Artist description What this homegrown L.A. band does tap into are the brutal ailments of life—rejection, death, breakups, hardships—to which The Painkillers are the remedy. “The music is the drug,” says frontwoman Cherish Alexander about the band’s edgy, pop alternative sound. “It's like glueing a broken heart together that has been smashed into a million pieces".

Music Style Emotionally Charged Rock

Musical Influences Too many to mention

Similar Artists Pretenders, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters

Artist History Warning: If Christina Aguilera gets you amped, 'N SYNC sends your heartbeat soaring and Britney Spears gives you a buzz, your bloodsugar level is about to plummet. That's because there isn't anything sickeningly sweet about L.A. rockers The Painkillers. "We don't sing about parties and bubbly high school stuff," declares drummer Billy Baker. You can say that again. What this homegrown L.A. band does tap into are the brutal ailments of life- rejection, death, breakups, hardships- to which The Painkillers are the remedy. "The music is the drug," says front-woman Cherish Alexander about the band's edgy, pop alternative sound. "It's like glueing a broken heart together that has been smashed into a million pieces." It doesn't hurt, either, that Cherish, the group's singer/songwriter, has a magical pen that dips into those dark, unspeakable places that haunt us- and then isn't afraid to expose them and let loose when she belts out raw, soulbearing songs from their latest album State of Mind (2002, Shine Records). "Songwriting has always been a natural process for me," reveals Cherish, who has been singing and playing the piano since age 7. Early on, the artist landed a deal with a major label and publishing powerhouse Warner-Chappell, which enabled her to hone her instinctual gift for songwriting. "I write about very personal and emotional experiences," she explains. "Or if the friends I care about deeply are going through stuff, I write about that." No matter what, her band-mate Billy says, "Through all the crises people go through, she touches a place." Some places, these gifted musicians weren't necessarily ready to go. "We received a letter from a woman whose husband was killed in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing," Billy relates. "She said our song 'Goodbye' ("Life was better with you here/ I know it will take some time to fully heal/ Before we say goodbye) finally helped her get through his death. Imagine how that letter made us feel. That, alone, made my career." "Goodbye" has also had a lasting impact on Cherish, who penned the song for a boyfriend who met an untimely death at a very young age. "At first, I couldn't get through the song without completely losing it," she admits. "It helped me release a lot of the pain I was feeling. Music is like therapy." And The Painkillers are ready to share their medicine with the world. In addition to packing houses on the SoCal club circuit (The Roxy, Whisky A Go Go, Troubadour, and The House of Blues), The Painkillers' penetrating beats have made their mark on MP3 audiences worldwide. The band rocked ESPN's X Games tour and their music is featured in Burt Reynold's The Last Producer ('In Between') and the syndicated television series The Crow- Stairway to Heaven ('Goodbye'), as well as a CBS Movie of the Week Aftermath with Meredith Baxter and Diane Ladd ('Caffeine') and E! Entertainment's Fashion Television with their rocking rendition of the Disco-era hit 'Don't Leave Me This Way.' The Painkillers-singer/songwriter Cherish Alexander, drummer Billy B., lead guitarist Curtis Hooker, bassist Matt Boyd and keyboard player Marco Montecillo- pour their blood, sweat and tears into their music. "Timing is so important," Billy insists. "No matter what, we are already successful as a band. The friendships we've cultivated with each other are worth every minute of the time we've spent together. We are all family." These artists hope to inject the world with their unique dose of no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is tunes led by the golden voice of Cherish and rounded out by driving drumbeats, riveting guitar licks, growling bass lines and masterful keyboard chords. A captivating sound that strikes a chord with fans of gritty, bonafide bands like Pearl Jam and Nirvana. "This band is about trying to bring the realism of life back into music," Cherish says. "Recently, the musical cliche has been to fabricate yourself into whatever is hip, and you can feel a sense of loss for real music. Finally, I think there's a slow resurgence of real music and a place for us." And they are well on their way to claiming it. Don't miss your opportunity to catch these skyrocketing stars on the way up. This is one set of Painkillers you won't mind being addicted to.

Group Members Cherish Alexander - Lead Vocal, Guitar, Piano Curtis Hooker - Lead Guitar Billy Baker - Drums, Bkgd Vocals Matt Boyd - Bass, Bkgd Vocals Marco Montecillo - Keyboards/Piano

Instruments Guitar, Drums, Bass, Keys

Albums 1. Medicine for the soul 2. State of Mind

Press Reviews “Featuring Cherish Alexander on vocals, a beautiful young singer-songwriter who possesses a voice ten times bigger than she is, the Painkillers specialize in emotionally charged, Nirvana- esque power pop.” --Paul Young, Buzz Weekly “For fans of harder-edged melodic pop, this is one pain killer you won’t mind being addicted to.” -- Amy DeZellar, Music Connection “The band blends together some of the best parts of the rock and roll sound with a heavy alternative edge.” -- thelamusicscene.com “Pop in the latest disk from the Painkillers, Medicine for the Soul, and you are sure to get what is promised in the title.” -- Alee Hoffman, FemaleMusician.com "With the looks of a model, Alexander is a riveting performer who commands the stage." -- Bernard Baur, Music Connection �€œFeaturing Cherish Alexander on vocals, a beautiful young singer-songwriter who possesses a voice ten times bigger than she is, the Painkillers specialize in emotionally charged, Nirvana- esque power pop.�€? --Paul Young, Buzz Weekly �€œFor fans of harder-edged melodic pop, this is one pain killer you won�€™t mind being addicted to.�€? -- Amy DeZellar, Music Connection �€œThe band blends together some of the best parts of the rock and roll sound with a heavy alternative edge.�€? -- thelamusicscene.com �€œPop in the latest disk from the Painkillers, Medicine for the Soul, and you are sure to get what is promised in the title.�€? -- Alee Hoffman, FemaleMusician.com �€œAlexander, who wrote most of the tracks on the 1998 release, seems to derive as much benefit from her cathartic words as she delivers.�€? �€“ Todd Peterson, Las Vegas Weekly

Location North Hollywood, CA - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).