Gainesville, FL. (Top40 Charts/
Sister Hazel Official Website) - Five-piece
Sister Hazel will be releasing a live acoustic album on June 17th. Entitled "Before The Amplifiers, Live Acoustic," the record features sixteen tracks (see full track listing below), including the band's hits, fan favorites, and live concert staples, all in a stripped-down, acoustic format. The album was recorded on January 12th at Nickel and Dime Studios in Atlanta (other bands who have recorded there in the past include Indigo Girls, The B-52's, Shawn Mullins) in front of 100 lucky fans who were chosen at random from over five thousand entries. Family and friends of the band were also in attendance. "Before The Amplifiers" is the perfect collection for both the hardcore band fans (a.k.a. Hazelnuts) and for listeners just discovering the band for the first time.
Says band lead singer Ken Block: "One of my favorite things about our band is that we have always appreciated breaking it down just as much as we love to crank it up. The fans have always connected with the acoustic sets and enjoy the acoustic moments at our bigger shows. They've been asking us to do an acoustic record for as long as we've been a band. We felt like we were in the perfect space to capture an acoustic evening and it turned out great. There are a lot of different sounds and several alternate arrangements that were a blast to play. Acoustic versions really get their power from musical subtleties, the lyricism and the naked harmonies. That's where the intimacy really shines."
As per usual, the band will be touring heavily leading up to and in support of "Before The Amplifiers," with a number of summer festivals already on the itinerary. As a group that values fan input and feedback a great deal, the band will be holding their annual Hazelnut Hang again, scheduled for May 30th - June 1st in Isle of Palms, South Carolina. This weekend of performances, interaction and conversation allows fans an opportunity to connect with the band members on a personal level.
Sister Hazel has sold over two million albums and co-founded the Rock Boat (www.therockboat.com), the world's largest floating music festival, with Sixthman in 2001, which they also host annually. In 2001, the band established the charity, Lyrics for Life, which benefits children with cancer. Sister Hazel is: Ken Block (vocals, acoustic guitar), Drew Copeland (vocals, rhythm guitar), Ryan Newell (lead guitar), Jett Beres (bass), Mark Trojanowski (drums). The band can be found online at www.sisterhazel.com and www.myspace.com/sisterhazel.
