The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

American alternative rock band The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus was formed in 2003 in Middleburg, Florida, by two childhood friends, Ronnie Winter (vocals, keyboards) and Duke Kitchens (rhythm guitar). They enlisted the services of Thomas Wurth (bass), Dan Wagler (drums) and Thomas Amason (lead guitar). They recorded their first homonymous demo in 2004, before signing a contract with Virgin Records in 2005. This first step was accompanied by the departure of Dan Wagler, Thomas Amason and Thomas Wurth, who made way for drummer Jon Wilkes, guitarist Elias Reidy and bassist Joey Westwood respectively. Their first studio album, Don't You Fake It (#25 in the U.S.), was released in 2006, supported by the singles "Face Down" (#24) and "Your Guardian Angel". This first album sold over half a million copies and was certified gold. Over the next two years, the band toured intensively, opening for the likes of Thirty Seconds to Mars and Madina Lake. Following this tour, in 2008, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus unveiled their second album, Lonely Road (No. 14), produced by Howard Benson. That same year, they parted company with guitarist Elias Reidy, whose position was filled by Matt Carter, one of the band's accompanying technicians. After the Shock Session EP in 2009, followed by The Hell of High Water EP (#189 on the Billboard charts), the band parted ways with their record label and released Am I the Enemy in 2011. The album reached #61 in the United States. This underperformance foreshadowed what was to come: the next two albums, 2014's 4 and 2018's The Awakening, failed to chart. However, the title track from the latter album and the single "On Becoming Willing" reach number five and number one respectively on Billboard's US Christian Rock chart. In 2022, the band unveils a new version of their very first single, released 16 years earlier, "Face Down", in symphonic version. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus returns to Billboard's US Alternative Airplay chart at No. 40. In October 2025, the band unveils its seventh album, X's for Eyes, enhanced by four tracks in March 2026.