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Halifax is a four-piece rock band from Thousand Oaks, California. They formed in 2003 and are currently unsigned. Their 2004 EP A Writer's Reference has sold over 60,000 copies to date,[3] after making a cameo appearance on MTV's The Real World: Austin. The band's second full-length album, The Inevitability of a Strange World, was released in May 2006 and charted on the Billboard 200, and debuted #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers In December 2006, they won MTV2's Dew Circuit Breakout competition.
Halifax | |
---|---|
Origin | Thousand Oaks, California, USA |
Genres | Pop punk, melodic hardcore, post-hardcore[1] emo pop[2] |
Years active | 2003–2010 |
Members | Chris Brandt Adam Charles Eric Ivener Tommy Guindon |
Past members | Justin Chlowitz Dan Locascio Matt Locascio Kevin Donlon Doug Peyton Mike Hunau |
History
editThe band Halifax started in Thousand Oaks, California. Dan Locascio, Matt Locascio, Justin Chlowitz and guitarist Chris Brandt would write songs at the Locascios' house. They later recruited vocalist Mike Hunau to form a full-time touring band. The Locascios' father came up with the name for the band while setting up a hockey tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in which Dan Locascio and Justin Chlowitz were to be playing later that year. In February 2002, the band signed to ECA Records.[4] After several months of occasional touring, Halifax recorded their eleven-song debut album within a week in March 2003. The self-produced and self-funded Start Back at Start was licensed and released in June 2003 by ECA Records.[5][6]
The band's lineup then changed, with guitarist Adam Charles, bassist Kevin Donlon and drummer Tommy Guindon to replace Dan Locascio, Matt Locascio, and Justin Chlowitz. The new line-up recorded Halifax's second album, the self-produced EP A Writer's Reference, released on January 25, 2004 by No Milk Records. While Halifax's debut was much more reminiscent of the band's pop punk influences—namely "Taking Back Sunday" and The Starting Line—their new material showcased a more distinctive style, mainly because of the line-up changes they had undergone. The quintet felt they had become a new band and retired the Start Back at Start catalog from their live shows. The group toyed with renaming the band, but eventually stuck with their already established moniker.[7]
After Halifax toured with various Drive-Thru Records bands, they signed to the label in July 2004.[8] Bassist Donlon left the band. While Chlowitz was initially rumored to return, the vacant position on the bass was instead filled by temporary members or Hunau. A permanent replacement was not found until Doug Peyton joined the band in late 2005. Drive-Thru re-released A Writer's Reference, which had only been sporadically available in record stores, to the general public in January 2005, with new artwork and a bonus track. In May and June 2005, they toured with From First to Last, Emanuel and He Is Legend.[9] International tours followed, such as the Drive-Thru Invasion Tours in Europe and Japan. In between, Halifax appeared on MTV's The Real World: Austin alongside hellogoodbye in a series of episodes about the South by Southwest music festival. The band was unhappy that they had been depicted in the episodes as a group of mindless drunks, but the exposure certainly helped spread the word about the band; it resulted in over one million plays on PureVolume.[5] Following this, they went on an East Coast tour with Scary Kids Scaring Kids.[10] In December 2005, the group went on a headlining tour with support from Punchline, I Am the Avalanche and The Fully Down.[11]
In February 2006, the group went on Midwest and east coast tour with Paramore, My American Heart, and So They Say.[12] In May 2006, Drive-Thru Records released Halifax's third album, which marked the first time the band worked with a record producer. The Inevitability of a Strange World was produced partially by Lou Giordano and partially by Machine, who had previously worked with such renowned bands as Armor for Sleep, The Goo Goo Dolls, Lamb of God, and Sunny Day Real Estate. Thanks to them, the album featured a much rawer sound, giving a slight nod to a variety of heavy metal acts (most notably in the song "Our Revolution", which lyrically and musically pays homage to Mötley Crüe's "Kickstart My Heart"). The Inevitability of a Strange World sold close to 7,000 copies within its first week, debuting at No. 130 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the Top Heatseekers chart.[13][14]
In March 2008, the band performed at the South by So What?! festival.[15] Mike Hunau left the band in April 2008.[citation needed]
On January 8, 2009, the band announced their next album and their departure from Drive-Thru Records.[16]
Members
editFormer members
edit- Dan Locascio – guitar
- Justin Chlowitz – bass
- Matt Locascio – drums
- Kevin Donlon – bass
- Doug Peyton – bass
- Mike Hunau – vocals
Discography
editAlbums
edit- Start Back at Start (2003)
- The Inevitability of a Strange World (2006)
EPs
edit- A Writer's Reference (2004, re-released in 2005)
- 3 Song Sampler (2006)
- The Inevitability of a Strange World B-Sides (2009)
- The Lost Tapes (2009)
- Align (2010)
Singles
editFrom A Writer's Reference EP:
- "Sydney"
From The Inevitability of a Strange World:
- "Our Revolution"
- "Nightmare"
From Align EP:
- "Breathe"
Rare tracks
edit- "Straight Up" (Paula Abdul cover) – released on Punk Goes 80's (2005)
- "Obsession" – released on the Japanese version of The Inevitability of a Strange World (2006)
- "Sydney" – released on Punk the Clock Vol. 1 (2004)
References
edit- ^ "Halifax". Sputnikmusic.com. Retrieved December 7, 2009.
- ^ "Halifax Bio Allmusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2018-02-06.
- ^ "Halifax Takes Strange World By Storm". NowOnTour. Retrieved May 21, 2006.
- ^ White, Adam (February 21, 2003). "Signings: Halifax, The Siege, Spotlight Syndicate, Bum Ruckus". Punknews.org. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b "Interview - Halifax". The Recorder. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved May 21, 2006.
- ^ "Halifax interview". Skratch Magazine. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2006.
- ^ "Interview with Halifax". Emotional Punk. Archived from the original on April 19, 2006. Retrieved May 21, 2006.
- ^ Paul, Aubin (July 27, 2004). "Halifax signs to Drive-Thru". Punknews.org. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
- ^ Paul, Aubin (April 17, 2005). "Emanuel touring with A Static Lullaby, From First to Last, Halifax and He Is Legend". Punknews.org. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
- ^ Paul, Aubin (September 30, 2005). "Scary Kids Scaring Kids cancel tour due to Hurricane Rita, new dates in the UK, US announced". Punknews.org. Retrieved November 20, 2021.
- ^ "Halifax announce headlining dates w/Punchline, more". Alternative Press. November 17, 2005. Retrieved June 24, 2016.
- ^ "Halifax, Paramore, My American Heart, SoTheySay to tour". Alternative Press. January 20, 2006. Retrieved June 27, 2016.
- ^ "Soundscan Results: Week Ending May 28th, 2006". Absolutepunk.net. Retrieved June 2, 2006.
- ^ "Halifax Chart Position". Absolutepunk.net. Retrieved June 2, 2006.
- ^ White, Adam (January 26, 2008). "Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Halifax and more at South By So What? festival". Punknews.org. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
- ^ "Halifax leave Drive-Thru". Alternative Press. Alternative Press Magazine, Inc. January 8, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2017.