Push Play checked in with fans on their blog at MySpace (@pushplayrox) on Wednesday (April 28) offering an explanation for the pop rock group calling it a day last December. The “Push Play Team” write:

Message to Fans
Hello fans. Thank you for your concern. We can tell you what has honestly transpired as you deserve the truth. This past fall tour was a rude awakening for Push Play. Prior tours had always garnered many fans at shows. The band went out with all new music after a serious summer radio promo tour(in which they performed for free). The summer tour bore the burden of MAJOR EXPENSE but it was all done to promote the new album FOUND released last September and its single Midnight Romeo and to promote the touring of the album in the fall. The tour hit a terrible rough patch, only doing well close to home. In most states not more than 60 people came to shows and in Alabama and Atlanta as little as 10 and 22 respectively. Push Play had a crew of 4 plus themselves, a heavy burden. Push Play asked the label why there was such a limited audience in the other states. Their response was that the band needed either more daytime radio play to become known or to tour as an opener for a larger act.
With that knowledge, CJ decided to write a few songs that were top 40. He presented the songs to the band members. The other band members did not like the songs. They preferred an alternative route and were creating songs that you can now hear at youtube.com/gangreneclassic.

Under the agreement Push Play had with each other, they could not do solo activities without consent of each band member. Since there were no opportunities arising for a winter or spring tour as an opening act for a more well known artist or band and further that the remaining band members were not all on the same page about the future song direction of Push Play, CJ asked the band members to sign off allowing him to go solo to write, produce and work with and for other artists as well as himself in an effort to make some money back and stem the tide of the negative cash flow resulting from the failed fall tour in an economy that possibly rivals that of the Great Depression. They said it didn’t benefit them to allow CJ to go out on his own. Knee jerk response was to end Push Play right at that moment in January but after thinking about it the team thought it best that everyone blow off steam and clear the air. So it was decided they take a break from each other. Steve and Nick immediately enrolled in school(literally the next day for Steve) thereby putting an end to speculation about performing in the winter and spring of 2010. CJ began studying songwriting, theory and production. It was unfortunately assumed that Derek would go back to college as he was the only one on a completely full scholarship that included books and laptop but he passed on that(which wasn’t realized until after the Push Play team made the announcement that Derek was fulfilling his scholarship). Derek corrected that statement in his blog to everyone from MySpace.

It was figured that time apart would make the band members come to an agreement on songs and direction. Instead, they grew further apart. CJ moved to California and Steve began posting songs on his newly formed YouTube account. Yesterday the Push Play team found out through a twitter post from Steve that the 3 band members were going to perform a show of songs from Steve’s YouTube account known as gangreneclassic. A congratulatory tweet from the Push Play team on Push Play’s twitter was made in response to Steve’s tweet and announced the breakup of Push Play and wished the guys success. Today an explanation of that tweet was given: a one time performance for Long Island fans. Twitter is dangerous and limited to a few characters. It should be known that there is no band called Gangrene Classic, only Steve’s YouTube account.

CJ is currently in Los Angeles songwriting daily and interning under a producer. He was not aware that the 3 band members had decided to perform together. He also found out through twitter. He wished the 3 remaining band members the best of luck. He still considers them his best friends. They just drifted apart with their very different musical tastes and wants. Whatever ‘hate’ the fans have toward any of the band members is just plain wrong. They were boys when they formed Push Play and they are now young men free to go in whatever direction they want. The team wishes all of them massive success in their pursuits and has no ill will toward any of them. Push Play had its day and that day has come to an end.

The team along with Push Play want to personally thank everyone for their fanship during the Push Play years. We hope you will continue to be a fan of all 4 boys and make other fans aware that these 4 boys have made some tough life choices! Let’s help them by extolling praise, not hate.

Best,
The Push Play Team

CJ Baran of Push Play checked in with fans on the pop rock group’s blog at MySpace (@pushplayrox) on Tuesday (February 9), the fourth of the four members to give a farewell speech as they head to college and put the band on ice, perhaps permanently. CJ writes:

Fans. You have been our rock. Your dedication, your excitement, your persistence, has helped to keep us inspired these past 4 years. From our very first show at the Crazy Donkey on Long Island performing for 20 people to our last experience for now coming next Saturday at Nassau Coliseum(with over 20,000 people to be in attendance) we have come full circle! We’re back home now, each of us pursuing personal goals outside the box of Push Play to become better people, educated people, skilled people, wise people. And we feel now is the right time for this while we are still young and eager to learn and even more eager to put what we learn to work. I have been working diligently on writing and producing songs and learning everything there is to know about recording and producing and then putting that to practice and I hope to one day show you some of the songs either through other artists singing them or me singing them.

Derek Ries of Push Play checked in with fans on the pop rock group’s blog at MySpace (@pushplayrox) on Monday (February 8), the third of the four members to give a farewell speech as they head to college and put the band on ice, perhaps permanently. Derek writes:

Hey Guys, It’s Derek now! I’m the third of 4 letters from us to you!

A little over four years ago it all started. There have been ups and downs, but this certainly will be an experience I will never forget, and I will definitely take with me whether I end up pursuing a musical or business career. Push Play has been and will always be a major part of my life.

I’m happy to say that after entering the music industry as four naive teenagers, we left as adults overwhelmed with knowledge of the entire entertainment industry. We’ve made life long friends, contacts, and most importantly we have befriended all of you! I thank everyone reading this for supporting us in a quest to pursue our wildest dreams. All of you have made this experience amazing, and I cannot thank you enough! No matter what, I will always remember and cherish the meet and greets, scrapbooks, and the feeling I felt on stage in front of all of you. What can I say, we always had the best fans any band could ever ask for!

It’s hard to believe that this stage of Push Play is coming to a close. I will always remember all of you and hold close all of our experiences shared with you, whether it be playing in the Macy’s parade, performing our CD release shows at Irving Plaza, or watching our transition as an unsigned act to a Wind-Up artist.

We will see what happens during this time off. I have the option to go back to college in the fall, so I have this time to decide what path I will choose to follow; music or books. It’s so weird to start thinking about term papers!

Thanks again for all the memories, and your never-ending support. You guys have played as big (if not bigger) a role in the band than us!

Love,

D_Rock

Nick Deturris of Push Play checked in with fans on the pop rock group’s blog at MySpace (@pushplayrox) on Sunday (February 7), the second of the four members to give a farewell speech as they head to college and put the band on ice, perhaps permanently. Nick writes:

To all of our fans:

These past four years have been the time of my life and I will never forget all the great memories and friends that were made along this crazy journey. When Push Play first began when we were all 15 and 16 years old, all we wanted to do was write music and play shows. I don’t think any of us could have anticipated how far we would come in a few short years. At the age of 20 I can honestly say that I feel accomplished in all that we have done. We lived the dream and we got to do what almost no other teenager could say they have done. How many people can say they got to tour the country, or play shows for a bunch of fans, or have a song on the radio? The list can go on forever, but unfortunately all great things must come to an end, or a least a pause. That is why we have decided to go back to school and attend college. We feel that it is the right time to go back. I will miss playing shows for all of you and hanging out after with everyone. You are the best fans any band could ever ask for and I am proud to call every single one of you my friend. Thank you for your continued support throughout the years and thank you all for being understanding of this hard decision. I hope Push Play will always be a part of your hearts, I know that you all will always be a part of mine.

Love, your friend
Nick

Steve Scarola of Push Play checked in with fans on the pop rock group’s blog at MySpace (@pushplayrox) on Saturday (February 6), the first of the four members to give a farewell speech as they head to college and put the band on ice, perhaps permanently. Steve writes:

To my parents Frank and Donna, my brother Mike, my girlfriend Brittany, my friends Becky, Matt, Greg, and Dawn, I have to say thank you. I will never forget the times where you guys would not only be the only people in the crowd, but traveled all over the country to hear us play. You were the smile on my face in the worst times, and right there to laugh with me in the best times. Anytime I needed a dose of reality you were there to dish it to me from every angle. I could not have made it this far, unscathed, without your unconditional love and support. As I begin my classes at Fordham University, I realize, I never skipped a beat. This is where I belong.

To CJ, Derek, and Nick, this is not a goodbye. It already feels weird not waking up to Derek in his underwear, somebody yelling at Nick, and CJ blowing his nose. The experiences we shared together were unreal to us all and the best part is, we did it together. I will never forget the countless flights, fast food extravaganzas, late night “jam” sessions, waking up in the middle of nowhere, crashing into each other on stage, load ins, load outs, pranks, but most of all, playing on stage together. I will obviously see you guys, but for now best of luck in anything you do!

Push Play checked in with fans on their blog at MySpace on Thursday (February 12), talking about love ahead of Valentine’s Day. The Long Island, New York pop rock act tell readers:

LOVE! February 14 has become touted as the day of true love and special awareness of that one person who is your soulmate, your other half to make you whole, the person who no matter what happens in life you can go to and he/she can make you forget your troubles and just be enmeshed in the greatness of what love has to offer. And what is that? It is intimacy, privacy, a shared feeling that is so overwhelming that everything else is blurred. Love is touch, love is action, love is giving of yourself to your best friend in life and knowing you can count on that person to do the same for you. Love is never cheating or lying. Love is being able to let go of that person to experience life and then to find each other again. Yes love is sometimes separation.

Shineon-Media.com caught up with Push Play before their performance at the J-14 InTune Concert Event. The Long Island pop rock group talked about playing 20 shows in 5 days at Hard Rock Park in Myrtle Beach, preparing to record a bunch of new songs soon, Zootopia being their highlight in the past year, their favorite songs to perform, dream vacation spots, loving the film ‘Dark Knight’, and more.

The interview video at YouTube has since been removed.