Hawthorne Heights
Hawthorne Heights is a US American emocore/hardcore band from Dayton, Ohio which formed in 2001. Members: * Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards: James Thomas "JT" Woodruff * Bass, backing vocals: Matt Ridenour * Lead guitar, unclean vocals: Mark McMillon (lead guitar (2013–present, touring and session… Read moreShow less
Hawthorne Heights is a US American emocore/hardcore band from Dayton, Ohio which formed in 2001. Members: * Lead vocals, rhythm guitar, piano, keyboards: James Thomas "JT" Woodruff * Bass, backing vocals: Matt Ridenour * Lead guitar, unclean vocals: Mark McMillon (lead guitar (2013–present, touring and session 2009–2013), unclean vocals (2015–present); rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2013–2015, touring and session 2009–2013)) * Support drums: Dango Cellan (from Amber Pacific; since 2025) * Support drums: Connor Denis (from Beartooth; since 2025) Former members: * Bass: Josh Bethel (2001) * Guitar: Andy Saunders (2001) * Guitar: Jesse Blair (2001) * Drums: Andy Lazier (2001) * Drums, backing vocals: Chris "Poppy" Popadak – drums, backing vocals (2017–2024, touring and session 2014–2017, 2017–2024) * Lead guitar, unclean/backing vocals: Micah Carli – lead guitar (2001–2015); unclean vocals (2001–2002, 2008–2015) backing vocals (2008-2015) * Drums: Eron Buciarelli (2001–2014) Rhythm and lead guitar, unclean vocals: Casey Calvert (2002–2007; until his death) Former touring and session musicians: * Backing vocals: Grace Carli (On "The Silence in Black and White" and "Midwesterners: The Hits") * Backing vocals: John Bender (On"If Only You Were Lonely") * Piano: Sebastian Davin (On "If Only You Were Lonely") Musical style and influences Hawthorne Heights' musical style has been described as emo, post-hardcore, screamo, and pop punk. Their lyrics have been noted for themes relating to heartbreak, depression, and self-harm. When the band started as A Day in the Life, their musical style was much more pop punk-oriented. The band has cited Sunny Day Real Estate, The Get Up Kids, and The Promise Ring as influences. History The band found commercial success with their first two albums, The Silence in Black and White (2004), and If Only You Were Lonely (2006), both achieving an RIAA gold certification. Their second album additionally peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard's Independent Albums chart and No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. They are also well known for their 2006 single "Saying Sorry", which reached gold status and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart. On November 24, 2007, rhythm guitarist and unclean vocalist Casey Calvert (son of Greg Calvert of Gary and the Hornets) died, leaving the band as a four-piece. Their third album and first without Calvert, Fragile Future, was released in August 2008, surprisingly through Victory Records again, after a lengthy legal battle between the two parties. The band's fourth album Skeletons (2010) peaked at No. 50 on the Billboard 200. The band's former label, Victory, released their first greatest hits album, entitled Midwesterners: The Hits in November 2010. Shortly afterward, Hawthorne Heights left Wind-up Records to begin their own record label, Cardboard Empire. Via this new label, the band released an EP trilogy, beginning with Hate released in August 2011 and followed by Hope released in June 2012. After signing with Red River Entertainment in 2013, the band postponed the release of the third EP in the trilogy, and released a full-length concept album titled Zero in June 2013. The band played on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour. In June 2014, original drummer Eron Bucciarelli left the band. In January 2015, it was announced that original lead guitarist Micah Carli had left as well. Later that year, the band released Hurt, the third EP of the trilogy. The band's sixth studio album, titled Bad Frequencies followed in 2018, followed by their seventh album The Rain Just Follows Me in September 2021 via Pure Noise Records. Early days (2001–2003) A Day in the Life were formed by JT Woodruff, Jesse Blair, Andy Saunders, Josh Bethel, and Andy Lazier in Dayton, Ohio, in 2001. They took their name from the popular Beatles song "A Day in the Life". Their first record was a demo titled Four Bullets for One Girl, which sold its 500 copy run in 2 months. This brought them to the attention of Confined Records, with which they released an album titled Nine Reasons to Say Goodbye. Finally, they released a 6-song EP titled Paper Chromatography: The Fade from Dark to Light (which was partially re-released as part of the compilation From Ohio With Love) in the winter of 2003. After some mild success the entire band quit except for JT, who decided to continue the band with new members and changed the band name. In 2003, Matt Ridenour, bassist and backing vocalist, would pass a hotel called Hawthorn Inn & Suites on his way to work. He decided to add an e and Heights to make Hawthorne Heights. The rest of the band agreed. The Silence in Black and White and If Only You Were Lonely (2004–2006) Their first album The Silence in Black and White, was recorded over a four-week period, and was released in 2004. The album was slow to build sales at first; however, soon the video for the song "Ohio Is for Lovers" began getting airplay on MTV, and the band enjoyed breakout success at radio as well as a growing nationwide fan base, and the album became Victory Records' highest selling debut. The Silence in Black and White peaked at number 56 on the Billboard charts. The singles "Niki FM" and "Silver Bullet" were released in 2005. When their second album If Only You Were Lonely was released on February 28, 2006, it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard charts, powered by the lead single "Saying Sorry" which has received regular airplay on MTV, VH1 and Fuse. The Legion of Doom remixed a song from the album, entitled "Where Can I Stab Myself in the Ears?" and it appeared on the Underworld: Evolution Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. The remix was re-titled "Where Do I Stab Myself in the Ears". The band performed on the 2006 Nintendo Fusion Tour. A live CD/DVD was intended to be recorded from this tour, but was cancelled, likely due to complications with Victory. Death of Casey Calvert (2007) Casey Calvert, the band's rhythm guitarist, was found dead on the band's tour bus at the age of 26 on November 24, 2007. The band had begun its American tour just the day before in Detroit, Michigan. Toxicology and autopsy reports stated that Calvert died of combined drug intoxication. A statement issued by the members of the band said that Calvert died in his sleep, and that his body was discovered before the band was to carry out a sound check before its show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. The members of the band spent a few days mourning, reflecting, and writing a song about the death. This song, titled "Four Become One", would appear on their third album Fragile Future. The members also dedicated another song to Calvert called "Sugar in the Engine". In the end of the song, JT Woodruff can be heard speaking of Calvert. According to the results of an autopsy performed by the office of the chief medical examiner in Washington, and released in December 2007, Calvert's death was accidental. Dr. John Mendelson, a pharmacologist at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, told MTV News that "Cases like Calvert's are so rare that they're almost nonexistent. It's so rare that you can't even put a number on it," and that "It's exceedingly rare that 26-year-olds die of anything medical. This kind of death is one in several million." Both citalopram (also known by the brand name Celexa) and clonazepam (also known by the brand names Klonopin and Rivotril) are prescription drugs, the former an antidepressant and the latter used to treat seizure disorders and panic attacks. Drummer Eron Bucciarelli issued the following statement: From the time of the incident we suspected a possible drug interaction as the cause. Casey wrestled with depression for as long as we knew him. He saw numerous doctors and took an ever-changing array of medicines to get better. He finally had his depression under control. According to the toxicology report, the cause of death was due to a fatal interaction between depression meds, anxiety meds, and an opiate. Opiates being mentioned along with the term "substance abuse", coupled with "rockstar" stereotypes immediately conjure up images of hard drug use and addiction, which simply couldn't be further from the truth in Casey's instance. What the toxicology report doesn't show is that before our leaving for tour, Casey had a root canal, and he was prescribed Vicodin (an opiate) for the pain. Once again, Casey was not involved in anything illegal, nor was he a substance abuser. JT Woodruff has stated that "We won't add another guitar player or add another screamer", and that "In our albums, it'll always say 'Casey Calvert: guitar/vocals.'" Bucciarelli stated in another interview that, "We don't need another screamer ... If the fans want screaming, they can provide it themselves." Fragile Future and Rhapsody Originals (2008–2009) Hawthorne Heights released a demo for their new song "Come Back Home" on their MySpace page in 2007. A reprised version of the song became one of the twelve tracks that were selected for the band's third studio album. A second song was released on their MySpace, a cover of the The Smashing Pumpkins song "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", which was contributed to MySpace Tribute to The Smashing Pumpkins. This cover song, however, did not become a track on the album. Hawthorne Heights and Victory Records patched up their relationship and the band's third album, Fragile Future, was released with the label on August 5, 2008. Jeff Schneeweis produced the album. The lead single "Rescue Me" was released on July 22, 2008. Hawthorne Heights played "Rescue Me" live as special guests on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as host after the album's full release, on September 18, 2010, as promotion for Fragile Future. Rhapsody Originals was released exclusively for Rhapsody as the first EP by Hawthorne Heights on August 26, 2008. It was recorded by Rhapsody, and released as promotion for the studio album Fragile Future. It contains three live acoustic songs from Fragile Future, and one from their second studio album, If Only You Were Lonely. Hawthorne Heights performed at Linkin Park's Projekt Revolution 2008 tour this year on the Revolution Stage with former labelmates Atreyu, Armor For Sleep, Street Drum Corps, and 10 Years. Joining Linkin Park on the Main Stage was Chris Cornell, The Bravery, Busta Rhymes, and Ashes Divide. When the band played songs from either The Silence in Black and White or If Only You Were Lonely, Micah Carli handled all of Casey Calvert's unclean vocal parts. Skeletons and Midwesterners: The Hits (2009–2011) Hawthorne Heights posted a blog through their MySpace profile stating that they had officially been signed to Wind-up Records, and had been writing and recording for a new record. The band revealed that while there is not a new member of the band and no replacement was made for Hawthorne Heights former vocalist, Casey Calvert, the new album would feature a new "screamer". While on tour, Hawthorne Heights announced that Micah Carli would now be providing screaming vocals for the band. As the album was being recorded, lead singer JT Woodruff and drummer Eron Bucciarelli named two songs from the record on several occasions, leading many to believe that they would be released as singles. Acoustic versions of the two songs were also said to have been recorded. The songs are entitled "Here I Am" and "Nervous Breakdown". "Nervous Breakdown" did become the first single from the album on March 23, 2010. On October 2, 2009, both Woodruff and Bucciarelli posted updates on their Twitter pages saying that they had just finished gang vocals for the record. Woodruff stated "Just finished up doing gang vocals on a few songs. Return to hardcore!" On October 14, an e-mail was sent out to the official mailing list telling fans that the new album would be titled Skeletons and would be released in early 2010. The e-mail stated: Lots of big HH news for you today folks! For starters, we will release our new album, titled Skeletons, in early 2010! Secondly, as you should know already, we're kicking off Never Sleep Again '09 with Just Surrender, Monty Are I, Punchline, Anarbor, and Nightbeast on November 2! Get your tickets here and get them today because we will be giving away a limited amount of collectible download cards at each show which include one of our new songs, "Unforgivable" along with some other goodies. This is your first chance to hear some of our new music, so make sure you get your tickets early and get to the shows early, because once they're gone, you'll have to wait until the album comes out! We'll see you this Fall! Not all of the bands mentioned, however, ended up joining Hawthorne Heights for the 2009 Never Sleep Again tour. As promised, download cards for the song "Unforgivable" were distributed while on tour. In addition, a song entitled "End of the Underground" has been performed live. After the Never Sleep Again 2009 tour, frontman JT began performing several solo acoustic shows with songs he had written outside of Hawthorne Heights. The track listing for the album was announced on February 5, 2010. Skeletons was released on June 1, 2010. According to JT Woodruff's February SayNow voice message (also uploaded on the band's Twitter), Micah Carli plays ukulele, mandolin, and various other "weird instruments" in the lute family for many of the bonus tracks on Skeletons. Victory Records announced the release date for their "best of" compilation of Hawthorne Heights songs, entitled Midwesterners: The Hits. The album was released on November 9, 2010, and contains 16 songs taken from the band's first three Victory Records' studio albums. Cardboard Empire and EP trilogy (2011–2012) In July 2011, Hawthorne Heights parted ways with Wind-up Records and created their own record label, Cardboard Empire. The band will be self-releasing a trilogy of EPs, beginning with Hate, released August 23, 2011. Each EP will be released within four or five months of the prior release. Between releases the band will embark on various North American tours. On August 11, 2011, the album art and track listing for Hate was revealed. The next day the band premiered one of the EP's tracks, "Four White Walls". The EP leaked onto the internet on August 21, 2011. Hawthorne Heights plans to release a music video for each track from Hate, the first for the song "Is This What You Wanted?". On April 24, 2012, the band announced that the second EP in the trilogy, titled Hope, would be released on June 5, 2012. They also announced dates for their Summer of Hope tour, in support of the EP, which began on June 1 and will end on July 14. Their first single from Hope, entitled "New Winter", is the only song by Hawthorne Heights to be featured on MTV in almost 5 years. During their Autumn of Hope European tour, they did an interview in a bathtub. Zero, line-up changes and Bad Frequencies (2013–2020) It was announced that the band has signed with Red Entertainment. They released a new album titled Zero on June 25, 2013. The band played at Vans Warped Tour 2013 on all dates. It was as part of this announcement that touring guitarist Mark McMillon of The Story Changes was introduced as an official member. On June 8, exactly 10 years after Hawthorne Heights debut album The Silence in Black and White was released, an acoustic version of the album was released via InVogue Records. The band embarked on a tour to celebrate the albums 10-year anniversary, kicking off the European leg in Fibber Magees, Dublin, Ireland. On June 18, it was announced that Eron Bucciarelli had parted ways from the band shortly after its release. On January 20, 2015, it was announced Micah Carli had also departed. On February 13, it was announced on the band's Facebook page that they are recording new material. The Band performed at Emo Nite LA in March 2018. Hurt, the final part of the EP trilogy was released on September 18, 2015. "Pink Hearts" was made available for streaming on March 1, 2018. The group's next album, Bad Frequencies, was released on April 27 through Pure Noise Records. The band supported Silverstein on their 15-year anniversary tour of their debut album When Broken Is Easily Fixed. The Rain Just Follows Me and Lost Lights EP (2021–present) During their first post-pandemic tour with peers Bayside and Senses Fail, the band released their 7th full-length album titled The Rain Just Follows Me on September 10, 2021, via Pure Noise Records. The 10-song LP was produced by Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb. The album's lead single, "Constant Dread", features guest vocals by Counterparts frontman Brendan Murphy. On September 8, 2023, the band released a 5-track EP called Lost Lights. In 2024 drummer Chris Popadak left the band without any official announcement. In Spring of 2025, Hawthorne Heights provided direct support on Chiodos' All's Well That Ends Well 20th Anniversary Tour. Dango Cellan of Amber Pacific played for Hawthorne Heights on drums. Legacy Hawthorne Heights has often been seen as one of the bands that helped bring emo to a wider audience in the mid-2000s. Their debut album, The Silence in Black and White, is frequently listed among the defining records of the era, and “Ohio Is for Lovers” is considered an anthem of the genre. In 2022, Rolling Stone called the song “a pop-punk tragedy that became a mall-emo milestone,” and several later acts — including The Wonder Years, Moose Blood, and Hot Mulligan — have cited Hawthorne Heights as an influence. The band’s persistence after the death of Casey Calvert and their eventual independence from major labels has also been noted as an example of the DIY ethic returning to mid-western emo and post-hardcore scenes in the 2010s. Controversy The band’s relationship with Victory Records became a major industry dispute in the mid-2000s. In August 2006, Hawthorne Heights announced that they were leaving Victory and filed a lawsuit against the label, alleging breach of contract, fraud, and “attempting to damage the band’s reputation.” They accused Victory founder Tony Brummel of creating a false promotional campaign — including the “Boycott Ne-Yo” controversy, in which Victory staff allegedly urged fans to hide Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words in retail stores so that If Only You Were Lonely would chart higher. Victory countersued, claiming the band still owed two albums under their contract. The case was settled out of court in 2008, when the band agreed to release one more album (Fragile Future) through Victory before being released from their contract. The dispute became one of the most public examples of artist–label conflict in the alternative scene of the 2000s, and remains a reference point in discussions about independent rights and contracts in punk and emo music. Albums: The Silence in Black and White (2004) If Only You Were Lonely (2006) Fragile Future (2008) Skeletons (2010) Midwesterners: The Hits (2010 - Compilation) Zero (2013) The Silence in Black and White Acoustic (2014) Bad Frequencies (2018) Lost Frequencies (2019 - Compilation/B-Sides) The Rain Just Follows Me (2021) If Only You Were Lonely XV (2023) Extended plays: Rhapsody Originals (2008) Hate (2011) Hope (2012) Hurt (2015) Lost Lights (2023) Tours and festivals: Nintendo Fusion Tour (2005, 2006) Projekt Revolution (2008) Vans Warped Tour (2006, 2013) Never Sleep Again Tour (2009) Summer of Hope Tour (2012) The Silence in Black and White 10th Anniversary Tour (2014) Silverstein 15-Year Anniversary Tour (2018) Bayside / Senses Fail Co-Headlining Tour (2021) Chiodos 20th Anniversary Tour (2025) Awards and recognition: RIAA Gold Certification – The Silence in Black and White (2005) RIAA Gold Certification – If Only You Were Lonely (2006) RIAA Gold Certification – “Saying Sorry” single (2006) Billboard Independent Albums Chart – #1 (If Only You Were Lonely, 2006) Billboard 200 – #3 (If Only You Were Lonely, 2006) http://www.hawthorneheights.com
