New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Alt-Pop duo Hooked Like Helen will be releasing their new single 'No Turning Back' on 8th March to be lifted from their upcoming EP, Tragedy Of Physics which has been set for release on the 17th May via Stipp Manor Music. Co-produced alongside Grammy award-winning mixer, engineer and producer Isha Erskine (Ziggy Marley, Maroon 5,
Black Eyed Peas) the EP also features vocals by NBC's The Voice contestant, Emily Keener. The third track from the EP, 'Liar' won the Indi.com songwriting contest, and has already been snapped up for use in a dance scene choreographed by So You Think You Can Dance's Tyce Diorio for the upcoming film High Strung: Free Dance set to hit international theaters this year. The soundtrack for the film includes 3 Hooked Like Helen songs and 2 additional tracks co-written by Hooked Like Helen's
Nikki Stipp. They have enjoyed success with previous tracks 'Get Well', 'Concrete Tub', and 'Surface Break' which were placed on MTV's Unlocking The Truth docu-series alongside its official Spotify Playlist, and their track 'Stable' was placed in a promo video for the television show Nashville.
In a peaceful home-recording studio in the woods of Milan, 40 miles west of Ohio's major city, Cleveland,
Nikki and Jon Stipp turned their experimental recordings and musical musings into the unique alt-pop vision that is Hooked Like Helen.
Nikki and Jon hail from Los Angeles, California and Cleveland, respectively, and met while both playing in classic/ alternative-rock band Red Circle Underground. They toured all along the Sunset Strip and Hollywood area (The Satellite, Bootleg Theatre, Silverlake Lounge, The Roxy, Hotel Cafe) until leaving the LA area in 2013 just 5 weeks after the birth of their first son.
Jon's early musical interests lay with the raw energy of punk, and the throbbing chords of rock. He and his father frequented concerts by the likes of Green Day,
Smashing Pumpkins and Third Eye
Blind during the peak of alternative rock. He joined an Emo band as a teenager, called Trees Are Tall, the drummer of which,
Kevin Witucki, eventually moved to LA, convincing Jon to follow suit and join Red Circle Underground on their 2008 SXSW tour. It was here that Jon and
Nikki met, planting the first seeds of what would later become Hooked Like Helen.
Nikki has been playing music since a toddler, teaching herself on her sister's 36 key mini-casio and began tracking cassette-tape demos by the age of 11. By her 20's she was a regular on the LA circuit, playing at venues like The Viper Room, House Of Blues, and Cobalt Cafe.
Nikki has experienced Chromesthesia since a child, a type of synesthesia in which heard sounds automatically and involuntarily evoke an experience of colors, shapes and patterns. During the songwriting process, a new idea for a song already has a set color scheme and pattern in Nikki's head, and her composing, arrangements and production choices are guided by this template; her goal is usually to make the final audible product "match" the visions in her head as closely as she can get them.
With influences spanning over decades, Nikki's affinity for artists such as Prince, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Carol King, Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder, Halsey, Rihanna, and the Weeknd, blends at once while contrasting with Jon's love for rock such as Guns and Roses, The Eagles, Steely Dan, Green Day, Rage Against The Machine, 2pac, Twenty One Pilots, Chris Stapleton. A fusion of pop, rock, and R&B as well as the merging of classic and current songwriting structures, are defining attributes to Hooked Like Helen's sound. The appealing combination of Nikki's vocals paired with the balance between whimsy, sensitivity and fun, conjures images of
Ellie Goulding meets Of Monsters and Men.
On 'No Turning Back,' Hooked Like Helen take the best parts of all of their influences and make them their own, coating everything in the breathy flutter of Nikki's voice. The track is a kaleidoscopic soundscape, confident and emotionally resonant. Ultimately, 'No Turning Back,' is a quirky, lovingly crafted song, brought to life by artists who sound like they are truly finding themselves.
Speaking of the track, Hooked Like Helen said: "We were approached by Michael Damian (director of High Strung: Free Dance) to write a song for his film's trailer. We were very inspired by the story of the movie, and its themes of artistic passion, ambition and hope. As a band in this exciting stage of our career, we felt instantly connected with the characters and sentiments of the film; the tune came together over a weekend!"
Tragedy Of Physics EP Tracklist:
1. Tear This Place Apart
2. No Turning Back
3. Liar
4. Beautiful World
5. It Goes On (featuring Emily Keener)
