Unwritten Law is an American punk rock band formed in 1990 in Poway, California by drummer Wade Youman.
The band has undergone multiple line-up changes, with Youman the sole remaining original member – however, he has left the group twice in its three-decade history.
[6] The lineup changed when Brehm left and was replaced by John Bell, with this lineup the band recorded and released the 7" vinyl single Blurr in 1993, which was released by local label Red Eye Records, Steve Morris was then recruited on second guitar,[7] Unwritten Law quickly established themselves in the prolific San Diego music scene of the early 1990s that also included groups such as Blink-182, Agent 51, Buck-O-Nine, Sprung Monkey, One by One, Drive Like Jehu, and Rocket from the Crypt.
In 1994 the band recorded their first album, Blue Room, which established their early sound of fast-paced punk rock and gave them the opportunity to build their reputation by playing local shows in and around the San Diego area.
The songs "Denied" and "Superman" received airplay on several southern California rock radio stations and were released as singles.
In Australia the band developed an enthusiastic and dedicated following, and they would return there over the next few years and release several singles and live recordings exclusive to the country.
[15] The lead single "Up All Night" became somewhat popular, but it was "Seein' Red" and its accompanying music video which brought the band their greatest success, reaching No.
The invitation happened somewhat by accident, as the station was hoping to attract Jimmy Eat World but contacted Unwritten Law's management by mistake.
The band ended their contract with Interscope[16][17] and signed to Lava Records, who released Music in High Places as an album.
[25] For the recording of their next album Here's to the Mourning drummers Adrian Young of No Doubt and Tony Palermo of Pulley joined the band in the studio.
Allen and Linda Perry contributed to the writing of the album's lead single "Save Me (Wake Up Call)",[14] which reached No.
[14][26][27] In March 2005 guitarist Rob Brewer was fired from Unwritten Law after a physical altercation on stage with Russo during a performance at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California.
Interscope also released a "best of" compilation entitled 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection which includes songs from the albums Unwritten Law and Elva.
[29] Meanwhile, Unwritten Law, with new drummer Dylan Howard, filmed a live DVD at the Key Club in Hollywood, California in March 2008.
Derik Envy, formerly of Red Light Sky, and Kevin Besignano, formerly of Bullets and Octane, had become the permanent replacements for Kim and Morris, respectively.
Frontman Scott Russo and drummer Wade Youman subsequently destroyed a hired DW Collector's Series drum kit.
On April 29, 2022, the band played their first full performance in two years at Soma San Diego, during their set they were joined on stage by various artists, including members of P.O.D., Buck-O-Nine, Spray Allen, as well as singer Mickey Avalon, and original guitar players Rob Brewer and Steve Morris.