Recess, recently named 2023-24’s "Best Alternative Band" by the Cleveland Music Awards and winner of the 2023 Medina County Battle of the Bands, is an Epic and Theatrical Pop / Alternative band that formed in early 2008 in Cleveland, Ohio. With Vincent Fondale on lead vocals and Alex Raz on guitar (ages 7 and 9), the two started one of the youngest touring bands in the Northeast. A year later, they formed the band Recess, adding Anthony Fondale on keyboards (12 years old). Throughout the next 8 years, Recess played across the US and began to write and form their uniquely catchy cinematic pop sound. With Anthony producing / engineering alongside engineers Freddy DeMarco and Doug Jenkins, the band released their first two EP’s: “Boundary Lane” (2018) and “From Dust to Gold” (2019). After releasing their first music video for the band’s song “Leaving Home” (directed by Brad Golowin), it was immediately featured on the premiere music blog for emerging artists Kings of A&R alongside multiple and numerous other journalistic outlets. Recess was then selected and became semifinalists on Top Golf’s “Who Will Rock You” TV show (2019), which was followed by an influx of press that can all be found here: www.recessbandofficial.com/press. The band’s newest single “Rust” released November of 2023 (5,600 streams) and has / continues to be featured on numerous radio outlets (an interviewed early listen on HITS 105.5 FM, 107.3 Alternative Cleveland’s "Live and Local" segment with Aaron Lux, and dring the during the “Late Night Local Talent” hour on Akron’s 88.1 WZIP).
Recess is best known for their energetic, epic, and memorable live performances. Ending 2023, the band has returned to Ohio from their East US tour (“Built on Broken Dreams”) with their final, near-sold out show at Mahall’s in Lakewood, OH opening for music titans “The Orphan The Poet”. Before 2020, the band had played numerous music festivals like Celebrate Fairfax in VA and Musikfest in PA, performed on TV shows like Wonderama in Times Square, NYC, and venues from the Viper Room in Hollywood, CA to the Cowan in Nashville, TN. During 2020, Recess performed virtually for Canadian Music Fest and Finsperry Music Fest in the UK. Highlighting 2021, the band won 2nd place in Goodyear and the Rock Hall’s national “From Garage to Glory” contest. January the following year (2022), the band released their jovial and epic single “Home Away From Home”, which was immediately placed on Apple’s official “New in Indie” playlist. Subsequently in March, their hard-hitting, indie pop song “Woke Up In California” dropped. These two singles have collectively accumulated 70,000+ streams and counting on Spotify alone. Recess’s 3rd EP “The Valley in the Fog” released in May of 2022 accumulating over 100,000 streams. With even more new music on the horizon, Recess is set to continue quickly growing alongside the band’s return to what they’re known for: their epic, fiery, and enrapturing live performances and records.