Draft:Bitter Kids

Bitter Kids was a Canadian post hardcore band from St. Catharines, Ontario. The band formed in 2013 and ended in 2016. The original line-up consisted of vocalist JD Meeboer, lead guitarist Keegan Beach, bassist Jeff Hurst, rhythm guitarist Damian Birdsey and drummer Chase Donoghue.

In April 2015, David Vukovich took over lead vocals following the departure of JD Meeboer. They played a final farewell show in May 2016, where Meeboer returned to the group to resume his role as the lead vocalist.

The group was featured in Alternative Press magazine as one of its "100 Bands You Need To Know" for 2015.

Origins
Prior to the formation of Bitter Kids, lead vocalist JD Meeboer, was a contestant on the fourth season of the Canadian YTV television series, The Next Star. He was also in the band Shout For Serenity in 2012 with David Vukovich who later joined Bitter Kids in 2014. Guitarist Damian Birdsey played mandolin in folk bands around St. Catharines, while Keegan Beach played guitar for a pop punk band in the same area before the band split due to his bandmates leaving for college. Birdsey and Beach, were also in a band called ARIA in 2012, where Beach played bass. In addition, Beach was also in a band called All These Lights.

History
Bitter Kids formed in 2013 in St. Catharines, Ontario. Founded by guitarist Damian Birdsey and lead vocalist JD Meeboer, they formed the band while they were both in separate groups. When their old bands had broken up, they immediately called each other up and started jamming together. Drummer Chase Donoghue, who had just started high school, joined after auditioning for the band. According to Birdsey, former bassist Jeff Hurst thought of the name "Bitter Kids" which Meeboer stated, refers to what they "wanted to do instead of what other people said and how everyone tries to mold you to be this person." Birdsey also added how they were "sick of being told" of how to live their lives to be successful. Hurst stated that the band was originally created "just for fun."

The group released their first single, "Voices" on May 16, 2013. The song was serviced to radio on June 12. On January 16, 2014, they premiered a live music video for their second single, "Monster House". The single was released digitally the following day on the music streaming service, Bandcamp. They released their debut EP, Monster House on February 16, 2014. Hurst explained that the Monster House EP is about anixety and overcoming it. Their third single, "All of This" was released on May 27, along with its music video. Around this time, the band saw its first line-up change where guitarist Keegan Beach left the group but retained writing credits for the EP. In June 2014, the group performed at the Scene Music Festival in St. Catharines. That same month, the band started writing new songs with Martin Broda of Abandon All Ships. "The Next Life" was released as the fourth single from the EP and had its music video released on July 24. The video was filmed during their set at the Scene Music Festival. By mid-2014, the group saw another line-up change with Hurst departing the band and David Vukovich replacing him on bass.

The band toured with SayWeCanFly in the fall of 2014. On November 10, 2014, the band joined Nick Santino on his The Long & Winding Roadshow tour, alongside This Century, Brian Marquis and Austin Gibbs in Toronto. In December 2014, the band released another single titled, "Painted Pictures" featuring vocalist of Woe, Is Me and Issues, Michael Bohn. The band collaborated with Braden Barrie of SayWeCanFly for their reimagined version of "All of This". On February 11, 2015, the group re-released their debut EP, Monster House, containing two additional tracks, "Painted Pictures" and "All of This (Reimagined)". Physical copies were sold exclusively in Japan via Maxtreme Records. The band embarked on an Ontario and Quebec tour with Something You Whisper in the winter of 2015.

In April 2015, the band announced that Meeboer parted ways with the group on good terms. The band also stated that Vukovich would take over on lead vocals and Beach returned to the group as the bassist. The group performed at Canadian Music Week on May 7, 2015, which was their first performance with Vukovich taking over lead vocals. The band toured in the US in May 2015 with The Things They Carried and Aramel Armela on the Melancholia Tour. They performed at Warped Tour in Toronto in July 2015. Monster House was released in Europe in the summer of 2015, via Square Records. The group perfromed at the KOI Music Fest in Kitchener, Ontario in September 2015.

On February 15, 2016, Bitter Kids announced their farewell show via social media. The concert took place on May 13, in St. Catharines at the L3 Nightclub, with the original members returning for the performance. After the disbandment, members Keegan Beach and Damian Birdsey started a new band called lastli in 2017. Jeff Hurst and Chase Donoghue later joined the group in 2022. Hurst also joined the band For Keeps until 2021. David Vukovich performs live on occasions and released a collaborative album, From Us, To You. He also releases songs primarily focusing on Christmas music. JD Meeboer formed a new group called Pressures. Meeboer passed away on May 26, 2021, after an overdose confirmed by his mother via Facebook.

Musical style and influences
Their music has been described as ambient, pop punk and post-hardcore. The group's lyrics and melodies were influenced from bands such Saosin and Built on Secrets, as well as critics comparing their heavy sound to Issues. According to vocalist and bassist David Vukovich their lyrics are, "very honest and metaphorical," stating that, "anyone can interpret them to any aspect of their life." Guitarist Damian Birdsey noted that despite the band's name, their music "is really positive, because it's about doing what you want to do."

Members
Former members
 * JD Meeboer – lead vocals (2013-2015, 2016)
 * David Vukovich – bassist (2014) ; lead vocals, keyboards (2015-2016)
 * Damian Birdsey – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013-2016)
 * Chase Donoghue – drums (2013-2016)
 * Keegan Beach – keyboards, lead guitar, backing vocals (2013-2014) ; bass (2015-2016)
 * Jeff Hurst – bass (2013-2014, 2016)

Co-Headlining

 * Fall Tour (with SayWeCanFly) (2014)
 * Ontario & Quebec Tour (with Something You Whisper) (2015)
 * The Melancholia Tour (with The Things They Carried and Aramel Armela) (2015)

Festivals

 * Scene Music Festival (2014)
 * CMW Festival (2015)
 * Warped Tour (Lemon Stage) (2015)
 * KOI Music Fest (2015)

Concert shows

 * Farewell Show (2016)