OneRepublic is an American
pop rock band. Formed in
Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1996 by
Ryan Tedder and
Zach Filkins, the band achieved commercial success on
Myspace as an unsigned act. In late 2003, after OneRepublic played shows throughout the
Los Angeles area, a number of record labels approached the band with interest, but OneRepublic ultimately signed with Velvet Hammer, an imprint of
Columbia Records. They made their first album with producer
Greg Wells during the summer and fall of 2005 at his studio, Rocket Carousel, in Culver City, California. The album was originally scheduled for release on June 6, 2006, but the group was dropped by Columbia two months before the album ever came out. The lead single of that album, "
Apologize", was released in 2005. It received some recognition on Myspace in 2006.