Tag Archives: hawthorne heights

08.17.12
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[FEATURED INTERVIEW] Hawthorne Heights

INTERVIEW W/ Eron Bucciarelli by Nathaniel Lay

How has Cardboard Empire been treating you guys?

Cardboard Empire has been great. We started it a year ago and have 5 releases which include: 3 HH EPs (one is a tour only acoustic release), 1 album from the UK band Failsafe (it’s AMAZING…check it out) and a 100+ page book which was included in one of the pre-sale packages for our album “Hope”.

You’re nearing the end of your Summer of Hope tour. How was it?

The summer tour was a lot of fun. As with any tour, certain shows were better than others. Overall we had an amazing time, played some new songs (as well as plenty of old favorites), made some new friends and got to spend time with old friends. Oh yeah, we also got to go to Japan for the first time in six years. It was incredible. Great shows and awesome food!

Next, you have the Autumn of Hope tour. What can you tell us about that?

Autumn of Hope is a full European headlining tour. We’re hitting some familiar places and some new ones like Poland! We’re very excited about this!

At the end of “New Winter”, you have some children do some sad vocals. How did that come to be? Who are the kids?

Its actually just one kid, Avery, JT’s daughter. JT wanted to try to have her sing it to add a new element. It was pretty funny trying to get her to sing it right. It required several takes and different methods to have her repeat the words and melody the way we wanted, but the end result is pretty cool.

You recently set up a full album stream for your new EP. What has been the feedback so far from your fans?

Feedback for Hope has been overwhelmingly positive, probably the best response we’ve ever had from fans and press alike.

Hope feels more like your older material, which I definitely was glad to hear. What can you tell us about the writing of these songs?

When writing Hate and Hope, we tried to write from the heart. We didn’t try to write “radio” hits, just honest music that we would have fun playing live. That was the intention with our first two albums.

For “Running In Place”, you have “NIKI AM” in parenthesis. This calls back to your first and famous full length. What is the connection?

It is intended to be a lyrical squeal of sorts.

What song is your personal favorite and why?

My personal favorite is “Stranded” however we haven’t played it live yet. That song exudes emotion. Micah wrote a killer Soundgarden style riff (which I love) and the chorus hits like a ton of bricks! Its the odd song out on the album as far as tones and style goes, which makes me love it even more.

What is coming next from Hawthorne Heights ? Hope was the second EP of this trilogy you guys are doing. What can you tell us about the third in the series? When can it be expected?

We’re not releasing any information on the 3rd EP just yet. We’re firm believers in keeping details under wraps as much as possible and don’t buy into the whole notion of continuously updating people with studio updates, etc. The only thing I will say is that you can expect more passionate songs from the heart in the vein of Hate and Hope.

What else would you like to tell your fans about this summer and the new album?

Look for us on tour. We’re traversing the world for the remainder of the year. If you would like us to come to your town, please let us know on Facebook (we’re the ones that update and check it). If you want to hear our old stuff, you have to support our new stuff! Please help us spread the word about our new music and tour dates!
Thanks!

http://www.hawthorneheights.com
http://www.cardboardempirerecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/hawthorneheights
http://www.facebook.com/cardboardempire

03.08.12
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[MUSIC NEWS] Affiance Announce Tour

AFFIANCE
Announce “The Western Warriors Tour” w/ Fit For A King

Cleveland’s Affiance are excited to announce “The Western Warriors Tour” featuring special guests Fit For A King and Kingdom Of Giants. The tour kicks off April 5th and runs through April 27th where they will headline their first hometown Cleveland show in 2012 with special guests Hawthorne Heights and The Plot In You. The band has been on a steep rise to success with their unique brand of melodic metal and the fans have taken notice. Everyone is encouraged to bring their Rock Band guitars to the shows and have fun. Don’t know what we’re talking about??? Watch their music video for “Call To The Warrior“!

Guitarist Brett Wondrak checked in to say, “We are excited to be hitting the road with talented acts like Fit for a King and Kingdom of Giants. We haven’t visited the west in almost a year so it’s long overdue! Come out and play, Warriors! It’s time to take the west!”

 

Affiance have recently wrapped up US tours with Memphis May Fire, Close Your Eyes, Serianna, The Color Morale, Stray From The Path, Vanna, This Or The Apocalypse and Deception Of A Ghost.

The Western Warriors Tour featuring Affiance, Fit For A King, Kingdom Of Giants (4/11 – 4/17 only):

Thursday, April 5th – Terre Haute, IN @ THMV
Friday, April 6th – Springfield, MO @ Lemon Drop
Saturday, April 7th – Dallas, TX @ TBA
Monday, April 9th – Lubbock, TX @ Prairie Fire Theater
Tuesday, April 10th – Roswell, NM @ The Unity Center
Wednesday, April 11th – Las Vegas, NV @ The Sanctuary
Thursday, April 12th – Fullerton, CA @ The Riff Haus
Friday, April 13th – San Jose, CA @ Music Ink Studios
Saturday, April 14th – Fresno, CA @ CYC
Tuesday, April 17th – Hemet, CA @ Sharkey’s Pizza
Wednesday, April 18th – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground
Friday, April 20th – El Paso, TX @ Open Gate Church
Saturday, April 21st – Midland, TX @ The Pinebox
Sunday, April 22nd – San Antonio, TX @ TBA
Monday, April 23rd – Temple, TX @ The Epicenter
Tuesday, April 24th – Ft. Worth, TX @ Tomcats
Wednesday, April 25th – Nashville, TN @ TBA
Thursday, April 26th – Evansville, IN @ Boney Junes
Friday, April 27th – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s Downunder (w/ Hawthorne Heights & The Plot In You)

01.20.12
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[MUSIC] Scream Out Loud – Live It Up [REVIEW]

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SCREAM OUT LOUD
Live It Up
[Indianola Records]
Verdict: 7/10
RIYL: SILVERSTEIN, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, OUR LAST NIGHT

As a music reviewer, sometimes you feel you need to challenge yourself. Sometimes you like to take a trip outside the box and see how far your music spectrum can go. Lost in that becomes listening to what you know you actually like. Admittedly SCREAM OUT LOUD exude a hint of nostalgia with their debut release. This is the style of music I grew up with, the so-called early 2000s “screamo”. This is what post-hardcore sounded like when it was more interested in crafting catchy anthems than beating the listener over the head with more breakdowns per minute than should be allowed by the musical equivalent of the Geneva Convention. SCREAM OUT LOUD’s sound is driving, melodic, and downright fun. Usually I would be irritated at the fact that the band isn’t doing anything new, but frankly, I don’t care. This is a group of guys who obviously know how to craft a three-and-a-half minute song, and that allowed me to forgive the band’s shortcomings. The other major element in Live It Up’s favor is that the production is fantastic. Eschewing the modern ideal of auto-tuned bubble gum and compressed instruments, the album sounds like the best releases of ten years ago. It’s not raw by any means, but it adeptly captures the energy of the band, and sounds like something that can actually be replicated live. Fans of the the “scenecore” of yesteryear should embrace this with open arms.       – by Nicholas Senior

Recommended Listening: “Danger” and “Not Like the Movies”
Release Date: January 31th, 2012
In Conclusion: While SCREAM OUT LOUD’s debut isn’t perfect, it encapsulates what I loved so much about post-hardcore ten years ago, before the advent of breakdown-core. Fans of bands like Silverstein and Hawthorne Heights will certainly enjoy this.

09.01.11
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[REVIEW] Hawthorne Heights – Hate [REVIEW]

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS
Hate EP
[Cardboard Empire]
Verdict: 5/10

I was going to start this off by saying fans are going to hate me for the comments I have towards this record’s performance, but then I reminded myself that I, myself, was a fan up until this point. So fuck it. Hawthorne Heights: you’ve disappointed me. What is with the sudden decision to curse? Yes, I am a foul mouth, but I have certain expectations from musicians in that area. If you are a band who has done well without it and present themselves as role models, then keep the naughty words out of your lyrics. I used to have this view on Hawthorne Heights. Sure, they were always emo, which was concerning (some fans take that shit too seriously), but at least they weren’t foul mouthed about it. Well, now they are. The title track of this album is completely terrible. What is with these lyrics? Once again, I know these guys play emo music, but it’s going too far now. This record feels like the kind of CD you’d play when cutting your wrists. As a result, I can’t in my right mind recommend this to anyone who has a bad view on life. Some of these songs may just push these kids over. However, once you get a few tracks into Hate, the music does become better at least. But, sadly, it just isn’t enough to save the EP from failure. Long time fans may as well consider this band as dead and gone. It’s a damn shame too; their last record was so great. – by Nathaniel Lay

Second Opinion

Verdict: 5.5/10

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, we get it – you’re pissed. Understandably, you have a lot to say, what with all of the tragic events of your past and your recent brief, inauspicious tenure with Wind-Up Records, and Hate surely is your soapbox. The bands first release on their own Cardboard Empire Records and first of an apparent trilogy of EP’s, Hate is somewhat of a mixed bag from HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, employing angst-ridden, scream-laden vocals reminiscent of turn-of-the-millennium post-hardcore, a scene this band was birthed into way back when. At times, the sound works (“Divided,” “Four White Walls”), but at others it sounds incredibly naive (“There Was a Kid (Part 1)”, “Is This What You Wanted?”), which is surprising for a band this far along in their career. Vocalist JT Woodruff’s songwriting ebbs and flows right along with the rest of Hate, full of lyricism that registers as relatable, something Woodruff has done very well throughout the years, though there are times throughout the EP where Woodruff’s songwriting comes across as green (see lines from opener “There Was a Kid (Part 1)” – ‘There was a kid who was failing all his classes/He never had a friend, he never knew he needed glasses’). While Hate isn’t the return to form that fans have been waiting (and perhaps clamoring) for from HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, it’s a step in an interesting direction for a band that’s never been satisfied remaining status quo. –by Brian Campbell