Design the Skyline

History

Design the Skyline was founded in 2007 by high school friends under the name Extra Large Kids. They practiced and played locally while gaining some attention on Myspace, and released a demo album titled Galactical Celebration that same year. Drummer John Martian stated that the name Extra Large Kids had 'no real meaning' other than being 'kids living extra large'.

The band changed its name to Design the Skyline in 2010. Then-vocalist Daniel Garza explained the name as meaning 'make your own limits. Don't be afraid to be who you are and don't let anyone try to change who you are. Keyboardist James 'Keebler' Lemos joined around the time of the name change, and bassist Ethan White replaced Christopher Chapa, who had left in April 2010, joining in 2011.

In March 2011, the band recorded the video for 'Surrounded by Silence' with Red Island Productions. The video featured the band playing on a forest set and in a cave with prop snow made from potato flakes and small pieces of cotton. The video was uploaded to YouTube that March. After its release, the New York-based band The Bunny the Bear noticed it online and brought it to Victory Records, leading to Design the Skyline's signing. The announcement of the signing drew heavy criticism from around the world, some of it directed at Victory itself. By the end of July, the 'Surrounded by Silence' video had over half a million views, and the band released another single, 'Break Free from Your Life', which received a better response than the first single, though some critics still panned the band.