Download Free One Republic * Songs

One Republic music biography continued...

Ryan Tedder and lead guitarist Zach Filkins. The two were soon joined by keyboardist Drew Brown, bassist and cellist Brent Kutzle, and drummer Eddie Fisher. After a disappointing turn with the Columbia label in 2003, the group's popularity began to soar on MySpace. "Maybe the music climate changed," said Tedder in an interview. "All of a sudden we were getting e-mails from kids saying that because of one of our songs they didn't commit suicide or they got through their parents' divorce. We finally connected with the audience. We said to ourselves, 'We can't quit now.'" Timbaland (with whom Tedder had worked as a songwriter-in-training) heard about it and when he launched his Mosley Music Group label with Interscope, he was quick to sign OneRepublic as his first rock act. One of the group's first singles was "Apologize," a track which Timbaland remixed and included it on his spring 2007 album Timbaland Presents Shock Value. The song quickly became a platinum-selling single in many countries, breaking records all kinds of records for radio airplay in both Great Britain and the United States. Later that year, OneRepublic dropped their official debut album, the full-length Dreaming Out Loud.


OneRepublic has often been compared to such groups as Maroon 5, The Fray, Keane and Coldplay. All of them are known for their use of keyboardists and falsetto in the pop-rock genre. Tedder says "We're heavily influenced by a lot of old Brit rock, up to current Brit rock. But there are definitely worse bands to be compared to." In the meantime, Rolling Stone also placed the band in their "Artists to Watch" list, which featured 10 artists that, according to the magazine, "...are bringing the future of music, today." And in the ultimate coup, the band performed "Apologize" on American Idol Season 7 with finalist David Archuleta. Yes, they have definitely arrived.