Confide (band)

History

Confide began in August 2004 when Aaron Van Zutphen, Jason Pickard, and Josh Plesh started a deathcore act, recruiting members from their youth group. Plesh knew Billy Pruden, and both Pruden and Zutphen knew Jeff Helberg; these five formed the original lineup. They released two EPs: Innocence Surround and Introduction. By the end of 2006, vocalist Josh Plesh left and was replaced by Ross Michael Kenyon, who put his other band Penknifelovelife on hiatus.

Kenyon, born and raised in the United Kingdom, moved to the United States to be with his girlfriend and found Confide online. After communicating with Helberg, he joined and moved into Helberg's house to practice. This lineup change shifted the band from deathcore to a purist metalcore sound, dropping nearly all death metal influence. In 2007, Kenyon moved back to England and resumed performing with Penknifelovelife, putting Confide on hiatus.

After one tour with And Their Eyes Were Bloodshot in Europe, he announced on his band's Myspace that he was leaving Penknifelovelife permanently to focus on Confide; Penknifelovelife split up, and Confide began writing their debut full-length. Shout the Truth was released on June 17, 2008, through Science Records, receiving mixed reviews; Altsounds criticized its unoriginality but praised the band's live shows. Shortly after the album's release, Science Records was eliminated by its parent company Warner Bros. Records, leaving Confide without a label.

In January 2009, founding member Aaron Van Zutphen and drummer Arin Ilejay left. In April 2009, the band signed to Tragic Hero Records, recruited former drummer Joel Piper (who also took clean vocal duties) and guitarist Joshua Paul, and toured the United States on the "Don't Take Your Guns to Tour" with Once Nothing, Here I Come Falling, and In Fear and Faith, followed by a headlining tour with Therefore I Am and Oceana.

Did You Know?

• Former drummer Arin Ilejay joined Avenged Sevenfold in 2011 and later joined the nu-metal band Islander.
• Drummer Joel Piper started his own solo worship project after quitting Of Mice & Men.
• Aaron VanZutphen currently plays in the metal band Nekrogoblikon.