Framing Hanley
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Framing Hanley

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"Tats & Tune FRAMING HANLEY"

August 2008 Issue (pages 48 - 50)

PRINT EDITION:

http://www.prickmag.net/prick_aug_vol8i11.pdf

ONLINE WEB FEATURE:

http://www.prickmag.net/framinghanleyfeature.html - PRICK MAGAZINE


"A Talk With Framing Hanley"

http://blogsnroses.com/2008/05/26/blogs-n-roses-interviews-nixon-from-framing-hanley.aspx - Blogs N Roses


"Upcoming Print Magazines"

Interviews completed recently to appear in the following Print Magazines ...

AMP
LOUISVILLE MUSIC MAGAZINE
PERFORMER MAGAZINE
ROCK NATION - Various


"Celebrity Cafe CD Review"

The singer’s voice is quite soothing on the slower tracks as are the guitars. Some of the lyrics in the song, “Alone in this Bed (Capeside),” are very pretty and touching; if you heard this at a concert, you’d break out your cell phones and wave them in the air.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 - CELEBRITY CAFE


"Tune Lab Music CD Review"

'The Moment' is a solid rock album that doesn't try to push the extremes of any one genre, making it appealing for fans all across the board.

Opener "Built for Sin" is one of the album's strongest tracks dynamically, as it displays an impressive attention to detail in regards to guitar and vocal tones.

Frontman Nixon is one of the strongest "pure" singers in recent memory, and he does manage to draw some intensity out of his vocal chords during the unexpected breakdown in the atmospheric "Hear Me Now", as well as in the punk-tinged "Wave Goodbye", which sees Nixon's voice impressively distorted to add a nice backbone to the song.

Framing Hanley flash some of their catchy side in the hook-laden "Slow Dance" and in the soaring overtones of "All In Your Hands". The more I listen to 'The Moment', the more I hear Framing Hanley's similarities to 30 Seconds to Mars, which is most evident in the upbeat "It's Not What They Said".

The band showcases the unique use of a synthesizer in the retro feel of "23 Days" and Chris shakes the album up a bit with his double bass work in "Count Me In".

The true zenith of the album arrives at track 8 entitled "Alone In Your Bed", a truly masterful and touching acoustic ballad highly akin to Faktion's acoustic smash "Distance" which is the lyrical and musical envy of 'The Moment'. - Tune Lab Music


"Framing Hanley is Caught Up In 'The Moment'"

Named after a dear friend that died in a car accident, this band of five from Nashville, TN, all under the age of 23, has impressed the likes of Creed bassist and Dark New Day frontman, Brett Hestla.

Just like many musical groups that got started, the roots of Framing Hanley, originally known as Embers Fade, began as a high school garage band. Drummer Chris Vest and bassist Luke McDuffee met vocalist Kenneth Nixon at college, and soon after, recruited guitarists, Brandon Wootten and Tim Huskinson.

To listen to their latest contrivance, is nothing less than a venturing into the vast fruitful vineyards of a symphonic bevy, whose arrival was surreptitiously longed for. Framing Hanley's sound is versatile and innovative, both vocally and instrumentally. The cooperation of Kenneth Nixon's lead vocals and the background vocals offered from the other band members blends effortlessly into the melodies of the songs.

"Here Me Now" is just one example how Nixon and McDuffee mix screamo and regular singing to create a sound, so unique, yet not too overpowering as to detract from the mood, or the poetry of the music. Much of what is heard on The Moment collectively plays upon someone's innermost private thoughts, perception of loneliness, and darkest fears.

The haunting and devastating picture that the lyrics to "Alone In This Bed Capeside" paints sounds like they could have been born from the sense of loss that one experiences when they are forced to deal with the pain of losing someone that they so deeply loved. It's suspect that this song was inspired by the loss of the very person whom after they named their band.

If groups like, Breaking Benjamin, Three Doors Down, and October Fall, and less known artists such as, Four Letter Lie are the kind of music that stirs the inner workings of your heart, then the clangorous echoes of Chris Vest's crashing cymbals, and Luke McDuffee, Brandon Wootten, and Tim Huskinson's fulmination of bass and guitars creating a harmonious convocation should be added to your collection...immediately. - Aced Magazine


"Take A Look At "The Moment""

Framing Hanley is a quintet that surrounds its collective life with pointed melodies and harmonies, sounding like a major league arena act that just has to have the right opportunity to achieve mainstream success. Closing your eyes, you can easily imagine an arena rocking out to these melodies.

A probable set opener is "Home." The influences of artists like Breaking Benjamin and 3 Days Grace are evident immediately on this track. Guitarists Brandon and Tim work effortlessly with drummer Chris and bassist/vocalist Luke to build a foundation that compliments vocalist Nixon. It's a combination that works successfully on each of these 11 tracks, of which there is no filler.

"Built For Sin" follows "Home" and starts slow before accelerating to a good mid-tempo rocker. Nixon is moody without being overbearing as he sings "There's a train leaving town / if you hurry up / I think you just might make it / Dammit, I hope you make it." "Hear Me Now" is the closest the band comes to having a mainstream radio rock-ready hit. The song employs standard devices, such as sporadic guitars and screaming a la Linkin Park, to add color to the song, while Nixon sings "My body is on the floor / and I'm calling out to you / Can you hear me now?"

It isn't every day that a band like this sings a song about dancing, but that's the topic in "Slow Dance." Nixon takes us into his mind as he sings "She pardons me for stepping on her toes / I've heard she's a pageant queen / so what's she doing dancing with me?" The band follows that with "All In Your Hands" and "It's Not What They Said," both stellar examples of talent.

The peak of this release is "Alone In This Bed (Capeside)." Singing about the loss of a loved one, Nixon sings, "Tonight I'm reaching out to the stars / I think that He owes me a favor / it doesn't matter where you are / I'll hold you again." The loss is carried from Nixon's heart through his vocals and *sniff* it's an emotional song. Balancing out the emotional tearjerker, the band ends this release with two upbeat rockers.

Framing Hanley has the potential to join the rankds of Breaking Benjamin, 3 Days Grace and others that are enjoying commercial success on rock radio. This album contains material that is well written, devoid of filler and full of hooks -- a rarity in rock these days -- that make these guys worth keeping an eye on.

Rating: A - Absolute Punk


"Very Much in the Moment: A Conversation with Framing Hanley"

Is Framing Hanley the best rock band today you have never heard of? I doubt that very much because you have heard them, but you may not know it. Their lead single Hear Me Now off their fantastic debut The Moment is prominently at radio, and there is a good chance that you have heard it.

The Moment is a great rock record, and is one of the better ones that was released this year. Frontman Nixon has the ability to draw you in with his passionate and sincere vocals, and the rest of the band creates such rich musical hooks that you wont want top leave and end up like me listening to the record multiple times each day.

I recently got the chance to sit down with Nixon and ask him about everything from the bands seemingly overnight popularity and his record The Moment to misinterpreting song lyrics.

AtHome: Tell me about the name of the band.
Nixon: Our drummers’ fiancée, Ashley Hanley, was in a car accident in 2006 and she passed away. She was someone that was really close to the band obviously. She used to take pictures of the band, and that’s where the Framing came from. It was a ‘in memory of’ type of thing. Right after she passed, all of these things starting happening with the band. It was kind of weird how everything started happening all at once. Being a local band, to going down and working with an awesome producer in Brett Hestla, and shortly after that we got the record deal. So we decided that the name would be fitting.

AH: The Moment is a very personal record. What inspired you to write it that way?
Nixon: It could be called a curse, because growing up I’ve always written down my feelings about anything. That’s just the way I work stuff out is write. Even before this band, it has just always been that way for me for some reason. Every song on the record is either something I have watched someone go through or I have been through personally. I just write about it and that’s the way it comes out. It turned out to work in my favor and like I said it could be really bad sometimes. Places now, like public places now, like MySpace or something like that, if I write anything in it, like a blog, I have keep it private because I don’t want people to think I’m some kind of little emo kid.

AH: 23 Days is one of my favorite songs off this record. Is there a story behind it?
Nixon: Yeah, there’s a story behind that. That song is actually, to be blunt, a song about sex. It about being in a relationship and wanting to be in that relationship, because of that sole reason. It sounds like the biggest toolbag song because you just asked about that song – all of the other songs have much deeper meaning. You can’t obvious set out to write a song that’s like ‘I miss having sex with you,’ you have to be in something poetic I guess, especially with such a brash topic. It’s a relationship song, but in the end, that’s what it’s about.

AH: I thought that song was a breakup song, like when you say the line, 'in your eyes I thought I saw tomorrow,' that’s what made me think that’s what the song was about.
Nixon: (laughs) Now your opinion of that song is going to be totally different every time you hear it. In music, a lot of times there’s a song about a girl and that song obviously is about being heartbroken and in the end its like the one thing you miss is the sex in that relationship. It sounds like a big toolbag comment, but it’s not a normal breakup song.

AH: Can I ask if the lyrics are about something that happened to you?
Nixon: Uh, no comment.

AH: Did you set out to write relatable songs? Or do they just come off that way?
Nixon: The most beautiful thing about music honestly is a song can be interpreted so many different ways by different people, obviously. I write in a sense to where I can get my feelings out, but I don’t have to be so point blank about it. Like with 23 Days, I don’t want to sit down and write I love you, I miss you; I really miss sex with you. I want something that someone else can listen to and interpret it the way they want. That’s the best thing about songwriting is people being able to interpret it the way they want to interpret it.

Every time I sit down to write a song, our goal is for people to be able to listen to it and take away from the song what they want to take away from it. There an old poem from one of the Cavalier poets, I forget which one, but the name of the poem was the Poets Purpose. It talks about how to put yourself and the reader in poetry, in the reader’s situation, so they’re there. When I write I write about what’s going on in my life but I write in the sense of being vague to where whoever listens to it can interpret it and have it relate to their life the way they want it.

AH: It’s funny that you mentioned that that is what 23 Days would be about. To me a song about sex would be Built for Sin.
Nixon: I guess I can tell you, I mean I say it every night on stage – that song is about an ex-girlfriend who had an addiction to some illegal substances and I just watched it ruin our whole relationship. There are a lot of lines in there that are directly related to what we were go through at the time and Built for Sin is referring to that fact that you’re not living your life the way you’re supposed to be living it. That songs not just about sex, that’s 23 Days buddy. I guess you’re going to have to have a new favorite song now.

AH: Tell me about the recording process of The Moment.
Nixon: We originally went down and did two songs with Brett Hestla, Hear We Now and the track Wave Goodbye. We ended up getting the labels interest with Hear Me Now originally and pretty much got a record deal before we had more than two songs as a band. We were put in the situation where we had a single (Hear Me Now) on the radio and didn’t have a record yet, which is assbackwards from how music works nowadays. We went through a lineup change at the beginning of the year and found Tim, one of our guitarists and wrote the record in 4-6 weeks. Actually a number of the songs we wrote in the studio while we were down in Florida. It was all weird and surreal, everything has been. We were put in the situation where they needed songs immediately and one thing I’m happy about is every song of that record is something that’s personal to us as a band and means something to us as a band. I don’t feel like we rushed anything at all and that was something we were honestly scared about at first. When you’re in that situation and you get a record deal with a single out on the radio, obviously you need a record to come out then. I didn’t want to feel like we were under the gun to put something out. Once we got Tim in the band everything started flowing so easily and we just started writing.

AH: So you’re saying that from, the time Hear Me Now hit the radio you had the record done in two months?
Nixon: Yeah, the night we tried Tim out for his audition, we wrote the first track on the CD, Home. That right there was a sign that maybe this Tim guy was going to work out. We got to the point that we were writing, writing, writing and a lot of people now are like ‘now that our tour is over we are going to start writing,’ well, we never got the writing out of our system. We just started putting out songs, we had a record, and now it’s like the whole time we were on tour we were everyday stage with acoustic guitars writing more music and that is definitely something I’m really excited about.

AH: Before you went into the studio, did you have these songs written? Or was it something you did in the process?
Nixon: Wave Goodbye and Hear Me Now were written before we recorded them. For the most part, the way we did the rest of it is we would all just, the five of us, sit down and get the songs written music wise. When you go and work with a producer things are going to change, that’s the whole job of a producer. That’s the whole job of a producer, and we were fortunate to work with an amazing producer, Brett Hestla, frontman for Dark New Day, and me being a frontman, it was just really weird and really awesome that we got to work with another frontman. He really pushed us, we knew where we wanted to go and he helped take us there. We just focused on the music at first and when they recorded the songs, the drums and the guitars, when you hear everything pieced together, that’s when the stuff I had ideas for just started to spill out. I would just sit there on my laptop in the studio and write about what I was feeling and what I was thinking.

AH: Did the way that Hear Me Now took off at radio surprise you?
Nixon: Yeah, like I said we didn’t have more than two songs written. When it hit at radio we were shocked and I would lie to say that we weren’t scared. I know for a fact that all five of us were scared. We knew we had to put out a record and we had to start writing. We didn’t want to feel rushed about anything, but it was so weird – the first time I heard the song on the radio we were in Orlando recording the record, so many miles away from home and every time the song comes on the radio its still a strange feeling. We usually just end up turning it off.

We’re not band that takes anything for granted at all. Were fortunate to be where were at and we know that there are thousands of musicians out there that are way more talented than us that probably won’t ever get a chance. We definitely know that being five white boys from Tennessee how lucky we are to be in the position were in. We tell people that every night. We met a guy in Abilene, TX that told us he was watching his heroes on stage. Its amazing but at the same time the fans are our heroes but this whole opportunity is because of radio, because of fans, they are what are keeping the business alive now. It’s always cool to meet people and let them know that we are five down to earth guys that want to hang out and party, and play music.

AH: In the Hear Me Now video, it’s a little weird not to see any performance scenes. How did you come to making that decision?
Nixon: The director and I were talking about concepts for the video and we didn’t want to do something – one thing I hate about a lot of music videos is that I’m not a big fan of putting the performance videos in there just to put them in there, I love performance videos but it would totally take away from the story of the video if we were in a psych ward playing our instruments. Its kind of takes away from the story in which you’re trying to get across if I’m in my pajamas singing and in the next scene I’m playing chess with an invisible person. We’ll definitely, depending on what the next single is there will probably be a performance based video. None of us are big fans of throwing performances in there just to do it.

AH: You don’t have any idea what the next single is going to be?
Nixon: It’s up in the air between Built for Sin or Alone in This Bed (Capeside). I would love for Built for Sin, a rock song, to be our next single but I would not mind Alone in This Bed because of how personal it is to us as a band.

AH: Do you have a favorite song off The Moment?
Nixon: Alone in This Bed.

AH: Do you have a favorite song to play live?
Nixon: We don’t play it live that much, but Alone in This Bed is probably it. Either that, All In Your Hands or Count Me In, I love playing those live. Those are our two like ‘in your face’ songs live every night.

AH: What are you listening to in your downtime?
Nixon: Its different all the time, I’m a huge singer/songwriter fan, so I love Damien Rice and stuff like that. Lately, Thrice’s new record is the majority of what I have been listening to, and Anberlin and it goes from stuff like that all the way across the board to Breaking Benjamin, Evans Blue. I’m a huge Evans Blue, unfortunately. Fair to Midland is another band that I’ve gotten into. It’s different with everybody in the band. A lot of the guys listen to metal. I’m not a huge metalhead, I’m more of a chill music type guy, but lately it has been Thrice. There is a band called Evaline, we’re huge 30 Seconds to Mars fans, Saosin, Deftones, it is all across the board.

AH: Do you have a favorite record of all time?
Nixon: Probably both Use Your Illusion records by Guns N’ Roses. They are the whole reason I am in a band.

All things Framing Hanley can be found at www.myspace.com/framinghanley. - At Home Publications


"The Moment Is Now"

http://www.allaccessmagazine.com/vol6/issue12/framing_hanley.html

The Moment Is Now
By The Atomic Chaser and The Rocker



As the "home of country music", Nashville has become a major music recording and production center. Some call it, "Music City, USA", a term first used by announcer David Cobb during a 1950 broadcast. It sounded good, so the name stuck. While Country music may be the predominant musical genre in Nashville, lately the rock music genre has been making its presence known. Bands like, 10 years, Paramore and Lynam are coming onto the music scene letting the world know they are here and they best take notice. Another band that is making quite a serious buzz is, Framing Hanley.

Framing Hanley is a five piece rock band from Nashville, Tennessee. Nixon, Chris, Brandon, Tim, and Luke came together to form a band that was eventually named Framing Hanley. With their amazing musical abilities and live show, Framing Hanley quickly gained a large following in Nashville. In November of 2006 the band was fortunate to hook up with producer Brett Hestla (Dark New Day), who helped harness their energy into two songs. These two songs were enough to capture the attention of Jeff Hanson (Creed, Sevendust, Paramore) and his record label, Silent Majority Group.

The Rocker and I spoke with Framing Hanley's frontman Nixon. A talented musician, who has a very intense voice, reminiscent of Chester from Linkin Park. We wanted to find out what's it been like a year after the release of his band's smashing debut release, 'In The Moment'. Here is what Nixon kindly shared with us.

AAM: First off, thanks so much for talkin with us. So, it’s been a year after the release of, 'In The Moment', are you satisfied with the response you are getting? Has anything change since the release?

Kenneth Nixon: Most definitely, we've received nothing but positive response since our album has been released. I do hope that more people get to hear the album, that haven't heard it yet. Every place we've played, we have people bringing friends that haven't heard us before and by the end of the show they love us.

AAM: Did you have any idea how huge "Hear Me Now" would be?

KN: It’s always a weird, yet an AMAZING feeling, having people come up to you every night at shows saying "Aww man, I LOVE your single 'Hear Me Now.'" I remember when we wrote that song, that was definitely the defining moment in our career. It was the first song we wrote for "The Moment" and I feel as songwriters, that is when we really found what we could do as a band.

AAM: So, most of 2007 was spent on the road?

KN: Yeah, this last year we've been touring. Since the release of our album thats pretty much what we've been doing. This last year we went from a band doing nothing, to now just touring and we love it. Touring with bands like Trapt and Evans Blue, so yeah, it’s been a crazy year.

AAM: What separates you Framing Hanley from the other new bands that are coming out right now?

KN: I think that has to do with us being a down to earth band. After the show we chill at the merch booth hanging out with the people. We want people to know that we are just like them. Like I tell everyone, we are just five guys that love playing music that got lucky.

AAM: Has there been anything changes, bandwise, since the release?

KN: Everything has been pretty much been the same with us, as far as line up goes.

AAM: Do people get the misconception that being you are from Nashville, you should be playing Country Music?

KN: When people find out we're from Nashville, they always ask, 'Why aren't you guys a Country Western band?' If they stop and check out the bands that have broken out into the rock music scene in the last year, bands like RED, who have been doing pretty good, then you have the band 10 years, who are out of Knoxville. Paramore are from Nashville. The rock scene here, in my opinion, is the biggest rock scene in America.

AAM: So it doesn't bother you guys?

KN: No, not at all. We let our music do the talking. Maybe it’s because we throw people the Cowboy hats and ass-less chaps that we wear on stage, just kidding (laughs). We don't worry about what people think. Once they see us, like I said, we let our music do the talking.

AAM: Are you getting support from the media outlets like Radio or MTV?

KN: We definitely owe Rock Radio a lot. We would not be having the success that we are having without them. The music industry is a scary world now. It's hard for bands today to leave a lasting impression on radio or MTV. We want to leave a lasting impression and the media outlets have really been supportive in playing our music.

AAM: Have you written new songs for your next album? Can you give us any insight on what your fans can expect?

KN: The new material will find us branching out trying new things. It will still have that Framing Hanley sound to it. We're adding a lot of piano textures on top of the music. We're hoping to bring our musical influences that is not in the mainstream and create a whole new sound that no one has heard before. The success of our debut release is going to allow us to do that. Hoping the success of the debut is still going strong (knock on wood).

AAM: As a band, what goals have you set for yourselves?

KN: We want to grow as musicians and never become stagnant.

AAM: What was it like to work with producer Brett Hestla from Dark New Day?

KN: For me as a vocalist, working with a producer who was a vocalist in a band as successful as Dark New Day was intimidating. He helped us mature in so many ways though. We owe a lot to Hestla. He's like our dad... Just not that old.

AAM: Will Bret Hestla be working with you again? What has working with someone like Bret Hestla taught you as far as working in the studio?

KN: I don't know right now, we'd love to work with Brett (Hesla) again, but he has a lot going on right now. Brett is like our Dad, we owe everything to him really. Working with a lead singer is one of the most intimidating things I've ever done and working with Brett taught me so much. He helped us find out sound. Just listen to us now compared to how we sounded a year ago, there is a major difference. Brett is a musical genius.

AAM: You guys recently played the Key Club here in L.A. with Tantric, how did that show go? You guys got a pretty good turnout at the show. Any plans on coming back to L.A.?

KN: It was different; it was our first show in L.A. I will say we are definitely looking forward to going back to L.A to play some shows again. Playing with Tantric was awesome. They took us under their wing. They showed us some good things and showed us some bad things as well (laughs). They took us to a lot of parties. They tried to show us how to drink. I had to tell them that we're from Nashville, where people make Moonshine, so we know how to drink (laughs).

AAM: How is touring going for you guys? Any chance of doing any shows overseas?

KN: Touring is a blast and we're loving it. As far as doing shows overseas, we'd love to tour overseas. Right now with the way the economy is here it's something that is in the planning stage right now.

KN: The internet for us is good and bad. I mean people see us after the show and they want to talk with us. Something that is easier said than done. Having to breakdown equipment and stuff, but we make it a point to talk to our fans after the show.

AAM: What is on tap for you guys in 2008? Are you going to be hooking up with any of the summer tours like Warp this year?

KN: We're excited about the new album, but we are not going to be rushing it. We've got to get some things sorted before we do that. We've been playing some new songs on tour and getting great response. As far as touring this summer, there are a number of tours that we are looking at right now. We are looking forward to playing anywhere they want us to play.

AAM: Nixon, thank you so much for talking with us. The Rocker and I wish you and the rest of Framing Hanely nothing but the best of luck. You guys have a very promising future ahead of you.

KN: Thank you guys for your support we appreciate you guys getting the word out.

The Rocker and I along with All Access Magazine would like to thank Nixon for talking with us. Framing Hanley has a very promising future and if like good music, you owe it to yourself to check this band out.

FOR MORE INFO ON FRAMING HANLEY:

Visit Framing Hanley's Official Website: www.framinghanley.com

Visit Framing Hanley on MySpace: www.myspace.com/framinghanley
- All Access Magazine


"Framing Hanley's Second Coming"

http://louisvillemusicnews.net/wpmu/scuttlebutt/category/previews/


Framing Hanley’s Second Coming
Friday, August 1st, 2008

Photo by Jason Ashcraft

Nashville’s Framing Hanley recently made a tour stop in Louisville on July 3rd at Club Oasis. Playing to a somewhat small audience, Framing Hanley introduced a new member to their band, Ryan Belcher (guitar). Belcher originally from Nashville, now calls Louisville his home when he is not on the road. Belcher replaces original member Tim Huskinson (guitar) who recently left the band on good terms due to family obligations. The rest of the band consists of founding members, Nixon (vocals), Brandon Wooten (guitars), Luke McDuffee (bass), and Chris Vest (drums).

Framing Hanley are latecomers from that other mini-musical revolution that transpired right after true grunge began to fade – that being the birth of the screamo/emo genre of rock.

Framing Hanley’s sound, at times, is similar to bands like Thursday, Incubus, Story Of The Year, or 30 Seconds To Mars. If any of these artists hold any significance in your own musical dialect, then your estimation on Framing Hanley will probably follow suit.

When they claimed Club Oasis’s stage, it was as if it were their own garage, and what followed was an intense live set that seemed to pay no attention to the small crowd. Framing Hanley still, nonetheless, demonstrated an eagerness to get on stage and play leading up to going on. That was exemplified with all of them kind of pushing their way around on stage as soon as they opened their set. They remained at all times seemingly inspired to play their music. The majority of the crowd too seemed a bit inspired, something that was noted by many prying eyes on Nixon’s every move for the entire set.

Framing Hanley brings a real sense of passion to their music, which is a partially attributable characteristic to the essence of the emo genre, but still is something that was undeniably perceptible in Framing Hanley’s performance. They seem to understand that you really have to treat a live performance in the same manner as you do recording processes.

Speaking of recording, Framing Hanley is continuing to build on the success of there first major album, The Moment released by the Silent Majority Group (Tantric, Candlebox) in late 2007.

Framing Hanley’s first musical trait demonstrated on The Moment is that they write about the events that have shaped their lives, and not necessarily to live up to any commercial obligations. As Nixon describes what inspires them to write he stated, “Every song on that record (The Moment) is about something that one of us, or all of us had been going through. Every song has a story behind it.”

The albums first single, “Hear Me Now,” embodies Framing Hanley’s customary inauspicious song themes. It’s laden with shrieking backing vocals against Nixon’s predominantly melodic chorus, both of which are arranged over metalish guitars. “Hear Me Now” has enjoyed quite a few notable successes in its day, the most impressive being Sirius 20 Octane’s most requested song for 2007.

One other song off their album, “Built For Sin,” although not yet as popular as “Hear Me Now,” may be the better song of the two. This song could possibly lead Framing Hanley’s final effort for a push on The Moment before they head back to the studio to start recording their sophomore album. Framing Hanley has already stated they have enough new material to write another record but that’s still pending a final push on The Moment.


Photo by Tiffany Presley

Make sure you check out Framing Hanley’s website at www.FramingHanley.com where you can find out when they will be heading back to Louisville, something they plan to do in the not so distant future.
- Louisville Music News


Discography

Single - "Hear Me Now"
Single - "Lollipop"
Debut record - "The Moment" (re-release contains Lollipop bonus track and video)

Photos

Bio

Straight out of Nashville’s bourgeoning rock scene (Paramore, Red, Kings of Leon) comes FRAMING HANLEY.

FRAMING HANLEY started their journey as EMBERS FADE out of White House, TN where high school friends, drummer Chris Vest & bassist Luke McDuffee met future vocalist Kenneth Nixon at Volunteer State Community College. The trio came together to jam, then recruited guitarist (and part time barista) Brandon Wootten to join the band. “We started practicing in Chris' parents’ garage, and then worked our way down to their basement,” Brandon jokingly recalls. Despite their humble beginnings, the combination of Nixon's smooth vocals and commanding stage presence, Luke and Brandon's searing riffs and Chris' driving rhythms quickly moved the band to the very top of their local rock scene.

Chris then ventured out and contacted former Creed bassist & Dark New Day front man, Brett Hestla. On the strength of their 5 song EP “With October Came the Fall”, Brett agreed to record two tracks with the band in November 2006. “I had the chorus to ‘Hear Me Now’ in my head when we arrived in Orlando to record” remembers Nixon, fondly. “But working with Brett is what helped us realize our potential as song writers.”

In January 2007, Jeff Hanson (manager Creed / Paramore / Sevendust) and his business partner, Rick Schmidt (former radio programmer of DC101 / 98ROCK Tampa) heard the first demo of ‘Hear Me Now’ and immediately signed the band to their new indie label Silent Majority Group. “Radio was my background for 20 years and I knew that Hear Me Now was a very special song; and Jeff has helped develop a number of very successful artists and there was no question in his mind that the band was capable of great things” says Schmidt.

With the new year also came a new name, and FRAMING HANLEY was born. The “Hanley” in the band’s name is a tribute to a friend, Ashley Hanley, who died tragically in a car accident in October 2006. “Ashley was our biggest fan. She was a tireless promoter of our music and she was an anchor for us emotionally. She was a best friend to the band,” said Nixon.

The start of 2007 brought a new record deal and Framing Hanley wrote and recorded their debut release “The Moment” in just 6 weeks. In March of 2007 “Hear Me Now” was already on numerous radio stations and Silent Majority Group subsequently released an independent version of “The Moment” in May. By June, on the strength of the song and the new album, Silent Majority Group entered into a distribution agreement with Warner’s Independent Label Group. “The Moment” was released nationally on August 7 and immediately the band joined a tour with Evans Blue and Fair to Midland, followed by multiple radio shows and fall tour with Trapt, Saving Abel, and Fuel.

Framing Hanley wrapped 2007 with the most played song of the year (Hear Me Now) on Sirius Octane and garnered airplay on over 50 radio stations across the nation, breaking into the top 40 on the active rock charts.

The successful ride continues in 2008 with the 2nd single “Built for Sin” off “The Moment” released and a lengthy tour with Tantric. National publications started to take notice. Guitarist Ryan Belcher joined Framing Hanley replacing Tim Huskinson. “Ryan came in and had big shoes to fill. After only a couple of hours of jamming with him for the first time though, we knew we found what we needed and were looking for,” Nixon says. The band began writing new material and recorded a cover of Lil Wayne’s smash “Lollipop”.

Less than 24 hours after the final mix of “Lollipop” was complete, it began airing on the Westwood One syndicated show Skratch N Sniff in major US markets. As Nixon puts it, “If you would've told me the day I suggested covering 'Lollipop' that we would end up shooting a video for it...or even pushing it at radio as a single, I would've laughed and told you you're crazy. It was already an incredible song, and we put our spin on it and created something that seemingly caught on and people seemed to enjoy. I just hope we make Lil Wayne proud.”

Lollipop was released to radio in October and added to the November 18th re-release of The Moment which includes the Lollipop bonus track and video. Over 130 radio stations have added into rotation in Alternative, Active, Mainstream and Top 40. The song and CD has charted on Billboard and ranked highly in ITunes.

Lollipop went Digital Gold in June 2009 (over 500,000 copies sold).

The band has been touring non stop since November with headline shows and also supporting Theory of a Deadman, Hinder, Hollywood Undead, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and several major radio shows including ROCK ON THE RANGE 2009.

The band is now endorsed by:

DEAN MARKLEY
FENDER
GIBSON
MEINL
PEARL
PEAVEY
VATER

www.myspace.com/framinghanley
www.silentmajoritygroup.com