KELLIN QUINN, RYAN KEY, HOWI SPANGLER AND JAMES DINANNO UNVEIL NEW FAMILY-FRIENDLY ROCK GROUP, THE FIRST ROCK BAND ON MARS
Multi-platinum selling rockers Kellin Quinn (lead vocalist of Sleeping With Sirens), Ryan Key (formerly the lead vocalist of Yellowcard), Howi Spangler (lead vocalist of Ballyhoo!) and James DiNanno (formerly of Silhouette Rising) announced their new kid-friendly, pop-punk band The First Rock Band on Mars, along with news of an accompanying album of the same name, set for release on June 11.
The album will feature music geared toward parents, who would love nothing more than to have alternative options outside of Baby Shark and other classic children’s tunes to bond over with their kids. The idea stemmed from the four musicians, most of them dads, who felt that there was a void in modern day children’s music.
Quinn stated, “I think it’s important for parents and their kids to have a song that they’re both into, one that doesn’t feel punishing to put on in the car or at home and listen to. That’s what we set out to accomplish.”
The concept album was spawned from DiNanno’s 2020 best-selling children’s book The First Rock Star on Mars, which explores an adventurous journey through space, with the first ever music festival performed on planet Mars. In the book, kids are encouraged to follow their dreams, learn about the planets, and think big. DiNanno noted, “When my son Caden was born, I was compelled to create this animated, musical universe that inspires the current generation of children and their parents. It’s been very rewarding creating the book, album and cartoon. I think it’s going to be an equally fun journey for the families exploring it.”
The First Rock Band on Mars album releases June 11 on all digital and streaming platforms. The children’s book The First Rock Star on Mars is available to purchase now via Amazon and an animated mini-series is in the works.
