Tour 09 - See you there!

Web Chat on Absolute Punk

Chat with Hawthorne Heights on AbsolutePunk.net We will be sitting down this Wednesday, October 21st at 8:00pm EST, to chat with all the AP.netters out there and answer your burning questions about our upcoming fall tour and the 2010 release of the new album, Skeletons. All you need to do is log-in to your AP.net account, find the chat within Hawthorne Heights thread and post a question. Talk to ya then. -HH Click here for more details

New Album Details

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 2nd! 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!

Hawthorne Heights

Come out to a show!

More New Tour Dates

Don't miss Hawthorn Heights on tour! See below for new tour dates with w/ Nightbeast, Monty Are I, Punchline and Just Surrender. For more updates about new shows, click here to sign-up for the official mailing list.

Nov 2 - Grog Shop, Cleveland Heights, OH Get Tickets
Nov 3 - Small Planet, East Lansing, MI Get Tickets
Nov 4 - The Pike Room, Pontiac, MI Get Tickets
Nov 5 - Uncle Pleasants, Louisville, KY Get Tickets
Nov 6 - Diesel, Pittsburgh, PA Get Tickets
Nov 7 - Mohawk Place, Buffalo, NY Get Tickets
Nov 8 - The Palladium, Worcester, MA - Get Tickets Now
Nov 9 - The Webster, Hartford, CT - Get Tickets Now
Nov 10 - Eleanor Rigby's, Jermyn, PA Get Tickets Now
Nov 11 - Higher Ground, Burlington, VT Get Tickets Now
Nov 12 - Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY Get Tickets Now
Nov 13 - School of Rock, South Hackensack, NJ Get Tickets Now
Nov 14 - Crocodile Rock Cafe (Downstairs), Allentown, PA Get Tickets Now
Nov 15 - Ottobar, Baltimore, MD Get Tickets Now
Nov 16 - The Labelle Theater, South Charleston, WV Get Tickets
Nov 17 - Jammin' Java, Vienna, VA Get Tickets Now
Nov 18 - The Brewery, Raleigh, NC Get Tickets Now
Nov 19 - New Brookland Tavern, West Columbia, SC Get Tickets Now
Nov 20 - Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity House, Orlando, FL
Nov 21 - Capt’n Fun Beach Club, Tampa, FL Get Tickets Now
Nov 22 - Common Grounds, Gainesville, FL Get Tickets
Nov 23 - The National Guard Armory, Panama City, FL
Nov 24 - The Casbah @ Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte, NC Get Tickets
Nov 25 - Rocketown, Nashville, TN Get Tickets
Nov 27 - Reggie's Live, Chicago, IL Get Tickets Now
Nov 28 - Triple Rock Social, Club Minneapolis, MN Get Tickets Now
Nov 29 - House of Bricks, Des Moines, IA Get Tickets Now
Dec 1 - Warehouse Nightclub, La Crosse, WI Get Tickets
Dec 2 - Sokol Auditorium, Omaha, NE Get Tickets Now
Dec 3 - Hi-Dive, Denver, CO Get Tickets Now
Dec 5 - Murray Theater, Murray, UT Get Tickets Now
Dec 6 - The Venue, Boise, ID Get Tickets
Dec 7 - Hawthorne Theatre, Portland, OR
Dec 8 - The Undergroud, Reno, NV Get Tickets
Dec 9 - The Boardwalk, Sacramento, CA Get Tickets Now
Dec 10 - Chain Reaction, Anaheim, CA Get Tickets
Dec 11 - The Rock, Tucson, AZ Get Tickets Now
Dec 13 - Launchpad, Albuquerque, NM Get Tickets Now
Dec 15 - House of Blues Cambridge Room, Dallas, TX Get Tickets
Dec 16 - Zombie's, San Antonio, TX Get Tickets
Dec 17 - Meridian, Houston, TX Get Tickets
Dec 18 - Conservatory, Oklahoma City, OK Get Tickets
Dec 19 - FUBAR, St. Louis, MO Get Tickets
Dec 20 - Southgate House, Newport, KYGet Tickets

Behind the tour

Hey everybody
I just wanted to write you guys a note and let you know why we selected each band for this tour. And why we wanted to tour this year in general, for that matter. I'm writing this from 35,000 feet in the sky while watching Major League 2...FYI. First of all, why are we touring when we haven't released any new music yet? Well, it's pretty simple...we want to give our real fans a chance to sample our new record. In addition to a few new songs, we will be playing songs from all of our albums. With a rotating setlist, we are sure that we can play nearly every song we know. If you want to hear a specific song, hit us up on Twitter @HawthorneHeights. Now, on to the bands...

Just Surrender-
We first met these guys playing a show in a backyard in New Martinsville, WV like 5 years ago. We have been following them ever since and are excited to do an extended tour with them. They have been constantly putting out great music with a lot of passion and energy.

Punchline-
We used to play tons of shows with these guys way before the HH days at Knights of Columbus. I have known them for over ten years and happy to tour with old friends. I started talking to Steve and he came up with the idea of doing something really special for their fans...long time former member Paul Menotiades will be performing with Punchline on this tour. I can't even describe how excited I am about this. I think their CD "Action" is one of the best pop punk records I have ever heard. You aren't gonna miss this...it could be a once in a lifetime opportunity for true Punchline fans.

Monty Are I-
Simply put...I heard these guys tear up the stage live. These clubs require so much energy, and we think they can provide it. They have a new record coming out which is full of anthems that will be great to see live. Looking forward to meeting them...hopefully they will bring us some Spikes Junkyard Dogs.

Anarbor-
I have never met these guys, but we love to take out up and coming bands. We feel it is necessary to return the favor to the new school music scene. They better be nice guys, because I dig their music.

Nightbeast-
He has been a friend of ours for years, and that is really special to us. Nick was in ADITL years ago and has been a guitar tech for us as well. We are just looking forward to hanging out with Nightbeast and letting him showcase his music. He might play naked. He might wear a thong. He can't see worth a shit...but can write some witty tongue in cheek type songs. Don't miss Nightbeast's first extended tour. He will make fun of you from stage.

Also, on a side note...
This tour will not include any bullshit like lip syncing, ego boxes, light and sound guys, or expensive back drops. It will include a very personal rock show experience from bands who care about their fans. Come have fun. Leave your negative attitude at the door. Maybe this is The Never Sleep Again Tour 2009. Or maybe it's a tour with no name. Who cares...buy tickets and come say hi to us at the merch table. Bring a friend or meet a friend at the show.

Love or Hate
JT and Hawthorne Heights

"Sitting in limbo...waiting for the tide to turn"

I just got back from North Carolina a few days ago. Went down to Atlantic Beach for the first non-working vacation I've taken in nearly four years. I figured I better take advantage of this calm before the storm, otherwise I risk not having a chance to take a vacation for another four years!

So things are heating up. Things are moving pretty fast. We're just loading the gun right now...scratch that...we're loading the big fucking cannon, so that when we pull the trigger, everything hits you like a ton of bricks and we wreck shit!! So once all that stuff gets sorted, we'll have more news for you!

On our end, Micah has finished up the guitars for the B-sides and JT's doing vocals on those this week. Keep checking back here periodically or just sign up for our email list so the news can come to you! Either way, be on the look out, and tell all of your friends to keep their ears and eyes open as well!

Eron

Showing You How It’s Done

ITS DONE...

Well, kind of. JT just put the finishing touches on the vocals, which means for the time being, we're done tracking album number four!!!! Inevitably, there will be a couple of minor tweaks, a possible re-do of a part here and there once we get to the mixing phase (nothing out of the ordinary), but for all intents and purposes...IT’S DONE! Get stoked! We are super thrilled with the way its turning out! It’s still a work in progress, but with each rough mix and addition it gets better and better. Sorry, still no hints on the name of it, or on what it sounds like yet either. You've all been bugging me on Twitter about that, but we're not ready to unveil anything just yet...that, and we take great pleasure in teasing you. You'll have to be patient for just a little bit longer, but it will be more than worth the wait! Just know that we feel its our best album to date, and it WILL have the sweetest album art we've ever had. For now, you'll just have to take my word on it.

Later, Eron

Studio Update

Counting down the days...

We're about 1 week away from wrapping up tracking on our fourth album. JT has about 4 more songs to sing (maybe 3 by the time this gets posted) and then we're done...for now! We had a few days off which we spent watching the NBA finals (way to drop the ball Orlando), sharpening up our golf game and following Kenny Powers on Twitter. We're pretty terrible at golf...I think we'll stick to music. This week we're doing a photo shoot for the album, so we're getting fitted for clothes and hopefully going shopping for some new gear! We're also diligently working on getting the album layout together. Everything is starting to shape up nicely. Stay tuned for more updates and perhaps even a song for your listening pleasure soon! Eron

Fore!

After watching Caddyshack one too many times we decided to hit a little small ball ourselves. Just another day in paradise...Matt birdied a hole! xxxJT

VIDEO - From the Studio

It's June Gloom in LA...

Every once in awhile you walk the streets to look for inspiration. On these streets some times you run into something truly amazing. The other night after eating sushi we went to the Elliot Smith memorial wall on sunset blvd. It was so great to read all the little notes people left for him. Sometimes a little sadness never hurts. xxxJT

Call us!

Call us at 937-528-1879 and leave a message! We will be checking your messages and regularly leaving messages...maybe even calling you back!

Cover art!

I'm just sitting here writing blogs, listening to Micah put the finishing touches on the guitars and checking out some early sketches of the cover art for our new album! I'm so stoked about this artwork! Its definitely different from the photography we've had in the past, but its absolutely amazing. I'd love to share the artist name with you, but then you would have an idea of what everything will look like and I don't want to spoil the surprise for you. This will be the best album art we've ever had in my opinion. Trust me, you're going to get this tattooed on you! Get pumped! Eron

Lemme holla atcha...

I'm in a lovely home nestled back in the hills of Hollywood recording vocals. This is a major step for completing the record and that really excites me. I'm all alone in a tiny vocal booth, so I had to snap this picture for my files. I hope I can find myself here.
xxxJT

Drumstick Contest Winners

The winners of the Hawthorne Heights autographed drumstick contest have been chosen and contacted via email (check your email to see if you've won). We will be running other contests in the future, with equally exciting prizes, so cheer's to better luck next time!

Hypocrisy is hilarious!

To brief this rant, I can't stand hypocrites. I've recently realized/witnessed two different instances of hypocrisy that boggle my mind. I feel as though I need to share them with you.

Up first: People want HDTVs and Blu-ray players so they can watch movies in the highest quality possible, but when it comes to music, people will take the shittiest quality (I'm talking about you mp3s) just as long as its portable. I understand people's perpetual quest for convenience in the modern world, so I understand full well how the mp3 became the dominant music format; its small and portable players used to only be a few GBs so you couldn't hold that many hi-fidelity files. This is now a ridiculously antiquated concept given that mp3 device capacity is large enough to compensate for all the hi-fi music files our little hearts desire. Yeah, you might not be able to put 50,000 hi-fi songs on your iPod, but who seriously needs that much music available to them at any one given time? There isn't enough time in a day, let alone a week to listen to that much music. Go buy a hard drive to keep your music catalog on, put 2,000 hi-fidelity songs on your iPod so that you can listen to your favorite bands the way they intended you to hear them! If you insist on listening to terrible sounding mp3s, even though your mp3 player has the capacity to hold bigger and better quality files, you make no sense. I want you to throw a brick through your plasma TV, bust out the old tube TV in the basement, dust off the VHS player and re-re-buy every Blu-ray in your collection on VHS. Doesn't make much sense and neither does wanting the highest quality of one media and the lowest quality for another.

That was a whole rant onto itself, but wait...there's more. If you haven't heard, Walmart won't carry Green Day's new CD because they won't create a "clean" version for sale specifically for them...HOLD ON A SECOND...WHAT?...SERIOUSLY? That's not right at all. You can bet your ass that Walmart is still carrying R-rated movies and MA video games!

Now, someone please explain to me why Walmart has an issue with Parental Advisory stickers on CDs, but not R-rated movies (complete with nudity and cursing) and video games with more violence then you see in those R-rated movies. Their logic is flawed. If you have "principles" then they should be the same across the board, otherwise they aren't really "principles".

Eron

Thump Thumpin' Along

Here's Matt crushing down some end on a song. He's got everything on lock down from the low end. I like how the song is being sculpting together. Rock on. xxxJT

Guess Who?

Do you recognize the face in the rearview mirror? NoHo here wecome. Ain't nobody gonna hold us back. Never again. xxxJT

Guitars are turning out great...

Yay! We are in the same studio that AAR made Move Along in. That's a great record, so it's cool to be here.

In my mind...a rock and roll fantasy.

xxxJT

2 weeks in LA, in the books!

We just finished our first week of tracking the new record (2nd in LA). I completed drums in three days and Micah is finishing up the guitars on song #4, currently titled, "Here I Am". That could change between now and when the record comes out, but you'll just have to wait and see. Things are sounding amazing so far, but I am a little biased I suppose. I'm currently spending my time watching the NBA playoffs and trying to figure out how to meet Rob Dyrdek, so we can go hang out at the Fantasy Factory...perhaps my passive aggressive tactics of mentioning it in this blog and on my Twitter will lead to something? We'll see, right? If you know Rob, tell him some fellow Dayton-ites want to hang out with him and tear shit up in LA! Two things totally off-topic: Did anyone catch Anvil on the Jimmy Kimmel show last Thursday? I missed it and I'm bummed about it. We saw their movie in NYC and it was amazing. If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? Its seriously one of the best documentaries ever! Second thing, I still haven't had any cupcakes yet or Jerry's Deli...perhaps Wednesday or Thursday when we have off this week? I'm hoping I have time to check both items off my to-do list while we're out here. Eron

Return to heavy...

We are really opening up a brand new bag of tricks for this record. Pulling out all of the stops...chasing the final frontier. This is Micah playing a baritone guitar which is tuned to B. It sounds so deep and brutal. I love it. xxxJT

I want to rock...ROCK!

I want to rock...ROCK!
Here is Micah starting the first song on guitars. He's a better shredder than me, so he's gonna tackle a lot on the 6 string. I can't wait for you guys to here these songs. It's starting to feel very real again. Very real.
xxxJT

Album #4

This is a major milestone for us. Recording album #4 is here, and it's real. Check out our session list, a role call if you will...
We are feeling really creative right now. All things are positive. I can't wait to start guitars. Christmas comes early tomorrow.
Listening to the Deftones on the way back from the studio. Heavy heavy low low.
xxxJT

Working It

I'm sweating to the oldies right now...busting my butt on the bike while listening to Dreamboat Annie by Heart. Eron tore up the drums yesterday by blazing through 5 songs. Everything is moving faster than expected, and sounding better than expected. I can't wait to start guitars and get some interesting tones. A tone revolution is on the horizon...we just can't slow down. Anybody excited for new HH? I am. xxxJT

Make Some Noise

Hey everybody, Make some noise. Today is the second day of tracking and Eron has already finished one song in only two takes. The gorilla strikes again! We are in a studio in Hollywood and I found this kick ass road case. I love rock and roll history. I remember seeing the Jane's Addiction video every morning before high school. xxxJT

The Haps on the Craps

So I've been slacking a little bit on the blogs lately, but I do have an excuse, and a good one at that: Since my last blog, we travelled to LA and have been doing the last bit of pre-production all week. We've written a couple new songs and tightened up some older ones, all in preparation for our first day of tracking, which is this Monday. In addition to all that, there's getting settled in the apartment, accustomed to our new daily routine and we went to see Star Trek. I've only hit up one of my favorite LA eateries so far, Pinkberry, but have plans to hit up the others while out here. They include: Jerry's Deli, Sprinkles Cupcakes, and an Indian restaurant which has been voted Dolly Parton's favorite in LA! If it's good enough for her, it's good enough for me!

I also want to let you all know that some of our fans created a new forum since the demise of our old one due to excessive spam. You should check it out if you have some time: http://sandpaperandsilk.proboards.com/index.cgi

I'll be updating my twitter on Monday about my first day of drum tracking, so make sure you hit me up there: http://twitter.com/eronbucciarelli

Eron

Working on a New Song

“Across the sky again, she moves with an angel’s grace. I can see her floating on but I can’t see her face.” Join the Hawthorne Heights twitter for direct updates from me and the guys www.twitter.com/HawthorneHgts xxxJT

Pre Pro Day #3

So we are knee deep in prepro in North Hollywood. See Matt rocking out. Sweet bass solo! Just wanted to show you where we are. xxxJT

Day 2 of Preproduction

This is exactly why I love LA. I'm here for a few hours and I already see one of my fav bands road cases. This is a very good omen. Get excited! I am. xxxJT

First Day Jitters

Hey guys, we are starting preproduction today with Howard. I'm just sitting here and having the morning coffee. We start today and I'm pretty nervous as always on the first day of anything. Haha. I shouldn't be, but I am. Should be a long tedious ride up ahead, but we are all really excited to get these songs recorded so you can hear what we've been working so hard on. Hope we don't disappoint. Wish you all well. -matt

Go Andy!

Hey HHers I must say congrats to our friend Andy Saunders for graduating with a degree in nursing. He still plays guitar like a beast while nursing. He used to be in our old band A Day In The Life. xxxJT

Win a chance to sing with Hawthorne!

Sing along with Hawthorne Heights and you could win a chance to record with the band!

Enter the Hawthorne Heights MySpace Karaoke Contest by recording your version of "Ohio is For Lovers", "Saying Sorry" or "Rescue Me".

One grand prize winner will win a studio session with Hawthorne Heights in New York City! Second and third place prizes include Hawthorne Heights gift bags!

Click here to view a message from the band and to start singing…

Twitter Me

Tweet Tweet my little Hawthorne Fans. I am now officially on Twitter, even though I don't really know what it is...I will be tweeting my twitter of. Add me...my name is www.twitter.com/JTHawthorne and the band's twitter is www.twitter.com/HawthorneHgts

Somebody already has JTWoodruff which is totally creepy. Technology will destroy us all. Love and Tweets xxxJT

Hollywood

Dear Fanatics.

Sorry it's been awhile since my last posting...I am in the middle of an intense YMCA basketball league.

The bad news is that my team lost the other night, and I have played my final game. The good news is that we are leaving for Hollywood, California to record album 4. I'm not evening going to begin to explain what it sounds like, because people will either get it or not.

All of our lovely friends who come to this website will understand this album. I promise you that. Every song is written for a reason, whether it's good or bad. I would like to mention that there is a NEW screamer on this record, but you will have to wait and hear the record to find out who it is. I would also like to say that we have not, and will never replace Casey. There is not a new member of HH...so take that as a hint.

I'm planning a secret rendezvous for fans where I will give away some handwritten lyrics when we are in Hollywood...stay tuned. Join the mailing list, and start getting excited. We will be in California for 2 months, come say Hi.

Love xxxJT

LEGOS!!!!

Ever since I was a kid, I have LOVED Legos! Who am I kidding, I'm still a big kid and I still love Legos...although where I once was indiscriminate about my Lego selections (Castle, Pirate, Space, etc), I now have only one passion...Star Wars Legos and only the model ones. So here's where you come in to play...I am going to purchase the badass, 5,000 piece, $499 (yes that's a lot for Legos) - MILLENNIUM FALCON as my one and only personal gift for myself, if, and only if, our next record goes Gold! So you and at least 500,000 of your friends have to promise to buy our new record when it comes out...deal? I promise you the new album will blow your mind...I NEED the Millennium Falcon!!!!!! Eron

It’s all Relative

So I just did an interview discussing the relative success of our last album Fragile Future with MTV. After reading comments on various sites I've realized something: many people (including us) think its our best album to date, while to many others, its our worst. I get that. Some albums, not just FF, are more of an acquired taste and require multiple listens or an understanding of where the artist was coming from to "get it". If the album in question wasn't what you expected or wanted, you probably hate it. If you like FF great, if not, fine. We don't need everyone to like everything we release, if that was the case, we'd be bigger than The Beatles and Led Zeppelin combined (and as much as I love the music we create, that wouldn't be right in the grand scheme of things). Speaking of Led Zeppelin...this reminded me...their third album (Zeppelin III) was a very polarizing album during its time from what I've read. Many people "got it" and enjoyed it for what it was (it was no "Zeppelin II", but it was not without its great songs). On the other hand many people hated it. It was folky sounding and didn't have nearly as much raw rock energy that "II" had. As a musician I can appreciate "III" a whole lot more now because I can relate. The band had something they had to create for themselves. That's what we did with FF. After Zeppelin "III", the band took it to another level (higher than they'd ever been) with the release of "IV". That's what our intentions are with our fourth album! These songs are the best we've ever written and will blow you away...promise! Eron

Guitar Ping Pong

MTV interview

Eron sat down with MTV this week to chat about the new album, writing and demoing and signing to Wind-up. You can read the entire interview here

The Many Uses of Ping Pong Balls

Sign up for the HH mailing list for your chance to win a pair of autographed drumsticks from the band!

NYC Wrap Up!

We're in NYC wrapping up the pre-pre-production for album #4 right now. Cartel has been in the studio this week working in one of the three rooms, while JT works on the vocals in another room and Matt, Micah and I add extra guitars, keyboards and strings to the songs in yet another room. Hanging out with the Cartel guys has been a lot of fun...especially the Cartel/HH doubles ping-pong tournament. Unfortunately, we probably won't be able to finish it since we only have two more days here before we head back to Ohio for a week! Following a week of relaxation, we head out to LA to start recording...this time we're actually using Howard Benson. (note to anyone who wants to edit our Wikipedia page...Jeff Schneeweis recorded Fragile Future, not Howard). Back on topic, the songs sound amazing, we'll be watching the NBA playoffs while we record (the Cavs are going to win it all this year), and Crumbs Cupcakes taste amazing (better than Sprinkles)...lucky for us (and you) that they have Crumbs in LA too! Eron

Music From Your Childhood

Hey guys,

Micah, Eron and I are sitting in a room with a keyboard in NYC right now. Working on new songs, and trying to come up with some extra stuff for these songs if needed. Since we've been up here, I have kinda rekindled my love with some music from my child/teen years. This includes some early 90's rap, and my still undying love of 90's alternative rock. I have been rockin' some Geto Boys, Scarface, Mobb Deep, Gang Starr, etc. and it is awesome. I think that you guys should revisit something that you loved as a kid or teenager and I will guarantee it will put a smile on your face whether you remember it all or not. Post what you pulled out of the vault on the comment board, and maybe you'll find a new friend with an equally embarrassing love of C&C music factory.

-Matt

Drumstick Giveaway!

Hawthorne Heights would like to thank everyone for all the incredible support with an opportunity to enter an exclusive contest! Eight winners will receive a pair of autographed drumsticks that have been personally broken in by Eron and signed by the whole band! Simply sign-up for the Hawthorne Heights enews and enter for your chance to win! Sign-up and enter to win here. By entering this contest, you agree to the terms in the Official Rules. If you have already subscribed to the Hawthorne Heights enews, you are automatically entered. Spread the word and forward to a friend **These drumsticks are USED, Eron used them when the band was recording in the studio in NYC, so they show some wear and tear.

Don't Mess with Matt's Reds - Part 2

...or else the fart stabber will get ya!

Don't Mess with Matt's Reds!

I took some time away from the studio to head down to the local NYC television station and offer my thoughts on their Mets vs Reds pre-game show today. Check back tomorrow for the "aftermatt" of my live television experience and breaking news about the fart stabber. Matt

Waterworld 2 coming to a box office near you!!!

I just read something that made me laugh, but then again, I have a sick sense of humor. Hugh Jackman and Century Fox are actually bitching about Wolverine leaking nearly a month early online. This is the first big movie to leak, so I can understand the shock...but seriously!!? How can the movie industry actually be shocked? Were they really so naive that they thought the movie industry would be safe from the same thing that's plagued the music industry for TEN YEARS now? I guess it’s this apparent naiveté that is making me chuckle, because I don't condone this by any means. Leaks and illegal downloading are killing the music industry, leading to less and less artist development, which is leading to less and less good music. If this recession has taught us anything, CEO's don't take pay cuts when times get bad. They cut jobs and invest less in their products. Translation: your favorite artist isn't getting the money to make the best record they can and the labels don't have the staff to properly promote that album. Have you ever asked yourself: why isn't (blank) huge? That's why! The music industry was bloated and did need a good kick in the nuts for sometime, but that's a whole different blog. So back on track...the same thing that happened to the music industry is happening to the movie industry, but to hear them speak about this, it’s as if these movie companies had their collective heads in the sand for ten years or they turned a blind eye to what was happening online. Either way, it was only a matter of time. Eron

Ping Pong: Part Deux

They Have 9 Flavors!

Along with writing songs, I am in NYC trying to find out the eternal question..."does America really run on Dunkin'?". I'm much more of a chai drinker than regular coffee, but Matt persuaded me to try DD. So I did and now officially am a believer. Starbucks is still a shitload better, but DD is half the price...so I can't argue with that. In this cup is a large coffee with cream, sugar, and blueberry syrup. Delicious! Also, that's my hand holding the cup. I can't quite take a full picture of myself. I am running on Dunkin' and loving it. xxxJT

Studio Footage of a New Song!

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Can't we all just get along?

I love starbucks and I love music. I want to love a world where they can co-exist...can such a utopian society survive in these hard economic times? Let's ask this statue I took a picture of...CREEPY.

Matt found this statue in front of a church near the apt in NYC. Those are spikes sticking up all over it! I think it's to protect it from pigeons...but isn't that a little harsh? Raising Hell, the statue. So I'm in NYC sick as a dog but living off the energy and angst of a city that never sleeps. No sleep to Brooklyn!

Back to songwriting and bagel biting. Keep posting comments...you guys are the blood we need. So keep flowing.

xxxJT

Starfree???

Ok, so a couple of things have been bugging me lately and I have to get it off my chest. Perhaps you guys can give me some insight on this: 1) We're supposed to be in a recession right now, but people are still lined up at Starbucks paying ridiculous amounts of money for coffee drinks every day, and 2) I read that 95% of all music downloads last year were illegal (and there were over a billion legally downloaded songs)...that's nearly 19 BILLION illegally downloaded songs...yikes!

What I'm getting at is if someone frequents Starbucks on a daily basis AND still downloads music illegally, they're an asshole who deserves a good smack because: 1) they have the money to actually support the bands they enjoy, but choose not to and 2) Coffee has never, and will never, define ones character. You will never reminisce about days gone by from the taste of a cup of Starbucks like you will when you hear a song from your childhood.

So if you know someone who does this, tell them they 1) should start paying for music and supporting the bands they enjoy or 2) they should man-up and start stealing Starbucks too so you won't call them a hypocrite.

At what point in our society did our priorities get so fucked up that we value coffee higher than music/art?

Eron

100 Bands You Need To Know in 2009

After we returned from NYC a couple weeks ago I picked up the new issue of Alternative Press...the "100 Bands You Need To Know in 2009" issue to be exact. Forget the fact that 90% of those bands are forgettable and 98% of them won't stand the test of time for just a second; this issue got me thinking about the sheer volume of new bands sprouting up all the time and how ridiculous it is. Seriously, this shit is getting insane. It's not AP's fault. That issue just featured 100 bands and there's thousands more popping up everyday online, so I applaud AP for filtering through the pile. Who the hell, as a music fan, has time to check out all of these bands or the money to buy 100 records these days? (I think I just found another reason why 95% of music was illegally downloaded last year!)

Technology has leveled the playing field between bands/artists and record labels. Labels are no longer necessary to get your music out there. However, just because you have a computer, like music and can create a free myspace/facebook account doesn't mean you qualify for being a "musician" or that you should release this "music" that you've created. I like food, have a stove and a refrigerator, but that doesn't qualify me as being a Chef. So the down side to all this technology is this flood of music and new bands that wouldn't have been released years ago (in some cases for the better). This non-stop barrage of music creates a frantic pace for both artists and labels alike, which hinders creativity and prevents artists from taking the time they should be allotted, creating the absolute best album they can because they have to reach some unjustly appointed time frame.

I'm not one of those people that professes "music was so much better back in the day", but I do think our generation is severely lacking in the "generation defining album" department. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of good music out there today, but given the current pace of things its hard for artists to create something truly amazing.

Now look, before any haters get their panties in a bunch, I'm not claiming that our music is somehow superior and that we're somehow the next incarnation of the Beatles by any means. I hold us to the same high standards. A couple of years ago we were once featured on the cover of that AP issue, and up to this point, I don't even know if we (along with most other bands from our generation) have created anything that doesn't fall under my criteria above when one looks back 10 or 20 years from now. I do know we're three albums (going on four) into this thing we like to call a career and withstood a ton of shit to get to where we are, so by that fact alone, we stand a better chance of not being forgotten...yet. That all depends on how our future albums turn out and our ability to create a timeless record. I don't feel we've gotten there yet, but for the first time in our career, we're working really hard towards that goal with our newest album. Timeframes be damned. We're trying not to add to the clutter any more. This album is essentially three years in the making and we hope all the time spent will be well worth it, for you and for us, once this album comes out...oh yeah, its coming out later this year!!!!! I hope you guys will have the same reaction to our new album that I had when Nirvana released Nevermind, Guns N' Roses - Appetite For Destruction and more recently with Green Day - American Idiot..."Fuck, that's an amazing record!"

Eron

Too much time....

That cat's got an orange on his head. It kind of looks like he plays for the Cincinnati Bengals. It's a slow blog day... I will be back in NYC on Monday so expect more blogs. And if you are nice...maybe you will get a song clip or some lyrics. Stay tuned, because we have been working so hard on these songs. Shit's gettin' crazy. xxxJT

Shockhound Acoustic Sessions

How its made...

Leave Us Comments!

So you'll probably notice that we have a new little feature on the site....the ability for you to tell us how amazingly awesome we are...in other words, we've added a "comments" feature so we can see what you think about things and you can interact with others. This is just one of the many improvements to come, so check back often! Eron

The scene is dead!!!!!

I see people on message boards using the term "scene" a lot still. I find it incredibly humorous. ANNOUNCEMENT: The "scene" you speak of is dead! It died several years ago when the mainstream turned to the underground music scene, as it does every ten years or so, and made those bands popular. I'm sorry to break this news to you. These bands are no longer playing VFW halls put on by LOCAL promoters, booking their own tours, trading shows with bands from other parts of the country and releasing music themselves. Its all packaged tours with big product sponsors, ticketmaster pre-sales, ads in national magazines, iTunes, merch in hot topic, myspace, facebook, and twitter pages, songs placed in MTV reality shows and in some instances; radio play. There's nothing wrong with all of that, because that's what it takes to get exposure and make a living playing music these days, but all of that commercialization means it is no longer a "scene". I've come to that realization, its time you do the same!I know there are still "scenes" out there, and as a product of the hardcore scene I have many great memories, so that makes me happy, but these music scenes are not the ones I'm reading about online. Eron

Ping Pong Duel: JT vs. Micah

Yo Gabba Gabba

Normally I don't watch a lot of TV, but Avery really likes a show called Yo Gabba Gabba. I figured that since it's pretty much named after a Ramones song, it has to be pretty good. When I watched the first episode Jimmy Eat World was performing a song which is pretty damn cool. I did a little research and found out that it was created by members of The Aquabats, which is also pretty awesome. I was so impressed by these facts that I ran out and bought my daughter a toy from the show...Dancing Brobee! It was dancing so much it blurred the picture...I wish you guys would dance this much at our shows. Start watching Yo Gabba Gabbs and get intense! Hey, it's better than reality TV. xxxJT

GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS

Okay, so I've got some GOOD news...my team, University of Dayton made the NCAA Tournament this year! This is the first time since 2004 I believe, so its pretty exciting. The BAD news is that we're probably going to break up after their first game. Ya see, UD plays (and is going to DOMINATE and thereby upset) the higher seeded West Virginia, JT's team, in the first round! While the impending doom which Luke Fa"THREE"zious, Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson and rest of the Dayton Flyers are going to unleash upon WV is much to my liking, for you, our fans, there are no winners as the resulting inter-band tension caused by said win will be too much for JT to handle. He'll go into a life of seclusion rather than face eternal embarrassment. Matt and Micah, even though they don't follow college hoops, will not want to be associated with a person who's team lost so badly in the first round and quit the band lest the embarrassment rub off on them. I know we've made it through a lot in this band, and that's why this news is so incredibly hard to break to everyone! Thank you all for your support over the years! Its been swell! GOOOOODAAYYYYYTTTTTTTTTTONNNNNNNFFFFLLLYYYYYYERRRRRRRRSSSSSSS!!!!

Pibb

How did the cat get so fat? When did the cat start wearing a hat? What if we could all just lay around all day and have no responsibilities...we just got to sleep while our owners put stuff on top of us for their own amusement. Maybe the world would be a much more peaceful place. Or maybe it would only take us a few more years to fuck it up again. How selfish can we really be? Please try to think about that...try to do something for someone else today. No matter how small...small things turn to big and so on. Pick up some trash, make coffee for your parents, treat a broke friend to the value menu...call someone and apologize for being mean to them. We are all guilty, and we are also all innocent. Love one another... xxxJT

Toy Piano

Big sounds come from small instruments. I was messing around with this little toy piano a few days ago and came up with a really cool melody for a chorus. These things sound so broken and frail, but it's actually pretty unique. A lot of old school producers still use these little guys on real recordings. Maybe I will record an idea with it and send it out to those who sign up for our mailing list. I'm all about small rewards for small favors...so scratch my back! xxxJT

Forget about solar energy...

So over the last few months I've been researching solar panels and wind-mills to put on my house in order to cut down on my monthly energy bills and to nullify the environmental impact of all my stick breaking that I've been doing in the studio. Today, I was going through my bookmarks one by one like I usually do in the afternoon. First I hit up absolutepunk.net (to catch up on bands I know personally and like and also read updates on those I despise...you gotta know your enemy!). I followed this up with macrumors.com (I'm trying to figure out when the new iPhone comes out b/c my cell phone contract is up in May). Then I skipped over to espn.com (Its March Madness time again and University of Dayton has a 90% chance of going to the big dance this year barring some unforeseen fluke of nature!!!!). Finally, and this is really what this whole story is about, I ended up at msnbc.com to check the news for the day when I found my (and your) green energy solution! Forget solar, forget wind...I introduce to you the energy source of the future...HAMSTERS!!!!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29596930/

Go Hamster!

Eron

Dinner with Eron

Help is on the way...

This is probably one of the reasons for the economic tumble we are in. This joker probably bought this spare tire cover and a pack of cigarettes instead of paying for his mortgage. Buy what you need, not what you want. And are jeeps really cool enough to flaunt with this? Lame! xxxJT

Matt's in the Middle

While we were strolling down the streets of NYC we stopped to take a picture. So here is a picture of me, Eron, and Matt. One love xxxJT

Wasting Trees

So much for the green movement everyone. Eron breaks too many sticks to be considered green. This is our last day in NYC and we are happy to spend some time in OHIO. Be on the look out for stuff like podcasts, new webstores, and overall sweetness. Maybe we will do a contest so you guys can win some of these broken sticks. Is that really a prize? xxxJT

Coffee man

While in NYC we have been working 15 hour days trying to get some songs that go places we have never been. It's hard and draining at times so I have begun drinking large amounts of coffee. If I keep this up at the rate I am going, I will turn into this coffee bean man. He's kinda creepy but also aorta cute. Last night I had a dream that Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell were in the studio with us, just hanging out. Pretty weird, huh? It's still snowing, and I don't know which way to go. xxxJT

Pig Heaven

Slapping Down Vocals in the Studio

Sprinkles eat your heart out!

We found this sweet ass bakery near the apartment we are staying in. I'm not sure what these are but I am calling them cupcake monsters! It took me ten minutes to finish one and now I feel terribly good. Look out for cupcake monsters if you are in NYC. xxxJT

Walter Herrmann

We've been watching a bunch of basketball over the weekend because we're broke and going out in NYC is extremely expensive. I have to share with you one of our most memorable moments of the weekend which involves our now favorite basketball player...WALTER HERRMANN!!!!! This guy is a forward on the Detroit Pistons. He's probably one of the most comical players in the game from his aerial acrobatics while taking the ball to the hoop to him passing the ball and then immediately calling for the ball back as if he's always open and that doesn't even get into the fact that he looks like Fabio! This weekend while the Pistons played the Celtics, Herrmann had one of the most amazingly hilarious plays while in-bounding the ball with 1.7 seconds left before halftime...enjoy: Click here to watch Bonus Herrmann video Eron

Don't try this at home

This is just me getting double tea bagged. I've been drinking this really healthy tea while in NYC called kombucha. It's supposed to help your stress levels and support your immune system. Nothing is more stressful than trying to make the album of your career. We have never dissected our songs and instruments so much. It's definitely a good thing though. We have been challenging each other to write better and better parts. We need to push one another to get to another level. I'm not sure if the tea will help, but damn does it taste good. xxxJT

Standing in the Shadows

Finally, after about 2 or 3 years of searching, my dreams of owning 'Standing In The Shadows of Motown' have been realized. Matt and I ventured out into the city this weekend and headed for the Virgin Megastore in Union Square. It was there, for the first time, that I was actually able to find the documentary that I have been searching for relentlessly over the course of several years, scouring record stores across the whole country. For anyone who hasn't heard of this documentary, which I'm going to assume is most of you, its about the group of musicians that performed on nearly every single to come out on Motown Records. These guys have played on more number 1 singles than Elvis, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones...COMBINED! Pretty impressive. The irony of me finally finding this long sought after movie is that I left my laptop in the studio over the weekend, so I couldn't even watch it :( Eron

Shivers.

I can't even explain how proud I am to be included in the IMAGINE Peace Video series. It sends shivers down my spine to be included in such an amazing idea. Imagine has been one of my favorite songs since I was 6 years old, when I first heard it while living in Germany. I love how the message is so simple and beautiful. It feels incredible to be included with people like Ringo Starr, Joe Perry, Peter Frampton, Chris Walla, and Brandon Flowers who have one common goal...Doing a project like this makes me realize why I love being a musician. Having the platform of song to convey a message, is a beautiful thing. Everyone should watch this video and find ways to help out in every way possible. To live life in peace, we all need to think. Thanks to Rock4Peace for allowing me to participate. xxxJT

IMAGINE

Hawthorne Heights are featured in the IMAGINE Peace Video series. This series took 1300 hours during 8 months to create, for the purpose of circulating Peace, the goal is to then have *THINK WORLD PEACE* spread around the world. Click here to watch the video and to find out how you can help

Darts

Subscribe to the Hawthorne Heights YouTube Channel for updates on new videos

Bloody V

Could this picture be any worse? It doesn't really matter, because it was taken in a movie theater in NYC. Micah and I went to watch My Bloody Valentine in 3D. The plot was kinda iffy and the boobs were kinda scarce for a horror movie, but the gore was top notch. And every few minutes it looked like a pick axe was flying off of the screen at us, so it gets thumbs up for that. My only complaint is that the whole movie theater (Regal Cinemas at Union Square) smelled like socks. When you pay 15 bucks to watch a movie, it should not include the aroma of socks. Hang loose caboose xxxJT

NERD ALERT

In between 500 games of halo, Eron went crazy. Literally psycho cat shit crazy. His eyes got bloodshot and his body hair started to grow out of control. I thought he was turning into the wolfman...but as it turns out, he just had a halo overdose. Shortly after that he wrote the coolest drum part I have ever heard him play. So we re-wrote a brand new verse around his sweet ass drum licks. I hated the verse before, but I love it now. Great job Eron. You can now play 500 more games of halo. xxxJT

HALO 3 time!

While we are actually doing a lot of work on our new songs here in NY, demoing songs is a tedious process which allows for some down-time while you're not recording our specific parts...that means plenty of HALO 3 time! We've been busting heads on Xbox Live, so if you're on, come hit us up! We don't have a mic to talk to you, but if you want to play us, we're down. On the serious side of things, the songs are coming together pretty nicely so far. We're putting the finishing touches on a batch of demos before we dive into some other songs and start changing those around. Be stoked, this shit is gonna be HOT!!!! Eron

Breakfast anyone?

In an attempt to shed some winter weight and be healthy, I have been eating steel cut oats. They taste like sawdust, but I didn't expect much better. Has anyone ever tried these? Find them in the health food section at Kroger, and watch the pounds melt away. But feel free to have a krispy kreme instead. Oats Love xxxJT

New Demo

Back to the NYC

We're in NYC again and having an awesome time... YUM...frozen yogurt! So anyways, I grew up in NJ and used to go into the city periodically for hardcore shows at CBGBs so I love it. I might live in Ohio now, but I'm an East Coaster through and through. Oh yeah, CBGBs is now a fucking fashion boutique...but that's old news I suppose, but when you finally see it in person it hits you harder than reading it online. So back on track...we spent hours in the studio today doing some pre-pre-production on these songs. They're sounding amazing. Way darker and bigger than anything we've done. Everything for this album fits together and has meaning. Fragile Future was good in that regard as well (and we love it the most out of the albums we've released in the past), but we were rushed and limited in ways I can't get into, so perhaps that album didn't turn out the way it was intended. Come to think of it, none of our albums turned out the way we truly wanted them to. I suppose my (belated) new years resolution is to make the album of our career and not release it until we're 100% happy with it for once. I'm really confident in the songs, but there are so many intangibles that always seem to get in the way. My hope is that doesn't happen this time around. Eron

Fraid of Flyin'

Man, there is something that still feels weird about being in a tin can flying in the sky. I was in the exit row when I looked out over the wing to snap this picture. Normally, I would say I ain't afraid of shit...but in airplanes that's a lie. I hate heights and flights. Anybody with me? Have you guys seen the show Eastbound and Down on HBO? Check it out, because that's what my hair is gonna look like for this new record. xxxJT

New Video Blog

Lionel Richie

Exciting news for Hawthorne Heights fans! I have welcomed a new addition to my family. I'm excited to introduce to you...Lionel Richie, the exotic shorthair. I just got him two days ago and I'm already dancing on the ceiling. He meows 500 times in the middle of the night. Maybe he could be a back up singer. Mr. Pibbs is so jealous. Yay for cats. Boo for dogs. Don't stop believin' xxxJT

New Drums...YAY!

So I'm in the process of ordering a new drum kit from Tama. I'm having a hard time coming to a final decision on the finish I want. I want something that no one else has, which is tough nowadays. To make things more complicated, there are literally thousands of options for me to choose from. Whatever it I settle on, I want something vintage looking, because that's my thing. I'm 90% sure that I'm getting these wacky lugs that allow me to tune both bottom and top heads from the top of the drum. Tama sent me a rack-tom to try out... Those lugs were designed in the 30's...so you can't get much more vintage than that! As long as the drum doesn't de-tune when I bang on it tomorrow, I'm getting them on my kit because they look badass and no other company makes those! Regardless, I'm still getting a new kit soon, so look for it when we go back out on tour...come shower praise and adoration upon my awesome new drums! Eron

In Response...

Hey guys, in response to Eron's latest blog. It is unbelievable to witness what kinds of stunts political parties pull "for the sake of the party". So just remember this.... Democrats=Rich idiots! Republicans=Richer idiots!!!! -matt ;)

Lil Wayne/John McCain mixtape coming soon!

Ok...I have to take a deep breath here before I type out this blog because I laughed so hard at this. So here goes my story: It all started after I got done watching an episode of Monster Quest which I had DVR'd...I'm going to be the one to prove the existence of Bigfoot when I'm done with the band, so I need to stay up-to-date in the world of mythic creatures...don't worry, I got this! Once the show ended, I flipped over to the news and the first story on was about the new Republican National Committee Chairman stating that the Republican party needs a "hip-hop makeover" and plans an "off the hook" public relations campaign to attract younger black and Hispanic voters.......Ok, I'll pause while you digest that last statement and wipe the beverage off your face which just flew out of your nose because you were laughing so hard. This is totally not meant to be a political rant by any means. I would think it was equally as funny if the DNC Chairman said the Democratic party was going to get "crunk" now that they won the election or anything else so stereotypical. I want to know how they're going to go about this? Realistically, every major hip-hop artist aligned themselves with the Democratic party in this last election, so we aren't going to see Kanye or Nas making songs touting their values. What are they going to call this new makeover? Hip-Gop...yeah I said it first...copyright 2009! I'm really hoping we get some well crafted 80's style raps a la SuperBowl Shuffle just substitute a bunch of 70 year old white senators for the Bears...it'll be pure gold! Eron

Mango

I took this picture today and it kinda creeped me out. It looks like all the color in the world was sucked out. So strange. I have been experimenting with a lot of different mediums while trying to create feeling on this record. I have been taking some pictures, drawing with charcoal, eating mango, and strumming the acoustic guitar. We all get the creative urges in different ways and at different times. This was just me having fun with a camera...but it got me thinking of some dark times. Our country is fucked right now. We all need to hang together and make the best out of what we have. If life gives you shit...make a shit sandwich. Wait...is that any better? Stay posi. xxxJT

GO GO GADGET WEBSITE!

So, as you can see around here, the site is pretty sparse at the moment. We have a few cool features that we'll be adding shortly, such as the ability for YOU to comment on all of the ridiculous things we're doing! So make sure you look for that really soon! Eron

Killer book

Hey guys, we are home before we head out to NYC again and I have been getting engrossed in a book. It’s not a new book, and definitely not an obscure book by any means, (which is why I keep asking myself why I never read it.) It is "Helter Skelter" by Vincent Bugliosi, and it documents the Manson murder files. It is written by the prosecutor of the case, and sets everything out on the table. It shows faults made the LAPD, and tells depictions on what happened during the murders done by the Charles Manson Family. Fuck CSI: Miami, this is the real deal. Stop watching your TV and go to a used book store and spend 3 dollars like I did. It will probably pay off. And for you guys that think I'm some creep for reading some book about murders, don't worry. I am kind of over fiction books for the time being, so decided to go to the true crime section because I never really have before. And I'm starting with the most popular true crime ever, so maybe you should too. Haha. Go grab a book, head to a coffee shop (not Starbucks, and actual coffee shop) and enjoy. -matt

Band Practice

Studio Shot

Sure Shot

In the spirit of fierce competition, I took this picture on the way up to the rim for a monster dunk. It looks like I got snubbed from the all star game again. I have been playing basketball 3 times a week since we have been back from NYC...and I am finally getting my shot back. Just ask Emery or Anberlin if I can ball...If you play basketball and live in southeastern Ohio, I can be found hooping it up at the Lebanon YMCA...come challenge me to a 3 point shootout. Basketball is a great way to stay in shape and shed a few pounds...we are all trying to keep up with Eron, but it's kinda hard because all he eats is chicken flavored air. Stay tuned...sign up for the new mailing list. Maybe I will send you some lyrics, or a picture of my playing basketball from my high school yearbook. Yikes! xxxJT

Happy Valentines Day from me.

If you plan on eating a lot of chocolate, please remember to brush your teeth. Avery says so...and she means business. Also, if you want any last minute romantic tips...take your girlfriend or boyfriend to watch Friday The 13th. It's so romantic...Niki is gonna love it. And she has no choice but to watch it! Have a good romantic weekend! Buy your bf/gf some new music...I suggest the new cd by Two Tongues. Check them out. xxxJT

SCREAMIN' AT A WALL...

We got together today and ran through a few song changes that we wanted to make prior to heading back out to NYC this Sunday (provided there's no snow this time). Some songs and changes come easier than others. There are several instances where we have (what feel) is a great chorus or a great verse, but other parts of the song need to be re-worked in order to make the parts that are already good standout more. Its a frustrating, trial-and-error process which involves running said part in question a thousand times, trying different things each time until something sticks. If we're lucky, we settle on something we like and demo it. We'll put the song aside for a day or two and come back to it at a future rehearsal. Often times, we listen to the change we made and ask ourselves what we were thinking? **Bangs head against the wall**... Back to the drawing board! That's the absolute worst, most frustrating part about writing songs. Other times the songs seem to write themselves. Those songs are rare, but when you write something and everything seems to be falling in line, its one of the greatest feelings in the world! Eron

Oh the horror...

Words cannot describe the masterpiece I saw on Friday night. The perfect blend of fake murders and fake boobs...which is perfect for me. There were tons of kids trying to sneak in to watch Friday The 13th...but you gotta be 18. A group of youngsters even asked Micah to pretend to be their dad haha. When we bought the tickets we got charged the student price because we look young...score! If I were on the Oscar committee my only vote would go to Friday The 13th. If you are looking for a good time, go watch this movie. Good dialogue, gruesome killin's, and tons of fake blood. Willa Ford gets cut loose pretty early in the movie, but it's worth it. I just hope they keep making these movies. I love them! Stay tuned for some killer updates. xxxJT

It's Magic

I always get asked if I record an idea the second it pops into my head...well, the answer is yes. Line 6 gave me this little mini recorder to snap my ideas into. It looks small, but it's pretty fucking awesome. It has a microphone built in, and a USB port so I can dump my ideas right onto my laptop. I have been humming a lot of melodies into my little Backtrack recorder. I came up with an awesome idea for a verse the other day when I was riding the subway, and this little guy came in handy. I looked like an absolute crazy person humming into a little black box while riding the train, but I am an absolute crazy person...so it fits my profile. xxxJT

Are you in the know?

Ok so first things first....our e-mail list: sign up for it NOW using the link entitled "E-News Signup" directly to the right of this blog that you're reading. "Why should we sign up for your email list when you're updating your new website daily, Eron?" Well, to answer your great question, if you sign-up, not only will you be the first to know about everything HH related from Tour announcements to album information, but you might, just maybe, also get a little something extra periodically (HINT HINT HINT)!!! So if you haven't already, do it now....then tell all of your friends to sign up (who are already HH fans, because you've done your fanly duties and told them all about us)!!! Now on to some miscellaneous rambling...Our trip back to NYC was postponed for a week. I'm bummed :( I love everything about NYC and as much as I love being home, I want to get back to the city and finish these songs off so we can actually record them and share them with you! They're coming along amazingly and the anticipation of our release is killing me! We're staying in an apartment while we work and the location couldn't possibly be any better for me. On our block there are literally 20 indian food places, including a couple that are open 24hrs, which is great because I absolutely LOVE indian food and I don't normally get to eat it back home in Ohio! During our first week out there, we ate at 5 different indian restaurants (minimum). Some were better than others, but I look forward to trying some of the other ones on the block! As a bonus, there's a Pinkberry near by and a great bagel place! I'm in heaven! Eron

Quack Quack!

I was driving home from picking up my new guitar, picture to come later, when I came across these ducks. They were just minding their own business and I was minding mine. I grabbed my phone and stopped in the middle of the road to snap this picture. I just wanted to show that even in times of struggle, the sun is shining...and the ducks are still crossing the street. Keep on keepin' on. Stop stealing music. xxxJT

Art?

Would anyone other than me consider this art? I mean, of course I am beautiful...just like the rest of the human race, but seeing my own face as an oil painting is kind I weird. Actually it is pretty creepy. Someone made this for me, and I just wanted to say thanks. Any form of art is fine by me. We should be teaching people how to be more creative. Pick up a pencil and draw on a sheet of paper. Sing from the top of your lungs. Dance until you have no pants. Write your name backwards. Whatever it takes...put down that video game and be an artist. Write a poem. Write a short story. Fuck, just write a sentence. Write a letter to someone who misses you. Love yourself. Love someone else. Be creative. xxxJT

New Video Blog

Back Home

So, we're back in Ohio for the week and not a lot is going on here. I've been spending my days playing drums and working out. For the last several years, I've been on a big fitness/health kick. Not that I was fat before, but as drummer, its amazing how much easier it is to get through an hour long set or a three hour rehearsal when you're in really good shape. So while we were recording Fragile Future I was up late one night and stumbled across the P90X Workout paid advertisement on TV. I needed a change to my routine, so I figured, what the hell? So I got it and have been doing it on and off ever since. Its insane. Its easily the most intense workout I've ever done. After the first week of the routine, it hurt to walk and sit...I was in a lot of pain! Now after several months I can honestly say I'm in the best shape of my life, so the pain was well worth it. Anyways, in my down-time, I was perusing our myspace comments and I feel like we owe an apology to our fans overseas or at least offer up an explanation of why its been so long since we've been over to see you. For starters, it’s definitely not due to any lack of affection towards you or your countries. As you probably know, we've been through a lot in the past two years and because of those circumstances we couldn't afford to travel overseas nor were we in the proper mental state to do so. That being said, things have turned around now. While I can't give you any specific dates, because...they are still in the works, but we will be overseas at some point this year! well. We're long overdue for a tour abroad! We miss you and we'll be back soon! Eron

Time to Relax

I'm curled up on my couch in beautiful Maineville, Ohio. My cat, Mr. Pibbs, is napping on my lap as I watch Top Chef. Spending 2 weeks in NYC was an absolute blast. The creative juices are squirting from us all as we work on ALBUM 4. That sounds gross haha. I am now on a week break, so that means plenty of basketball and Nip/Tuck. Don't worry I am always strumming the guitar when I am lounging on the couch. I try not to watch too much TV because it just shows me how much the world is a fucked up place. It also makes me realize how different I am than most of the people I see on TV. It doesn't really matter because different is a good thing. I think I will stay this way. xxxJT

Welcome!

Grammys

So I finally broke down and watched the Grammys last night. I was mainly watching to see if Kings of Leon would win the big one...and they took home Best Rock Performance! Normally I don't get into that stuff, but the "Rap Pack" brought the house down. And it was cool to see my favorite drummer (Dave Grohl) perform with my favorite songwriter (Paul Mccartney). Pretty awesome. The reason for this blog is to announce how happy I am that Blink 182 is getting back together. It was worth sitting through the whole show to hear them say they are ready to make music together again. Blink and Green Day are the bands that I listened to most while growing up, so I am extremely excited about this. I attached a photo of my first "real" guitar for you guys to see. I saw blink 182 in 1998 and Tom was playing a guitar similar to this, so I left the show on a mission to find it. I'm sure his was a way nicer model, but this was good enough for me then...and I have never gotten rid of it. Hey Blink 182! Take us on tour... xxxJT

Who's got the fuzz?

anyone out there got any FUZZ? On the quest for the perfect ear shredding guitar tone, Micah found the Fuzz Factory. This pedal is extra special, because it's hand painted and one of a kind. It comes at a hefty price, but Micah is a collector...so price was no issue. All in the name of rock and roll. Micah is a true harbinger of tone. Next time you see him, please call him the Harbinger of Tone. Make Harbinger of Tone t-shirts...or draw HoT on your foreheads. This might seem redundant, but I want it hammered into your minds. Right now we are working on a song about how I miss listening to bands like Mineral, Christie Front Drive, and I Hate Myself while driving to see Saves The Day. Oh boy, those were the days. I don't miss working at a pizza place, but it taught me how to work hard and let me play music on the weekends... Stay safe... xxxJT

Easy Like Sunday Morning

I am chillin in Brooklyn, NY right now for a few days. Deciding to stay here after we were done writing with my wife and some friends. My friend Andy works at a bike shop in NYC on Houston called trackstarNYC, and you should go buy a brand new bike off of him...GO GREEN!!! I just woke up at the crack of 1 in the afternoon, and am drinking some coffee. Its great, and in a really weird package. Its not Folgers. But today, it is the best part of waking up. My wifey really likes to bake, so later today, we are going to go to a cupcake shop called Cheeks for some eats in Brooklyn. Should be sweet. (Pun intended) Stay cool guys. You will hear more from us soon, and we can't wait. - Matt

Gray's Papaya

If you want a hot dog in NYC, like I do...go to Gray's Papaya. There are a lot of impostors out there, but this is the original. Every time I am in NYC I get 2 hot dogs and a glass of papaya juice. Deal with it! xxxJT

Quality Over Quantity

So today we spend some part of the day in the studio before heading back to Ohio. We essentially finished up a few songs while we were in NY, so now that leaves us with polishing up what we didn't finish while there and writing a few additional songs. We're going to hit the studio and release the album as soon as possible without compromising the quality of the songs. So that brings me to my second point: no updates on number of songs for you...its quality over quantity this time around. I never understood how some bands say they have 100 songs written for their new record and then when you listen to the 11 or so they chose for the album, you scratch your head and wonder what the other 89 songs sound like because the 11 they chose, aren't that good to begin with. Eron

Maybe something to dance to...

I'm so artsy... While on our way to rehearsal this morning, I snapped a picture of Matt running through the subway sewers. The picture turned out really avant garde, which is cool to some people. It took tremendous timing to make this shot look cool because I took it with my iPhone. So I only had one quick second, and only one chance. If you spin around in a circle 5 times and then squint when you look at the picture you can tell it's Matt. Notice the mustache and Reds hat. Today is our last day in the studio, so we will try to finish up guitar and vocals on three two songs. It's been pretty inspirational to be in NYC...I've been walking around with my leather jacket while channeling The Ramones. They are so fucking good. Be on the lookout for some twists and turns in the new Hawthorne Heights record. Something to be excited about. Maybe something to dance to (while not wearing neon, just your normal attire). Get ready for anything. xxxJT

NYC

So as I mentioned a couple days ago, we're in NYC. We're having an awesome time...oh did I mention NYC has Pinkberry now? YUM...frozen yogurt! So anyways, I grew up in NJ and used to go into the city periodically for hardcore shows at CBGBs so I love it. I might live in Ohio now, but I'm an East Coaster through and through. Oh yeah, CBGBs is now a fucking fashion boutique...but that's old news I suppose, but when you finally see it in person it hits you harder than reading it online. So back on track...we spent hours in the studio today doing some pre-pre-production on these songs. They're sounding amazing. Way darker and bigger than anything we've done. Everything for this album fits together and has meaning. Fragile Future was good in that regard as well (and we love it the most out of the albums we've released in the past), but we were rushed and limited in ways I can't get into, so perhaps that album didn't turn out the way it was intended. Come to think of it, none of our albums turned out the way we truly wanted them to. I suppose my (belated) new years resolution is to make the album of our career and not release it until we're 100% happy with it for once.I'm really confident in the songs, but there are so many intangibles that always seem to get in the way.My hope is that doesn't happen this time around. Eron

Madison Square Garden

JT, Micah and I got tickets to see the Cleveland Cavs play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. I think the last time I came to Madison Sq Garden was when I was in elementary school and it was to see the Icecapades. Ridiculous!!! Anyways, its half-time now and the Cavs are up by 5. LeBron has 28 points. Kobe just scored 61 two nights ago against the Knicks, so we'll see what LeBron can do. There are ton of celebrities here, Chris Rock, Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys and Whoopi Goldberg to name a few...lucky them, they have court-side seats and we're in nosebleed. Eron I love this place! We went to see the Cavs play the Knicks. Go Lebron. Maybe he will dunk one for me. Since football is over, I have to count on Lebron to give me my sports fix. If only the Cincinnati Bengals can convince him to play wide receiver. SPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTSSPORTS xxxJT

Recording some guitar

What's up guys. Just chillin here in NYC. Watching Micah record some guitar on a new song. Cant wait for you guys to hear the new stuff. Get stoked!!! Matt

This face?

Why is Eron making this face? Is this what the subway does to him? Is this what watching too many political programs does to him? Is this what playing drums does to him? The truth is, I don't know why he is making this face. xxxJT

Sports Sports Sports!

This picture describes the way Arizona's defense played on the last seconds of the Superbowl. Like a bunch of tits. This tit has come in very handy during our stay in NYC because writing songs can be stressful. There are 4 of us to keep happy, so it takes awhile before we are all happy with each and every part of each and every song. I always seem to stress out around this time so Micah bought me stress relieving tit from Japan. Thanks for the tit Micah! Such a good friend... Football is officially over for the year, which means a lot more concentration from me when it comes to the mu(sic). "the money is gone, and it ain't comin' back. I can't find no work, I can't buy no gas. I keep wasting my time, draggin' myself down...I gotta get out of this place." xxxJT

Vocals Vocals, whose got the Vocals?

I've been using some fucking silly microphones while tracking vocals. Something to get my groove on, ya know? I was trying to harness my inner Marvin Gaye by using this microphone. (just his lovely vocals, not his crazy sexual addiction). There was a point last year when I fell back in love with the Motown sound. So during this session, we found this microphone from the 60's and tried it out. It looks really primitive, but sounds crystal clear. I love it. It's way unique, which has been a problem for most music lately... BE DIFFERENT! BE UNIQUE! BE YOURSELF! THE WEIRDER, THE BETTER! xxxJT

Changing drum heads

This is Eron trying to look busy while we are doing guitars. Changing drum heads is an entirely complicated process that makes me happy to be able to sing. I can however, play Feel Like Makin' Love by Bad Company. Beat that! xxxJT

New Label + New Album

We've signed to Wind Up Records...new record coming soooooon! We're stoked...you should be too! So perhaps (and hopefully) some of you have been clued in and following some of the small hints I've been dropping on our myspace since December about this weeks announcement. I so wanted to do something bigger and cooler to announce this along the lines of an Alternate Reality Game (aka: ARG...aka: nerd speak for an online scavenger hunt) similar to the ones that went along with the movies A.I. and Cloverfield. I enjoyed those ARGs and I wanted to share that thrill of the hunt with all of you. Alas, that wasn't in the cards, for this announcement.... So now that the bag is out of the cat, we've been writing for a new record since...well...last May. Right before Never Sleep Again, we spent some time at a cabin in the woods down in Eastern Ohio. Just us, nature and our instruments. Since the end of Never Sleep Again we've really stepped up the writing and rehearsal intensity. We have a ton of amazing new songs for you, the best we've ever written. We've been in NYC for the last couple days working with the label, preparing things and in the studio tightening up songs! Aside from the lengthy road to get to this point, getting to NYC was quiet the journey. JT went up a week ahead of Matt, Micah and I to work on vocals/lyrics to some of the songs we had been writing, so he didn't have to contend with the weather. It ended up snowing like 6 inches the night before we had to fly out, which seems to also be a fitting metaphor for our career. So we get to the airport, the snow had stopped at this point and everything was still on time. We check our bags and go through security. First delay...only 10 minutes (ok fine, we can live with that). Second delay...1 hour (still not bad given all the snow). So with a half-hour until we board I took some Dramamine (I get bad motion sickness on planes). Five minutes later...CANCELLED...SHIT! Not only do we have to fly out early the following morning, but now I've just taken something that makes me feel like a zombie for absolutely no reason. I was bummed, but it was comical. We're in the studio today tightening some songs up, making them even more killer than they already are! That's all the info you get for now. Stay tuned for more updates! --Eron

Micah got MuRF'd !!!

So we are sitting at the studio vibing out on a strange song that is way left of Hawthorneville. It's not just a straight up rocker like we have done in the past, so we are trying new tricks to keep ourselves happy. In the midst of all this "newness", Micah found a cool guitar pedal made by Mooger Fooger called The MuRF. It literally makes these guitar chords sound like he played them in a washing machine. Fucking cool, right? Maybe just for the guitar nerds...Don't worry, we haven't become hippies. Long live rock and roll. The devil came and took my soul. Neon comes and neon goes, but long live ROCK AND ROLL. Love or hate, xxxJT

Working on lyrics

I have been working on the lyrics to this song over and over, while living in NYC for a few weeks. I'm starting to get happy with them and working on sort of dark spooky melody. It just snowed a few inches and as I walk down these city streets, I can no longer see the empire state building over my left shoulder. It's pretty cool with all of this haze because it looks like f**king Gotham City. I've been trying to go to a dark place in order to scrape these lyrics out of my mind. With all this darkness, I normally always find the light. I haven't found it yet. And still I keep searching. xxx-JT

The Big Apple

While being in the big apple, my little musical helpers came to lay down some piano. If you look close you can see Niki(FM) and our daughter Avery. It's an amazing feeling to look at such a little person and see yourself in there. Every time I play something cool on guitar, little Avery starts dancing in circles so I thought it was necessary to bring her to NYC for the first time while writing. Her favorite word is apple and she loves to slam on the piano. I would prefer her to be the next Stevie Nicks, but you never know. Luckily she's too young for Hannah. It's way different playing rock and roll with a kid but life changes. - JT