Due to original vocalist Derek Pardoe's anxiety, Joey Culver took over his place as lead singer, and for the recording of their debut album The Crash of '47, released in 2004.
The original band members briefly reunited in 2017 with Jared Slade and performed several local shows[1] In 2006, Atomship reformed as AtomshipDown.
Although renamed to Atomship later that year, the band retains a cartoon alien rabbit as its logo, designed by Nathan Slade, reflecting the group's interest in UFOs and extraterrestrials.
[3] During production of their debut album, Pardoe suffered severe anxiety that led to him stepping aside from the recording process.
Not long after being dropped from Wind-Up Records in late 2004, the band had a falling-out with Joey Culver and subsequently disbanded.
In 2006, Atomship reformed as AtomshipDown, with the band reuniting with original singer Derek Pardoe.
Derek Pardoe founded "Omni-Mind Productions" at which the band recorded the tracks "Deflower", "For So", "Red", and "Magnolia".
The success of The Crash of '47 was due, in large part, to Derek Pardoe, the band's original lead singer.
Derek Pardoe announced on the band's Facebook and MySpace pages that guitarist Nathan Slade died on December 5, 2009.
[6] The band then recruited guitarist Jesse Duncan to fill the vacant guitar slot.
[9] Return to Atomship In March 2017, after years of sporadic information from the Watership Down Facebook page, Derek Pardoe announced that drummer Chad Kent has decided to reform Atomship with vocalist Joey Culver and bassist Roy Williams, thus ending his association with the band.