Hating Nate

The band will play on the Local Stage at the June 29 Warped Tour stop at the NMSU Intramural Fields in Las Cruces. - Las Cruces Sun News

From the first moments of HN-88’s set, it was clear the quartet likes mid-’90s pop punk. Like, a lot. I don’t say this as bad thing, though, because when you really think about it, a young local punk band that actually writes and performs their own songs is downright refreshing. Yes, it is totally depressing that, in Santa Fe, a youth-oriented rock band breaches novelty territory simply by existing, but I was instantly reminded of a 15-year-old idiot version of myself hanging around Warehouse 21 and getting my friends together to play NOFX/Jawbreaker rip-offs…in other words, the band is tight. Besides, there’s a pretty major difference between inspiration and emulation.

And though HN-88 wears their influence on their collective sleeve, they’re at least trying to eek out a name for themselves in a city that has all but placed “no punk!” signs in most of its venues. HN-88 is far from perfect, but there’s a whole hell of a lot of potential. I might advise the dudes to hire a full-time keyboardist or simply ditch that element entirely. It seems kind of goofy in a contrived emo kind of way, particularly during the song that goes “Why can’t I remember this last December!?”—a line I’m sure can be found in some kind of emo/pop punk songwriting cheatbook. But I otherwise find myself looking forward to what HN-88 will eventually become—just about the only legitimate punk band operating on a regular basis around here (please note I said “regular basis,” These Charming Cobras and Beautiful Stupid Radio. Also note that I love both of you). I get the feeling HN-88 will become indispensable once they mature a bit and drop the blink-182-esque mid-show banter - santa fe reporter

Charine Gonzales For many bands, the love of music is what holds them together. For local Santa Fe band HN-88, what unites them is the hyphen between the "N" and the "88."
They are a group of local teens from Capital High School with big dreams and two albums under their belt.
HN-88's name was inspired by lyrics on Blink 182's live album,The Mark, Tom and Travis Show. Although Blink 182 is an important influence on the band, the members chose to make the name their own. HN-88 is an affectionate reminder of Nate King, their vocalist and bassist, whom they've been "hating" since 1988.
Hating Nate since 1988 — from which the band gets its HN-88 acronym — has practice space in Santa Fe in a RV park owned by family of the band's drummer, Tim Brown. HN-88 rehearses in a 65-year-old fixed-up room decorated with posters.
King and Brown laughed as they reminisced about starting out as a band called Jerk, and eventually meeting members from another local band, Some Kind of Dumb. That's how they gained guitarist and vocalist Kyle Tapia, and keyboardist, guitarist and vocalist Bobby Strait. The members have been friends since attending Capital High School.
"Me and Kyle were inseparable. We hung out every day [at school]," King said.
In addition to attending the same high school, they were all in the school's theater program, then known as the Capital Academy of Performing Arts.
Since then, the band has continued to work hard on its music and has gained an impressive fan base. Three years after their formation in 2006, they were offered a chance to have one song recorded, receiving $600 from Medical Records for it. Although the band members were unsure what would come of the trip to the recording studio in Dallas, they look back on the recording as a success.
"From that day forward, we [did] not play the same, we [did] not write the same. We risked our everything. But overall, we came together and came up with something better," King said.
The first song compiled by the four, titled "The Case of the Robbery, and the Innocence of the Robber," was later featured on the album ...This is Not the End.
Soon after, HN-88 set April 2010 recording dates for ...This is Not the End. They wrote and composed songs for the album in less than one year.
The band was comfortable with its new sound and direction, so it fixed up the band space on the family-owned RV Park and focused on performances, the members said.
The band was offered a contract with Medical Records this month and is currently working on its new album. This time around, the modern-rock band is again planning to write an album in less than one year. The project will include 10 new tracks, highlighting sounds ranging from punk to pop.
Since 2006, the band has produced two albums. The first album, 2008's Revolution In Progress, includes a three-person version of HN-88. The band's second album, ...This is Not the End, released in 2010, features the band's new member, Bobby Strait, who completes the four-member lineup.
The band has played 38 shows at various venues since its formation. The group agrees that the energy it receives from performances is its favorite part about playing live.
"I love that at the end of the show, we are as exhausted as our audience," Brown said.
Though HN-88 members are moving forward with their music, they haven't forgotten the past. They are a group of young artists looking to expand into the music world at full throttle. The band mates lead and follow one another and have built a trusting relationship.
"As far as leaders go, I'd say it's a democracy," Tapia said.
"We have front men, but no leaders," King interjected in the stuffy rehearsing room.
HN-88 also shared some advice for other bands. "If this is what you want to do, take absolute control and treat it as though it comes first; eventually, you will accomplish something great," King said.
When talking about the future of HN-88, Strait said the members have "huge ambitions" for the band.
King has a clear picture of what those might look like: "Years from now, we see ourselves being supported through our music, writing songs, touring, not taking showers for days, meeting tons of new people and going new places — doing what we love," King said.
And it might happen soon.
HN-88 is preparing for an upcoming two-week trip to Atlanta to record with Medical Records, with its latest album set to release in early 2012 via Amazon and iTunes. After that, they plan a two-week tour along the East Coast. - Santa fe New Mexican

I have a secret love for Pop- Punk. Laugh all you want, but I am still a badass Metalhead, despite my adoration for cutesy music. Besides, HN-88 are actually pretty freaking boss. Never mind that their name is random numbers and letters in the vein of Blink 182 or Sum 41. These guys write songs with the same subject matter as Metal… the Apocalypse, drug use, murder, sex, and (if you count Metalcore as “Metal”), a combination of the latter two. Despite the intense themes, they sound catchy and upbeat. This is the kind of music that reduces a rocker girl such as myself into little more than just another coquettish, high-pitched groupie. It’s not my fault they’re dreamy. Stop yelling at me.…Wait, ok, maybe they’re not that dreamy. Was I really sloshed at the last show or was the stage lighting deceptively flattering? I guess we’ll never know. But despite their delightfully hilarious physical appearance, they sound really good. Besides, now with this picture in my grasp, I have some leverage for future blackmail purposes. And another item in my “Stuff To Look At High” folder. In all seriousness, these guys are great if you have nostalgia for the 90’s and old-school MTV. Back in my day, this is the kind of stuff that rocker dudes would play to impress their girlfriends. And as a chick, I have to admit, this makes us go wild. Metal will always be my favorite genre… Nay, my favorite THING EVER…. But the hottest guys in it are the fictional band Dethklok. Even other Metalheads admit, we’re kind of nasty. But HN-88 is totally adorable, despite all the evidence to the contrary, I.E that cheesy photo that I insisted on posting here because it’s funny. See? They’re cute, they’re talented, AND they make girls laugh. These stupid assholes are basically my kryptonite. I honestly think they deserve five stars, but I resent them for interfering with my Metalhead image, so I’ll only give them four.…Ah, fuck it. Here’s the other one. Those guys earned it. Those bastards… -

By Yujie Ding Modern music is notoriously known among the past generation as "awful ear-splitting racket." And punk rock is a large offender to the past generations. However, as a member of the "awful ear-splitting racket" generation, I have devoted countless hours listening to HN-88, a punk rock quartet from Santa Fe.
I got the opportunity to have the band come onto my radio show, The Delirious Duo, which airs Wednesday nights on KSFR.
Nate King, Kyle Tapia, Bobby Strait and Tim Brown decided to start a band when they were in high school. The group lists Blink-182 and Sum 41 among its influences.
While interviewing them, I realized that they are not only a fun group of friends, but a band with big dreams and big hopes. It was inspiring to hear the group's music.
I have listened to numerous '90s era-punk songs, and I will claim that HN-88 has captured that particular sound.
All 10 tracks highlight the talents of each band member. My favorite track, "The Great Panic," tells a tale of a zombie surviving the apocalypse. Sounds awesome, right? The chorus is incredibly catchy, and the verse consists of a lone singing voice, causing the listener to feel the emotions of the lyrics.
The songs also are very well written.
You can download the band's music off iTunes, or off the website, www.hn-88.com. Not only would you be supporting a local band from Santa Fe, but you would help HN-88 reach its dream. - The Santa fe New Mexican