The last year hasn’t been an easy one for the members of Hawthorne Heights. Coming off of a two-year legal battle with Victory Records, things were looking up for this group from Ohio but the sudden death of guitarist Casey Calvert shook band members and fans alike. Rather than find a replacement or end Hawthorne Heights permanently, JT Woodruff (vocals, guitar), Micah Carli (lead guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass) and Eron Bucciarelli (drums) found strength in those that had previously found solace in Hawthorne Heights’ music: the fans. With support pouring in from across the globe, the band rallied and turned difficult times into something positive. The release of their third full-length album Fragile Future is a step forward, both musically and emotionally and one has to hope things continue on the upswing for the band.

Some might say that tragedy brings people together and Calvert’s death is, in many ways, proof of that. It was only a matter of hours before the news had spread across the world and it wasn’t only social networking sites such as MySpace that were providing the information but also more traditional forms of media such as The New York Times. Even though fans were still reeling from the shock, many chose to reach out to the band and offer their sympathy. “News had spread across the world and within hours we were getting phone calls from everybody with support. Even from people who don’t like us, they would actually preface their statements with, ‘I don’t like this band but I’m really sorry for their loss and hope they can get through this.’ I couldn’t have gotten through it so well without that,” Carli says. Whether the outpouring of support was due to the suddenness of Calvert’s death or the loss of a talented musician or because he was so young, the members of Hawthorne Heights are extremely grateful for the encouragement. “People who didn’t even know him really felt the injustice of somebody so young dying for no reason whatsoever and it really struck a chord with a lot of people and we’re very thankful for that support,” Carli says.

Finding themselves short a guitarist, the band decided not to attempt to replace Calvert and instead tackled getting accustomed to playing as a group of four instead of five. As they headed into the studio to begin recording the tracks for what would become Fragile Future, the band was also dealing with the resolution of the counter-suit Victory Records had filed. Nonetheless, Bucciarelli feels that the band was entering the process with good preparation under their collective belts. “Well, the ink hadn’t dried yet on our settlement with Victory Records so, that was probably the biggest challenge. As far as actually making the record, we were probably the most prepared we’ve ever been with all of our songs, so we knew exactly what we wanted. It was just a matter of working out the logistics of getting into the studio and making the CD,” Bucciarelli says. However, the entire process had a new feel to it without Calvert in the picture and that required some adjustments. “I’d say the actual process of recording was just new and different for us this time, having lost a member, so we were kind of going through things for the first time in a new way which was difficult,” Carli says.

Despite the challenges Hawthorne Heights was faced with, Fragile Future came together and contains a track written in honor of Calvert, “Four Become One.” Following the August release of the album, the band began touring in support of the new songs and the album’s reception has been positive. “It’s been good so far. Every night kids are singing along just as much to the new songs as they are the old songs, which is awesome. It’s very encouraging,” Bucciarelli says. While some artists can have trouble introducing new material to audiences, the Hawthorne Heights fans were receptive of the new songs and positive about Fragile Future. “Sometimes people like to hear what they know, so they want to hear the old hits and things like that. We try to give them some of those but, obviously, we’re very proud of the new record we put out, so we’re playing a few songs off the new record on this tour, but the kids are getting into it. I think it’s being well-received,” Carli says.

With excited audiences and a new collection of songs, Carli and Bucciarelli are enthusiastic about the tour around the United States, but the poor economy has impacted the tour in a variety of ways. “The tour’s been going good so far. It’s pretty tough touring with the economy sort of in shambles like it is; not as many people are coming out but I think our fan base is getting a bit more selective,” Bucciarelli says. The band has also changed the way they approach touring and have made efforts to scale back the cost of the entire process. Carli explains, “We’ve had to make some cuts cost-wise, like we’re sharing a bus with Emery to cut down on that cost. We’re sharing crew members and just trying to be as smart as we can.”

In addition to cutting costs of the tour itself, Hawthorne Heights has been doing a number of intimate in-store performances in conjunction with Ovation Acoustic Guitars. Not only does this give the band a chance to play an acoustic set, something they don’t typically do, it allows fans who might not be able to pay for a show ticket to see the band live. “It’s good because it enables us to play in front of a whole different group of people that might not be able to some to the show because they don’t have the money. So, they can go there and see us for free. It’s good because we can still play for all of our fans on some level,” Bucciarelli says.

Concern for their fanbase has extended beyond the artistic sphere for Hawthorne Heights and the band became politically involved this year. Facing a critical presidential election, the band made the decision to participate in the Rock The Vote movement and encourage young adults to not only register to vote but also go out and do it for this election. Bucciarelli explains, “It was a totally critical election and we wanted to help that cause as best as possible. Rock The Vote is pretty much a non-partisan organization but we felt it was important that everybody gets out there and uses the most important right they have.”

The band’s strong connection with younger audience members has been in part due to Hawthorne Height’s participation with tours such as the Nintendo Fusion Tour and Warped Tour. As these events become more than “just” a concert with the addition of non-profit stands, innumerable merch tables and video games to try, those causes, styles and fads are able to reach a wider audience. The release of games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band have been met with huge success and, though wildly popular, have also received some backlash from professional musicians who feel that the games make some people think they actually could play real instruments without the years of practice and training. Bucciarelli and Carli don’t entirely disagree with that sentiment. “It’s definitely not right and I’ve heard of people who are really good on Rock Band going out and buying a guitar thinking they’re going to know how to do it and obviously it doesn’t transfer,” says Carli, although he does admit that he likes those games himself and isn’t convinced that they’re damaging in the long run. Bucciarelli also enjoys such games and feels they offer some new opportunities to music fans. “I think it’s cool because it gets people interacting with the music in a way they never used to be able to do. Before it was just playing air guitar or air drums in your bedroom and that’s about it. So, in that sense, it’s cool that people can actually interact and play their favorite songs a little more extensively than in the past,” Bucciarelli says.

Ultimately, that’s what everything comes down to for the members of Hawthorne Heights: the fans. Whether the band is encouraging fans to vote, creating new opportunities for live performances or trying to scale back tour costs, these four truly follow the “pay it forward” idea. While they may not be exactly the same group that released the hit “Ohio Is For Lovers,” Hawthorne Heights has grown and learned from difficult times and is looking forward to new things to come.  -  by Evelyn Miska

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