Fred Mascherino
A versatile guitarist and vocalist who provided the crucial harmonic counterpoint during a landmark era for Taking Back Sunday.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American musician·Birthday: July 27·Generation X
Biography
Fred Mascherino stepped into a pivotal role in emo and alternative rock history when he joined Taking Back Sunday in 2003. As lead guitarist and co-vocalist, his precise, melodic guitar work and clean vocal harmonies created the signature layered sound that defined the band's breakthrough album, 'Where You Want To Be,' and its multi-platinum follow-up, 'Louder Now.' His tenure coincided with the band's ascent to mainstream rock prominence. After departing, Mascherino focused on his own project, The Color Fred, and became a sought-after collaborator, touring with bands like Say Anything and even returning to Taking Back Sunday years later as a touring member. Beyond performing, he runs Heading East Records, supporting the DIY scene that shaped him.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Fred was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Fred Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Fred's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-wrote and performed on Taking Back Sunday's platinum-certified album 'Louder Now,' which reached number two on the Billboard 200.
- Provided the distinctive guitar leads and co-lead vocals on the hit singles "MakeDamnSure" and "Liar (It Takes One to Know One)."
- Founded and runs the independent record label Heading East Records.
Did You Know?
He is a committed vegan and follows a straight-edge lifestyle.
Before joining Taking Back Sunday, he was in the band Breaking Pangaea.
He has filled in as a touring guitarist for the band Say Anything.
“I build the song from the ground up, layering the guitar until it feels right.”
