Hit Society
Detroit, Michigan, United States | INDIE
Music
Press
When guitarist Josh Woodcock moved from Tokyo to Michigan in 2010, he immediately met up
with Kurt Sommer, a guitarist/vocalist who once lived in California . The two had been exchanging
demos while they were continents apart and wanted to start a band. After spending a few months making
music, they were joined by a guy from the South, drummer Matt Livengood. Shannon Izumi Koga joined
next, completing the lineup with bass. It was meant to be, as these musicians fortunately ended up in
Michigan at the same time and came together to form Hit Society, a band that is coming in strong in Ann
Arbor, Detroit, Ypsilanti, and even stretching its range to reach New York this month at The Trash Bar
and 103.9’s Real Radio Show.
They recently finished their first album with big-name producer Jim Diamond, known for his use
of analog recording instead of digital. The album’s eight easy to listen to songs brought me right back to
the ‘90s. Happy Blue is reminiscent of Nirvana and the more upbeat tunes such as Get Away sound like
early Green Day (the best Green Day). Hit Society combines high energy with refreshingly simple sounds
and very limited effects, an intentional objective for the band. “You don’t need to overdo it to make a
good song. Overcomplicating drains the emotion out of good music. The real hook or the real attraction
to a song is in what you’re saying and how you’re saying it,” Woodcock says. The three day studio
completion of the album attests to this simplicity, as well as Jim Diamond’s efficiency and the skills of
the band members. “We’d like to bring back the kind of stuff that doesn’t necessarily have picture perfect
polish on it,” Livengood adds.
Hit Society will be playing at the Emerald Theatre on 5/19 with Candlebox. Doors are at 7pm and
tickets are $20. You can also see the band on 6/2 at PJ’s Lager House in Detroit, on 6/23 at the Blind Pig,
or hear them on 89.3 on 6/14 at 5pm. Get ready for the shows by listening to their music via iTunes or
hitsociety.bandcamp.com. - Hear Magazine
Discography
Hit Society (self titled) - Produced by Jim Diamond in Detroit, Michigan. Released 3/17/2012
Music Video:
http://youtu.be/9yeUwa4_-dk
Photos
Bio
“Loud and to the point, like The Minutemen.”
“Has a cool kind of 90’s vibe. I hear the Pixies and Nirvana, definitely.”
“It reminds me of The Replacements’ early stuff.”
“Umm, I dunno. Know where can I get a kick-ass bean salad?”
Ask someone to describe Hit Society’s self-titled debut, and you’ll invariably get a series of answers so diverse, they’d fit in nicely at a United Nations costume ball. And considering the album’s 23 and 1/2 minute running length, by the time your brain’s able to codify a comparison, the song you’ve been listening to will likely be wrapping up.
Which is fitting, considering this Motor City-based band’s rapid ascent. Scarcely 8 months after their maiden gig, they’ve displayed their breakneck live show all over the Detroit metro area. Highlights include opening for ex-Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach, and multiple appearances at Ann Arbor’s legendary Blind Pig – the most recent of which saw them in the headliner’s slot on St. Patrick’s Day. But Celtic tradition wasn’t all Hit Society were celebrating that Saturday night. It also happened to be their first album’s release party.
Recorded, mixed and mastered in less than 48 hours at Detroit's venerated Ghetto Recorders, producer/engineer Jim Diamond’s vintage analog production captures the band’s visceral live sound in a way more modern equipment might lose in translation.
Hit Society opened for former MTV Buzz Bin regulars Candlebox on Saturday, May 19th, at the Emerald Theatre in Mt. Pleasant. They also toured in New York and appeared on The Real Radio Show, and played at the Stars and Stripes Festival with Buckcherry, Skid Row, Tesla, and Eddie Money.
Recently, they have continued to make a name for themselves in Detroit. They played a Halloween show with MTV's Bam Margera and Brandon Novak and have been preparing to go into the studio to record their follow up album.
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