Ultimate Fakebook

Ultimate Fakebook was born as a trio in Manhattan, Kansas through a mutual love for Guided by Voices, Cheap Trick and the Replacements during the fertile post-grunge, pre-emo mid-1990s. Founding members Bill McShane (guitar, vocals) and Nick Colby (bass), along with longtime drummer Eric Melin, created three acclaimed albums over a six-year period starting in 1997 (including 2000’s This Will Be Laughing Week for 550/Epic Records).

Along the way, the band sharpened its sound and ideals during tours with artists including At the Drive In, Fallout Boy, Motion City Soundtrack, Nada Surf and the Get Up Kids. They broke up in 2004 but never lost touch, reuniting every now and then for a sporadic benefit concert or live show.

In 2019, pop-punk legends the Descendents invited UFB on a Midwest run of dates. To say those gigs went well is an understatement. The spark was lit to write a new album. All that mileage, all those semi-regular jerks and jolts, sound precisely planned on The Preserving Machine. Produced by McShane and Melin with The Stereo’s Jamie Woolford and recorded with help from Steve Squire and longtime producer / “Kansas legend” Ed Rose (Touche Amore, The Appleseed Cast), the album unites punk rock, power pop, and emo with a seamless ease. Plus – the songs are killer.