History of Painters
San Luis Obispo, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"Impressed by what I heard at Live Oak [Music Festival] and by the combination of modesty, maturity, humor and dedication I noted by my interview with them, I expect to be one of those happy locals who can someday say 'I knew them when.' "
- Will Jones, Journal Plus: Magazine of the Central Coast (Sep 29, 2012) - Journal Plus
“The Californian duo’s style is very much contemporary folk-Americana; the sort of thing Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes do and sell millions. Hooper and Cody have yet to sell their first million, but who needs fame, wealth and acclaim, and all the troublesome paraphernalia that goes with each, when you’re capable of making records like this one... There are moments on “The World Is Greener” that are painfully beautiful; the harmonies are spellbinding and the melodies entwine and may possibly enslave...”
- Leicester Bangs
“If Mumford and Sons wasn’t afraid to introduce the Alt. format to the banjo, then Josh and Justin, the creative forces in History of Painters, are ready to fearlessly bring you the mandolin and toy piano... Uplifting and inspiring, they bring a positive vibe with their music from the coast of California. ”
- Dead Air Dave from U.N.C.L.E Promo - Kiss Kiss Bang Bang E-Zine
Discography
We have a full length record out called "The World Is Greener..." and 5 song EP called "Only What the Spring Can Bring". We have tracks available for listening on Itunes, Youtube,Reverb Nation and Myspace and our song "95 Theses" airs on our local radio station 92.5 The Krush.
Photos
Bio
Josh Cody and I (Justin Hooper) have been friends for more years than we have been bandmates. We met in Choir at San Luis Obispo High our Senior year, and we bonded over the fact that we were both baritones who couldn't read music. After High School we formed a 5 piece band and started playing primarily in basements and living rooms, and after 2 years and a good number of band names later Josh and I decided to split off and create our own band. We are both self-taught musicians with different writing styles (both lyrically and musically), and for the past few years we have worked on combining our styles to create our own unique sound.
A few years ago we decided to record an album at a friends home studio, and after a couple of years of great studio experience we decided to take our project to a professional studio. Our first full length album, "The World is Greener", came out in Febuary 2011, and we just had our first EP "Only what the Spring Can Bring" released in November of the same year. Although Josh and I are the songwriters, we have an amazing supporting cast of musicians (cello, violins, female vocals, etc) who truly help us achieve our sound, and we couldn't do any of this without them.
We have many musical influences (with Sigur Ros and Simon and Garfunkel at the top of that list), and recently we have been compared to artists such as Mumford & Sons, The Avett Brothers, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, and Coldplay. One thing that separates us from other bands is that we play live gigs with a red toy piano and a kick drum made out of a Samsonite suitcase.
As far as the band name is concerned, we decided on the the name History of Painters because at one point Josh and I had the wonderful job of being door-to-door paint salesmen. The 5 1/2 month long job built up our immunity toward rejection and hostile dogs, but it also helped Josh and I grow as friends and gave us some good stories. Also, the songs we write are very autobiographical, and every once and a while we like to throw a history song into the mix, hence the full band name History of Painters. Overall, the goal of our music is to uplift, bringing people hope and instilling joy in a genuine way. If people are able to see that when they listen to our songs then we have done our job.
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