Hometown Anthem

Hometown Anthem was an American alternative rock band originally formed in Essex County, New Jersey, sometime in September 2002. The group consisted of 6 members: lead vocalist Joseph Crawford, lead guitarist Dominick Gaglio, Keyboardist David Rodrigues, back guitarist Stephen Dufresne, bassist Joel Cuozzo Gonzalez, and drummer Joseph Static Hughes.

Hometown Anthem
Also known asNo Easy Answer (2002-2005)
OriginEssex County, New Jersey, U.S.
Genres
Years active2002-2007, 2015
Labels
Past members
  • Joseph Crawford
  • David Rodrigues
  • Dominick Gaglio
  • Stephen Dufresne
  • Joel Cuozzo Gonzalez
  • Joseph Static Hughes

The band was initially called “No Easy Answer” and started with small appearances in compilation albums and playing in small concerts until signing into indie record label Emerald Moon Records and releasing their debut album Don't Hold On To What You Hear (2005) and their follow-up EP If We Could Dream (2006). Due to the success, the 6-piece band earn two slots to Warped Tour 2006 at the Smartpunk stage and Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Winners. Hometown Anthem was also fortunate to be one of the thirteen bands to be included in Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands 10 Compilation (The Best Unsigned Bands In North America) on Warcon Records. Later, they also appeared in Beyond [The] Blue (2007) with many bands.

After five years playing together, they officially disbanded in 2007, after the breakup, Joseph Crawford and his sister Kim Crawford and two friends formed a new band called "The Tonight Life" in 2008. Dominick Gaglio and Joseph Hughes formed a new band called "I Am Fighting" in 2010.

On September 26, 2015, the band made a reunion show in 10th Street Live, Kenilworth, New Jersey with Aspen It Is.

History

2002-2005: Early years and Don't Hold On to What You Hear

Hometown Anthem was formed in September 2002 by 5 childhood friends and was originally called "No Easy Answer." It originally comprises five members: Joseph Crawford, Dominick Gaglio, Stephen Dufresne, Joel Cuozzo Gonzalez, and Joseph Static Hughes. In a little over a year of being formed, the band was already landed in a record deal with Regret Records in 2003 and begin working on their debut EP. The group released their debut EP The Malice Series on May 14, 2004,[1] where they hosted a CD release party with Runaway Orange, The Rookie, The Maybridge Falls and Aspen It Is.[2] It was announced October 8, 2004 that No Easy Answer signed into indie record label Skyline Records on October 8, 2004.[3] The group brought two new songs on their Purevolume on December 14, 2004.[4] They'll appear on a compilation album called Punk The Clock on December 28, 2004, featuring various bands like Fall Out Boy, YellowCard, Hidden In Plain View, My American Heart and more.[5][6] Before that, they attended the Punk The Clock Tour with My American Heart, Stole Your Woman, The Academy Is..., Gym Class Heroes, Greenley Estates on November 25–29.[7] The band left Skyline Records on January 26, 2005 due to personal reasons[8] and they'll star in another compilation album in Drive-Thru Records And Purevolume.com: Bands You Love, Have Heard Of, And Should Know, also featuring The Format, Houston Calls, The Early November, The Juliana Theory and more on February 8, 2005.[9][10]

The band changed their name to Hometown Anthem on February 3, 2005 and in that same year, the band signed into Emerald Moon Records (All Time Low, Fall River, Spark is a Diamond). The group started be friends with All Time Low like touring with them and sharing a stage together.[11] Rodriguez who was an old friend, joined the band sometime in 2005 soon after since the band have now added synthesizers in their music. The band released two new songs (D.C.M.A.R. and Pug Fugley) in an Emerald Moon Records sampler on July 11, 2005.[12] The band will finally release their debut album Don't Hold On To What You Hear on July 19, 2005[13] and a music video was made for the song "Make Me Believe” on June 8, 2006. The group was able to attend Warped Tour 2006 at the Smartpunk stage and Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands Winners.

2006-2007: If We Could Dream and disbandment

After the success of their debut album, the band resumed work on their next project until they came across Rob Freeman (Hidden In Plain View) who'll help them produce, mix, master and record their EP. The band shot a music video on the song “Like No Other” on January 16, 2006, and a second version will be made later. The band toured with The Summer Obsession and posted two new songs on their Myspace.[14] The long-awaited EP will finally release on September 26, 2006, called If We Could Dream.[15][16]

Hometown Anthem was lucky enough to be one of the thirteen bands featured in Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands 10 Compilation alongside Mayday Parade, My Favorite Highway, and Karate High School, on the same day that the EP was released.[17][18][19][20] They'll also appear in Beyond [The] Blue featuring Four Year Strong, Hit the Lights, Every Avenue and more on October 3, 2007.[21] The band will play more concerts but will break up in 2007 for unknown reasons.

2008-2015: Other projects and reunion

Joseph Crawford was the drummer for the band Spark Is a Diamond after Matt Hall left,[22] the band's previous drummer. They were also signed into the same record label at one point until signing into Pluto Records in 2008.

Once Hometown Anthem broke up, Joseph Crawford, his sister Kim Crawford and their two friends formed a new band called "The Tonight Life" in 2008.[23] They'll make music for 5 years and just like their previous band they broke up on May 2, 2013.

Dominick Gaglio and Joseph Hughes formed a new band called "I Am Fighting" in 2010.[24]

On September 26, 2015, Hometown Anthem reunited for a one-off reunion show in 10th Street Live, Kenilworth, New Jersey with Aspen It Is.

Musical styles and influences

Hometown Anthem is seen as an alternative rock, indie rock, indie pop, pop punk, pop rock, and emo band.

They were influenced by many bands like Blink-182, Bright Eyes, Snow Patrol, Jimmy Eat World, New Found Glory, Smashing Pumpkins, The Doors, From Autumn to Ashes, The Starting Line, and more.

Band members
  • Joseph Crawford - Lead vocals (2005-2007)
  • Dominick Gaglio - Lead guitar (2002-2007)
  • Stephen Dufresne - Back guitar (2002-2007)
  • Joel Cuozzo-Gonzalez - Bass (2002-2007)
  • David Rodrigues - Keyboardist (2005-2007)
  • Joseph Static Hughes- Drums (2002-2007)

Discography

Studio albums
  • Don't Hold On to What You Hear (2005)

Extended plays

Guest appearances
  • Punk the Clock (2004)
  • Drive-Thru Records and Purevolume.com: Bands You Love, Have Heard Of, and Should Know (2005)
  • Emerald Moon Records Sampler (2005)
  • Ernie Ball Battle of the Bands 10 Compilation (2006)
  • Beyond [The] Blue (2007)

References
  1. "No Easy Answer". Regret Records. November 10, 2003. Archived from the original on February 10, 2005. Retrieved November 10, 2003.
  2. "Tuesday, May 11, 2004". The Maybridge Falls. May 11, 2004. Archived from the original on March 31, 2004. Retrieved May 11, 2004.
  3. "HELLO NO EASY ANSWER!". Skyline Records. October 8, 2004. Archived from the original on December 9, 2004. Retrieved October 8, 2004.
  4. Smith, Mark (December 14, 2004). "Now you're doing the waltz with your murderer". Acclaimed Punk. Archived from the original on December 15, 2004. Retrieved December 14, 2004.
  5. "Punk The Clock". Punk The Clock. December 15, 2004. Archived from the original on December 11, 2004. Retrieved December 15, 2004.
  6. "Various Artists - Punk the Clock". All Music. December 28, 2004. Retrieved December 28, 2004.
  7. "PUNK THE CLOCK TOUR!! w/.....2 STAGES !!!". Bergen Country NJ Entertainment. November 28, 2004. Archived from the original on December 10, 2004. Retrieved November 28, 2004.
  8. "January 26, 2005". Skyline Records. January 26, 2005. Archived from the original on September 8, 2005. Retrieved January 26, 2005.
  9. "Drive-Thru Records & PureVolume.com Compilation". The Impulsive Buy. March 23, 2005. Archived from the original on July 17, 2005. Retrieved March 23, 2005.
  10. "Bands you Love, Have Heard of, and Should Know". Evil Sponge. 2005. Archived from the original on December 30, 2005.
  11. Shooman, Joe (2016). All Time Low - Don't Panic. Let's Party: The Biography. John Blake Publishing.
  12. "V/A - EMR 2005 Sampler (Emerald Moon)". Smartpunk. July 11, 2005. Archived from the original on May 14, 2009. Retrieved July 11, 2005.
  13. "Hometown Anthem - Don't Hold On To What You Hear (Emerald Moon)". Smartpunk. July 19, 2005. Archived from the original on December 2, 2007.
  14. Reinecker, Meg (2006). "Emerald Moon Records update". Punknews. Archived from the original on January 30, 2022.
  15. Jacobson, Bryce (September 25, 2006). "Albums In Stores Tomorrow". Driven Far Off. Archived from the original on November 9, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2006.
  16. "HOMETOWN ANTHEM – IF WE COULD DREAM". Punktastic. April 17, 2007. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved April 17, 2007.
  17. "VARIOUS ARTISTS - ERNIE BALL BATTLE OF THE BANDS 10 COMPILATION". Metalrage. December 7, 2006. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2006.
  18. Schneider, Michael (August 27, 2006). "Brightwood on Ernie Ball Unsigned Bands Comp". Driven Far Off. Archived from the original on March 28, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2006.
  19. Paul, Aubin (2006). "Ernie Ball and Warcon Records to release "Best 13 Unsigned in North America" comp". Punknews. Archived from the original on January 31, 2022.
  20. Gorman, Bobby (September 10, 2013). "Various Artists - Ernie Ball Battle Of The Bands Vol 10". The Punk Site. Archived from the original on August 31, 2022. Retrieved September 10, 2013.
  21. "LINE-UP / VOTE". Beyond The Blue. 2007. Archived from the original on October 17, 2007.
  22. Raub, Jesse (January 31, 2008). "Pluto signs Spark Is A Diamond". Punknews. Archived from the original on June 13, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  23. Fiorletta, Alicia (July 27, 2011). "THE TONIGHT LIFE: CARRY ME ON". The Aquarian Weekly. Archived from the original on August 25, 2011. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  24. "I Am Fighting". I Am Fighting. 2011. Archived from the original on May 2, 2011.
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