Twelve Gauge Valentine

Twelve Gauge Valentine is an American post-hardcore band from Bastrop and Monroe, Louisiana, with their debut album Shock Value released on October 3, 2006. The band was initially supported by the Sound Vs. Silence label, with whom they released their debut EP, Exclamationaire. They have toured with bands, such as Haste the Day, From Autumn to Ashes, It Dies Today, Alesana, War of Ages, Demise of Eros, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Inhale Exhale, Anam Cara, Vanna, Once Nothing, Gwen Stacy, Society's Finest, The Handshake Murders, and Memphis May Fire.
The band formed under the original lineup of Jonathon Cooper on bass, Josh White on guitar, Josh Gross on guitar, Jonathon Webster on drums, and Jon Green on vocals. This lineup recorded the Exclamationaire album in 2005. In 2006 Josh Gross left and the band recorded Shock Value as a 4-piece with White doing both guitar tracks. Shortly after the release of this album another guitarist was added with no information given other than his name being Kyle Snellenberger. In the start of 2007 Kyle, Josh White, and Jonathon Webster parted from the band, and thus Josh Fife (Jon Green's younger brother) was brought on board as guitarist. New Orleans based Michael Watson replaced Webster, and Derek Thomas was put on second guitar. Shortly there after Florida based Jake Campbell had replaced Thomas. The band moved to Tampa Bay, Florida in Fall 2007 with plans to write a new album.
The band played screamo under a different name before shifting gears into a decidedly heavy metal infused brand of hardcore. "Twelve Gauge Valentine was the most cliche hardcore name we could come up with because we weren't expecting to pursue anything," Bassist Jonathan Cooper says. "And then the name stuck.