| The Exchange | |
|---|---|
 The Exchange during a 2014 photo shoot in Freiburg, Germany. From left to right: Christopher Diaz, Alfredo Austin, Richard Steighner, Jamal Moore, and Aaron Sperber. | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Rochester, New York, United States |
| Genres | A cappella, Pop |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Members | Aaron Sperber Alfredo Austin Christopher Diaz Jamal Moore Richard Steighner |
| Website | exchangevocal |
The Exchange is an a cappella band from the United States founded in 2012 by Rochester, NY native Aaron Sperber. The group consists of Aaron Sperber, Alfredo Austin, Christopher Diaz, Jamal Moore, and Richard Steighner. The band was a finalist on Season 5 of NBC's musical reality television show "The Sing-Off" and also performed as the Backstreet Boys' opening act during the 2014 “In a World Like This” European tour.
Sperber, Moore, and Steighner were also each contestants on Season 3 of "The Sing-Off". Sperber and Moore competed with the University of Rochester YellowJackets while Steighner was a member of Denver, Colorado based group Urban Method. Diaz served in a coaching role on the show.
Get Ready
After an initial series of performances in 2012, in January 2013 The Exchange released their first album. Titled ‘Get Ready’, the album is entirely a cappella and primarily a cover album, featuring 9 cover tracks and 1 original track by member Christopher Diaz. Following the release of ‘Get Ready’, the group embarked on an international tour that included performances in the United Kingdom, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland.
“The Good Fight” and Backstreet Boys Tour
In February 2014, The Exchange released their first all original album titled “The Good Fight”. The Good Fight was the second album released by The Exchange. The album marked The Exchange's departure from purely a cappella music to music featuring vocals over tracked instruments. The EP features 6 original songs. Days after the release of “The Good Fight” album, The Exchange served as the opening act for the European leg of the Backstreet Boys In a World Like This Tour.
The Sing-Off (Season 5) & Sing-Off Live Tour
In December 2014 The Exchange appeared on Season 5 of NBC's “The Sing-Off”. The band finished as finalists behind the Vanderbilt Melodores. Following their appearance on NBC's “The Sing-Off”, the band partook in The Sing-Off Live Tour. Joining The Exchange on the tour was Voice Play of The Sing-Off (season 4) and Street Corner Symphony of The Sing-Off (season 2). The tour was also featured on a live stream concert hosted by Yahoo! Live.
"Pursuit"
Released March 1, 2015, Pursuit is The Exchange's third album. Pursuit is entirely a cappella, featuring 6 covers and 1 original song written by band members Alfredo Austin and Jamal Moore.
Discography
Get Ready - 2013
| Track Number | Track Name | Track Length | Written By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Domino | 4:39 | Claude Kelly, Henry Walter, Jessica Cornish, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin |
| 2 | Lonely Boy | 4:04 | Dan Auerbach, Patrick Carney, Brian Burton |
| 3 | Payphone | 3:58 | Adam Levine, Ammar Malik, Benny Blanco, Robopop, Shellback, Wiz Khalifa |
| 4 | Home | 3:06 | Drew Pearson, Greg Holden |
| 5 | I Feel Good | 2:45 | James Brown |
| 6 | Where Have You Been | 4:10 | Calvin Harris, Ester Dean, Geoff Mack, Henry Walter, Lukasz Gottwald |
| 7 | Take Me Away | 3:06 | Science, Ne-Yo |
| 8 | Sexy, Free & Single | 3:45 | Yoo Young-jin, Daniel Klein, Thomas Sardorf, Lasse Lindorff |
| 9 | See You Soon | 3:43 | Christopher Diaz |
| 10 | Can't Hold Us | 4:34 | Ben Haggerty, Ryan Lewis, Ray Dalton |
The Good Fight - EP - 2014
| Track Number | Track Name | Track Length | Written By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Déjà Vu | 3:21 | Alfredo Austin, Jamal Moore, Tat Tong |
| 2 | Get Up and Go | 4:02 | Richard Steighner, Christopher Diaz, Tat Tong |
| 3 | Kerosene | 3:24 | Matthew Lukasiewicz, Aaron Sperber, Tat Tong |
| 4 | Back Where We Began | 3:42 | Alfredo Austin, Tat Tong |
| 5 | Gone | 3:10 | Alfredo Austin, Jamal Moore, Tat Tong |
| 6 | The Good Fight | 4:19 | Christopher Diaz, Tat Tong |
Single Release: Kerosene (Party Remix) - 2014
The "party remix" version of Kerosene, Track 3 from the group's second EP release The Good Fight, was produced by The Exchange and Rick Markowitz, and mixed by Paul Kaleka. This version of the track is a more upbeat take on the song.
Pursuit - 2015
| Track Number | Track Name | Track Length | Written By |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sing | 2:47 | Ed Sheeran, Pharrell Williams |
| 2 | Gone | 3:29 | Alfredo Austin, Jamal Moore, Tat Tong |
| 3 | Love Runs Out | 3:09 | Ryan Tedder, Brent Kutzle, Drew Brown, Zach Filkins, Eddie Fisher |
| 4 | Feelings | 3:08 | Adam Levine, Shellback, Oscar Görres |
| 5 | G.D.F.R. | 3:12 | Tramar Dillard, Dominic Woods, Lucas Rego, Mike Caren |
| 6 | Uma Thurman | 3:13 | Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz, Joe Trohman, Andy Hurley, Liam O'Donnell, Jarrel Young, Waqaas Hashmi |
| 7 | Uptown Funk | 3:21 | Jeff Bhasker, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson |
References
- "2013 CASA CARA Nominations". Contemporary A Cappella Society. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "2013 CASA ACA Winners". Contemporary A Cappella Society. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Alum On Sing-Off". University of Delaware. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- "'The Sing-Off Premieres and Ends in One Night, Crowning Season 5 Champ". The Wrap. 17 December 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- "BSB Press Release Announcement of Addition of The Exchange as Support Group". Backstreet Boys. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- "Ensembles 2015 The Exchange". American Music Abroad. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- Parker, Lyndsey (18 December 2014). "'The Sing-Off' Returns… as a One-Night, Ben Folds-Free Special". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- "Rochester Yellow Jackets Compete on "The Sing-Off"". University of Rochester. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- "Sperber and Moore Profiles on University of Rochester Sing-Off Page". University of Rochester. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- "Life After The Sing-Off: Where Are They Now". CASA. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- "Christopher M. Diaz. Camp A Cappella". Camp A Cappella. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- "Diaz Role on Sing-Off". A Cappella Blog. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- "'The Sing-Off's The Exchange Is a Supergroup That Brings the Show Full Circle". Bustle magazine. 23 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- "2013 London A Cappella Festival". LACF. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Melbourne 2013 Workshops and Performances for Vocal Australia". Vocal Australia via a-cappella.org. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Queen Elizabeth Stadium Performance - March 2013". Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "ETtoday Coverage of Exchange Taiwan Subway Performances". ETtoday.net. May 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Picture of The Exchange in Appenzell". Appenzell A Cappella Festival. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Bleiburg A Cappella Festival Teaser Video". Bleiburg A Cappella Festival. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "Europa-Park Press Release - Music@Park 2013". Europa-Park. Retrieved August 25, 2014.
- "The Good Fight". Loudr. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- "BSB Press Release Announcement of Addition of The Exchange as Support Group". Backstreet Boys. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- "A Cappella – The Exchange". ACANSA Arts Festival. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
- "'The Sing-Off Premieres and Ends in One Night, Crowning Season 5 Champ". The Wrap. 17 December 2014. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
- "The Sing-Off Tour". NBC. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
- Ferreiro, Laura (23 March 2015). "Voices Soar on The Sing-Off Live Tour". Yahoo.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- WALKER, JODI. "What to expect from the season 5 'Sing-Off' groups: A very careful aca-sessment". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- Schlossberg, Brandi. "Show preview: 'Sing-Off Live' soars to stage at Silver Legacy". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved 12 December 2015.
- "Ensembles 2015 The Exchange". American Music Abroad. Retrieved October 7, 2015.
- "The Sing Off Live Tour". Yahoo!. Retrieved September 8, 2015.