Hello Darling

Hello Darling is bursting through the seams with artistic and musical, drive and passion. This four piece band is comprised of, John Coen, and Zack Carver-Gustin, Mike O’Donell, and Jonathan chamberlain, all of which attended the University of Hartford.

The group formed in January of 2004 when Mike O’Donnell, the band’s lead vocalist and guitarist looked to the expertise of John Coen and Zack Carver-Gustin to record his solo-acoustic album. The two were completely overpowered by the emotional and energetic atmosphere Mike was able to create through his music. Zack picked up his bass, John his guitar and former drummer Jared Ainscough was given a call. This was to be the birth of Hello Darling, a work-horse whose one goal was to have their music embraced by their ever-growing fan base.

They played their first show together as a band in March of 2004, with the Rebecca Correia Band and have continued to light a blazing trail of support through the New England region since. Jared Ainscough left the band in the summer of 2005, but was replaced that same September, by Jonathan Chamberlain, a collegiate jazz percussionist and Yamaha endorsed drummer. At the same time the band was asked to sign with the Hartt School of Music’s student run record label, Manage it!.

Teamed with the students who run the Manage It! program, Hello Darling was able to utilize their knowledge to reach new heights. The band recorded a four song EP at Zing Studios in Massachusetts, which was later mastered by legendary mastering engineer Ron McMaster of Capital Studios. While continuing to play shows at bars, clubs and colleges in New England the band also filmed a music video on a live open-set.

In February Hello Darling opened for the famed national touring acts Tony Lucca and Keri Noble, in their first industry showcase. With their new EP in hand, the band is armed and ready to take on the music industry. They wish to be seen and heard as something uniquely distinguished but commonly beautiful. As professed by Mike O’Donnell’s lyric they truly are “Silver threads among the gold.”