Hawthorne Heights facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hawthorne Heights
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Hawthorne Heights at the University of Scranton in 2007. From left to right: Casey Calvert, JT Woodruff, Micah Carli, Eron Bucciarelli, and Matt Ridenour.
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | A Day in the Life (2001–2003) |
| Origin | Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2001–present |
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| Members |
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Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band. They formed in Dayton, Ohio, in 2001. The band was first known as A Day in the Life.
Today, the band members are JT Woodruff (who sings and plays guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass guitar and backing vocals), Mark McMillon (lead guitar and unclean vocals), and Chris Popadak (drums).
Hawthorne Heights became very popular with their first two albums. These were The Silence in Black and White (2004) and If Only You Were Lonely (2006). Both albums sold enough copies to earn a gold award. Their second album also reached number 1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart. It also hit number 3 on the main Billboard 200 chart. Their song "Saying Sorry" (2006) was also a big hit. It reached gold status and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.
On November 24, 2007, guitarist Casey Calvert passed away. The band continued as a four-member group. Their third album, Fragile Future, came out in August 2008. It was their first album without Calvert.
The band's fourth album, Skeletons (2010), reached number 50 on the Billboard 200. Later, Hawthorne Heights started their own record label called Cardboard Empire. They released a series of EPs (shorter albums) through this label. These EPs included Hate (2011) and Hope (2012). In 2013, they released a full album called Zero.
Over the years, some members left the band. Drummer Eron Bucciarelli left in 2014. Guitarist Micah Carli left in 2015. The band released their sixth album, Bad Frequencies, in 2018. Their seventh album, The Rain Just Follows Me, came out in September 2021. In 2023, they released a new EP called Lost Lights.
Band History
Starting Out (2001–2003)
The band started in Dayton, Ohio, in 2001. Its first name was A Day in the Life. The original members were JT Woodruff, Jesse Blair, Andy Saunders, Josh Bethel, and Andy Lazier. They named themselves after a famous song by The Beatles.
Their first recording was a demo called Four Bullets for One Girl. They sold all 500 copies very quickly. This helped them get noticed by a record company. They then released an album called Nine Reasons to Say Goodbye. In 2003, they put out a 6-song EP called Paper Chromatography: The Fade from Dark to Light.
In 2003, bassist Matt Ridenour saw a hotel called Hawthorn Inn & Suites. He suggested adding an "e" and "Heights" to the name. The band liked the idea, and that's how Hawthorne Heights got its name.
Big Success with First Albums (2004–2006)
Their first album, The Silence in Black and White, was recorded in four weeks. It came out in 2004. At first, sales were slow. But then, the music video for their song "Ohio Is for Lovers" started playing on MTV. The band became very popular on the radio and gained many fans. This album became the best-selling first album for Victory Records. The Silence in Black and White reached number 56 on the Billboard charts. They also released singles "Niki FM" and "Silver Bullet" in 2005.
Their second album, If Only You Were Lonely, was released on February 28, 2006. It debuted at number 3 on the Billboard charts. The main song from this album was "Saying Sorry". This song played often on MTV, VH1, and Fuse.
Losing a Band Member (2007)
Casey Calvert, who played rhythm guitar and sang unclean vocals, was a member of the band. On November 24, 2007, he passed away. The band had just started a tour the day before. The remaining band members spent time remembering Casey. They also wrote a song about his passing called "Four Become One." This song appeared on their third album, Fragile Future. They also dedicated another song, "Sugar in the Engine," to him.
JT Woodruff has said that the band would not add a new guitar player or a new unclean vocalist. He said that Casey Calvert's name would always be on their albums.
New Music and Tours (2008–2009)
Hawthorne Heights released a demo of a new song called "Come Back Home" in 2007. A new version of this song was on their third album. They also covered a Smashing Pumpkins song, "Bullet with Butterfly Wings."
Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records worked together again. The band's third album, Fragile Future, was released with Victory Records on August 5, 2008. The first single from the album was "Rescue Me." Hawthorne Heights even played "Rescue Me" live on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
They also released an EP called Rhapsody Originals in August 2008. It had live acoustic versions of songs from Fragile Future and If Only You Were Lonely. In 2008, Hawthorne Heights also performed on Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution tour.
New Labels and Albums (2009–2011)
Hawthorne Heights signed with Wind-up Records. They started writing and recording new music. The band announced that Micah Carli would now be doing the screaming vocals.
Their new album was called Skeletons. It was released on June 1, 2010. The first single from the album was "Nervous Breakdown." On this album, Micah Carli also played instruments like the ukulele and mandolin on some bonus tracks.
Victory Records released a "best of" album for Hawthorne Heights. It was called Midwesterners: The Hits and came out on November 9, 2010. It had 16 songs from their first three albums.
Starting Their Own Label (2011–2012)
In July 2011, Hawthorne Heights left Wind-up Records. They decided to start their own record label, called Cardboard Empire. The band planned to release a series of three EPs. The first one was Hate, released on August 23, 2011. They planned to release each EP a few months after the last one.
On April 24, 2012, the band announced the second EP, Hope. It was released on June 5, 2012. The first song from Hope, called "New Winter," was featured on MTV.
More Albums and Changes (2013–Present)
The band signed with Red Entertainment. They released a new album called Zero on June 25, 2013. The band also played on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour. Mark McMillon officially joined the band around this time. He had been touring with them for years.
In June 2014, drummer Eron Bucciarelli left the band. In January 2015, Micah Carli also left. The final part of their EP trilogy, Hurt, was released on September 18, 2015. The band's sixth studio album, Bad Frequencies, came out on April 27, 2018, through Pure Noise Records.
On September 10, 2021, the band released their seventh album, The Rain Just Follows Me. This album was produced by Cameron Webb. The song "Constant Dread" on this album features guest vocals from Brendan Murphy. On September 8, 2023, the band released a 5-song EP called Lost Lights.
Music Style
Hawthorne Heights' music is often described as emo, post-hardcore, and screamo. Their albums have also been called alternative rock. Some people describe them as indie rock, indie emo, and pop punk. Eron Bucciarelli, the band's former drummer, once said that the band prefers to be called simply "a rock band."
When talking about their first album, The Silence in Black and White, Eron mentioned their "triple guitar attack." This allowed them to add many layers and details to their music. It also let them mix different music styles. The album also had female backing vocals from Micah Carli's sister, Graci Carli.
With their album If Only You Were Lonely, Hawthorne Heights started to be known for melodic hardcore. Their sound became more unique. They added sad keyboards and upbeat melodies. These sounds balanced out their screaming vocals.
Even after Casey Calvert passed away, Hawthorne Heights continued to change their sound. Their album Fragile Future used elements of power pop. Their fourth album, Skeletons, sounded more like their first two albums, but it was softer. This album also added new electronica and pop punk sounds. For example, the song "Gravestones" starts with a unique western acoustic sound.
After starting their own record label, Hawthorne Heights planned to release three EPs. The first one, Hate, is about feelings like anger and being alone. According to JT Woodruff, Hate has "aggressive songs" that are "a lot heavier than anything we've ever done." This EP has been compared to other screamo albums. It features many screamed vocals and breakdowns, similar to their first two albums.
Hawthorne Heights has been influenced by bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, The Get Up Kids, Taking Back Sunday, the Beatles, Foo Fighters, Death Cab for Cutie, Jimmy Eat World, and Iron Maiden.
Band Members
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Timeline of Members
Discography
- Studio albums
- The Silence in Black and White (2004)
- If Only You Were Lonely (2006)
- Fragile Future (2008)
- Skeletons (2010)
- Zero (2013)
- Bad Frequencies (2018)
- The Rain Just Follows Me (2021)
See also
In Spanish: Hawthorne Heights para niños
- The Great American Beast
