The Collegian
Friday, March 29, 2024

From the ashes: Hawthorne Heights

Hawthorne Heights has fallen off the radar of many of its old fans for the last few years. However, they are not gone by any means. We were given the opportunity to interview Eron Bucciarelli, drummer from Hawthorne Heights, last week before the sixth leg of their acoustic tour at Strange Matter on Grace Street.

Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Hawthorne Heights had its heyday back in 2004 with its album "The Silence in Black and White" and subsequent 2006 release "If Only You Were Lonely," both of which went gold. From these two albums they had such memorable tunes as "Ohio is for Lovers," "Nikki FM," and "Saying Sorry."

Since its early success the band has been down a tumultuous path, beginning with the death of guitarist/unclean vocalist Casey Calvert in 2007. The band still considers Calvert to be a member of the band and has dedicated a number of songs to him.

It was obvious that the band had spilled its heart and soul into the songs. When asked about the inspiration for their music, Bucciarelli said, "We have had incredible highs and the worst lows anyone can ever experience, therefore we have a lot to talk about in our music." He also explained that music was his passion and said that the only thing he would go back and change was the lawsuit they filed in their early days against their former record label, Victory Records. Bucciarelli said, "Six months after our [second] release [due to the lawsuit] all of the promotions for that records stopped and it really hampered our progress as a band."

The show began with a number of local acts and one other touring musician. Included on the ticket for opening the show were Loomis & the Lust, the touring group hailing from California, Mayfair and Dirty Banners, and Brandon Peck, both from Richmond. Although the opening acts were certainly talented, the crowd was there to see Hawthorne. Stripping its songs down was something that the band valued: "We really wanted to push ourselves to do something new," said Bucciarelli when asked about the inspiration behind the acoustic show. The band played some of their classic fan favorites and a mixture of new music over the course of the set.

With all of the adversity that Hawthorne Heights has faced during the past few years, it had a clear head about its place and path as a band. Bucciarelli -- though he was pessimistic about the music industry as a whole -- had an overall positive outlook on the band's future plans. Regardless, there is no question that the members of Hawthorne Heights will continue to be dedicated to their band, and to the art of music as a whole.

Contact reporter Eric Skurka at eric.skurka@richmond.edu and reporter Bertrand Morin at bertrand.morin@richmond.edu

Support independent student media

You can make a tax-deductible donation by clicking the button below, which takes you to our secure PayPal account. The page is set up to receive contributions in whatever amount you designate. We look forward to using the money we raise to further our mission of providing honest and accurate information to students, faculty, staff, alumni and others in the general public.

Donate Now