Biography

Since forming in the spring of ’04, Better Luck Next Time has put a staple on the pop punk scene as it is today. With 3 full-length albums, numerous compilation appearances, and a split CD under their belt, the band has proven they’re a force to be reckoned with. Their debut album “Third Time’s a Charm” was engineered, recorded, and produced entirely by themselves in the fall of ’05. It quickly caught the attention of InYaFace Records (Tokyo, Japan). The album hit Japanese Billboard at #19 on the Top 50 Charts. A year later, the band headed overseas to headline @UNITED Vol. 2 – Tokyo’s Melodic Attack in Shibuya, Japan at Club Quattro. The album was later declared the best selling foreign punk/emo record of ’06 in Japan.

In September ’06, the band was chosen as one of the top 10 unsigned bands in CA out of 2,500 by the world famous KROQ in Los Angeles. They have since had ongoing airplay and are requested on a regular basis. In the spring of ’07, the band was invited back to Japan to play one of the biggest events of the year, PUNKSPRING ’07. They shared the stage with such bands as NOFX, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, Allister, Ellegarden, and many more big name acts.

Just months later, the follow-up to their debut album was released in Japan on August 25th. The album, “Start From Skratch,” quickly generated a buzz throughout Japan, as well as in the U.S. and Europe. A co-headlining tour with The Mad Caddies was put together in support of the record covering such areas of Japan as Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. As with their first album, it was recorded and produced entirely by the band, and later taken to Scottsdale, AZ where it was mixed by Ryan Greene at Crush Recording.

In December of 2009, the band's 3rd full-length album titled “A Lifetime of Learning” hit the streets of Japan. The album was very anticipated by the Japanese market, as well as the U.S. and other countries (releasing in the U.S. a little over a year later in 2011). This time around, the band turned to Steve Kravac (blink-182, Less Than Jake, MxPx) to produce and record. The band is currently at work on their 4th full-length album due out in 2012.

Members:

NAME: Brian Bortoli
HOMETOWN: Burbank, CA
PART: Lead Singer / Rhythm Guitar
EQUIPMENT: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier Head & 4x12 Cab, Shure Wireless, KORG DTR-2 Tuner, DBX 166XL Compressor, BBE 482 Sonic Maximizer, Gibson SG Standard, Fender Strat Custom, ESP Stephen Carpenter
FAV BEER: Bud Light
FAV BANDS: blink-182, MxPx, The Ataris
PREVIOUS BANDS: Snapout, Second to None, Mass Confusion
EMAIL: Brian@betterlucknexttime.org
MYSPACE: Brian on MySpace

NAME: Matt Fuzzo
HOMETOWN: Beverly Hills, CA
PART: Bass
EQUIPMENT: Peavey MegaBass Head, AKG Wireless, KORG DTR1000 Tuner, BBE BMAX-t Preamp, Ampeg SVT 810 Cab, Dean Edge Q4, Fender US Special Highway 1 P-Bass
FAV BEER: Corona
FAV BANDS: NOFX, Streetlight Manifesto
PREVIOUS BANDS: We're Not Afraid, Snapout, FastPace, RFA
EMAIL: Fuzzo@betterlucknexttime.org
MYSPACE: Matt Fuzzo on MySpace
FACEBOOK: Matt Fuzzo on Facebook

NAME: Travis Garrecht
HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, CA
PART: Lead Guitar
EQUIPMENT: Fender Strat & Tele, Schecter Damien Solo Elite, Jekyll & Hyde OD, Phase 90, Roadmaster Head, Blackstar Cab, Vox VTX 120, Shred Hands, Roguish Charm
FAV BEER: Does whiskey count as beer?
FAV BANDS: Bad Religion, The Boss, Big Country, The Lawrence Arms
PREVIOUS BANDS: We're Not Afraid, This Engine Burns, End Roulette, Y.I.S.
EMAIL: Travis@betterlucknexttime.org
TWITTER: @jabuppercut

NAME: Chris Lucas
HOMETOWN: Burbank, CA
PART: Drums
EQUIPMENT: Tama Rockstar 5 Piece Chrome Drumset, Zylgian Cymbols, Remo Pinstripes Heads, Vader Xtreme Drumsticks
FAV BEER: Nady Light
FAV BANDS: Green Day, NOFX
PREVIOUS BANDS: We're Not Afraid, Snapout, FastPace, Large Negative
EMAIL: Chris@betterlucknexttime.org
MYSPACE: Chris on MySpace
TWITTER: @hecticmcferrin