dual-vocal approach — Lazzara and Nolan trading lead lines and harmonising on each other's parts — which created a sense of argument and dialogue within the songs themselves. Combined with interlocking guitar lines inherited from post-hardcore, lyrics with genuine emotional weight, and a production that preserved the live energy of the band, the record felt both raw and precisely constructed in equal measure. It influenced a generation of subsequent acts in the emo and post-hardcore space.
What is the best Taking Back Sunday album to start with?
Tell All Your Friends (2002) is the essential starting point — the defining album and the one most associated with the band's peak creative identity. Where You Want to Be (2004) is the most immediately accessible entry point if you want to start with a single track — "A Decade Under the Influence" is the broadest introduction. Louder Now (2006) is the commercial peak and home of "MakeDamnSure."
What band did John Nolan form after leaving Taking Back Sunday?
John Nolan and Shaun Cooper formed Straylight Run after leaving Taking Back Sunday in 2003. The band — which also included Nolan's sister Michelle — released one full album, Straylight Run (2004), and an EP before going on hiatus. Straylight Run's sound drew from the same post-hardcore and emo foundations as Taking Back Sunday but incorporated more melodic and introspective elements. Nolan dissolved the project when he rejoined Taking Back Sunday in 2010.
What is MakeDamnSure about?
"MakeDamnSure" from Louder Now (2006) is a song about obsessive romantic attachment — the narrator acknowledging that their feelings for someone have become consuming and self-destructive while being unable to step back from them. The lyric operates in the same emotional register as much of the early catalogue but with a more radio-friendly production that gave it considerably wider reach than the earlier material.

See Also