Ludo is an alternative rock band from St. Louis, Missouri. In 2007, they signed a multi-album deal with Island Records.

History

Ludo's origins can be traced to songs written while Andrew Volpe was still in high school at John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri. While sitting in his car in the local Schnucks supermarket parking lot after class, Volpe penned songs that would become some of Ludo's first, including their local breakout radio hit "Hum Along". After his sophomore year at Washington University, Volpe decided to form a band with fellow John Burroughs graduate Dave Heltibrand. The two began seeking a guitarist, and Saint Louis University High School graduate Tim Ferrell took them up on the offer while home on break from the University of Notre Dame on summer break. The three adopted the name Ludo after a character in the film Labyrinth.

Heltibrand soon left the band, but lead vocalist Volpe and guitarist Ferrell continued to play occasionally around St. Louis as an acoustic duo. In 2002, Volpe and Ferrell moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, after Ferrell graduated from Notre Dame. Volpe dropped out of Washington University's music program. Tim Convy, from Saint Louis Priory School, one of Ferrell's friends from St. Louis, was added to the band after Volpe watched him sing with an 80s cover band in Columbia, Missouri. The three men performed together through early 2003, telling audiences they would return in the fall with a rhythm section and an album.

Ludo posted an ad: "Bassist/drummer needed to help take over world." Bassist Marshall Fanciullo drove down to Tulsa from Omaha, Nebraska, to audition in summer 2003, and Matt Palermo left community college in Spring, Texas, to join the band on drums.

After playing together for only three weeks, Ludo recorded their self-titled debut album, Ludo, and released it on their own indie label, Redbird Records, in August 2003. Their first show as a full band was at a bar in Indianapolis on August 8, 2003. For the next few years, the band toured extensively with other Midwestern bands, including The Dog and Everything, Anything But Joey and The Primetime Heroes. This exposure brought them moderate indie success.

In 2005, the band returned to the studio to record the EP Broken Bride, a rock opera about a man who travels through time to attempt to save his wife from dying in a car accident in 1989, fighting zombies and pterodactyls along the way. The opening track, "Broken Bride: Part 1," was a song that originally stood alone before evolving into the full opera.

In recent years, Ludo has put on themed concerts at The Pageant Concert Nightclub in St. Louis and The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri. These include "HalLUDOween," "A Very Ludo Christmas," "Ludo Shop of Horrors," and "Cinco de Mustache," and are noted for their fun outlook and interactive nature.

Ludo has toured with popular bands such as Relient K, This Providence, House of Heroes, Sing It Loud The Spill Canvas and The Presidents of the United States of America. In 2008, the band played on several well-known tours, shows and festivals, such as Warped Tour, Lollapalooza, SXSW, Batfest, and Pointfest.

In October 2006, Ludo signed a five-album deal with Island Records that turned Redbird Records into an Island imprint. Under the deal, the band may release non-commercial material such as Christmas albums or rock operas on the Redbird imprint. In spring 2007, Ludo headed to southern California to record their major-label debut with Maroon 5 producer Matt Wallace.

On February 26, 2008, they released their album, You're Awful, I Love You. The lead single was "Love Me Dead", a song written in 2004. They made two music videos, an official version and a fan-participation video. They performed the song live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on July 11, 2008. "Love Me Dead" was adapted into a commercial teaser for the show House, and was #10 on the No. 1 Alternative Countdown on Fuse the week of August 18, 2008.

In November 2008, while on tour in Chicago bassist Marshall Fanciullo was relieved of his duties in the band. In the meantime, filling in on bass guitar (since September) is Tommy Cantillon from Tommy and the High Pilots.

Members

* Andrew Volpe - Lead vocals, guitar
* Tim Ferrell - Lead Guitar, back up vocals
* Tim Convy - Moog/synth back up vocals
* Matt Palermo - Drums, back up vocals

Former Members

* Marshall Fanciullo - Bass (2003 - 2008)
* Dave Heltibrand (founding member)