Headstones (band)
Headstones is a Canadian punk-influenced[1] rock band that was formed in Kingston, Ontario[2] in 1989, broke up in 2003, and then reunited in 2011.[3] Consisting of vocalist Hugh Dillon, guitarist Trent Carr, bassist Tim White, keyboardist Steve Carr and Jesse Labovitz on drums, and a reputation for high energy, 'more rock less super shock' stage presence, and interaction with the audience, they frequently draw capacity crowds at mid-sized venues.[4] Their songwriting tackles many serious and controversial topics. Between 1996 and 2016, Headstones were among the top 150 best-selling Canadian artists in Canada and among the top 35 best-selling Canadian bands in Canada.[5]
Headstones | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Kingston, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Hard rock, alternative rock, post-grunge |
| Years active | 1989–2003 2011–present |
| Labels | Known Accomplice (Cadence Music Group), Frostbyte Media, MapleMusic, MCA |
| Members | Hugh Dillon Trent Carr Tim White Steve Carr Jesse Labovitz |
| Past members | Mark Gibson Dale Harrison Rickferd Van Dyk |
| Website | headstonesband |
History
The band signed to MCA Records in 1992. They released their debut album in June 1993, which was entitled Picture of Health.[6] with original drummer Mark Gibson, who left the band after touring in support of the release. Dale Harrison was recruited for the follow-up Teeth and Tissue in 1995. To promote the album, the band went on a two-month, 44-city tour. In 1996, the Headstones received Juno Award nominations for Best Group and Best Rock Album. In 1997, the band released their next album, Smile and Wave. Three years later, Nickels for Your Nightmares was released, and both Carr and Harrison became fathers, while Dillon recovered from drug addiction.[3]
The band released a compilation album, Greatest Fits, in 2001.[7] In 2002, the band signed with MapleMusic,[8] and released their next album, The Oracle of Hi-Fi.[9] In September 2003, the band announced on their website that they had broken up, citing personal and professional causes.[10]
Dillon started a new band, the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir, whose debut album The High Co$t of Low Living was released in June 2005. Dillon has found success in acting, appearing in several films, including Hard Core Logo, Dance Me Outside, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie, Assault on Precinct 13 and the TV series Durham County, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Flashpoint and Continuum. In addition, their song "Come On" was featured in the videogame Triple Play 2002, and was also the theme for the Canadian version of the sketch comedy show, Comedy Inc.
White went on to become a music producer and composer for television and film, working at Imprint Music.
Reunion
Headstones reunited for four shows in February 2011, and eight more in December: two in Vancouver and one each in Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto,[11] London, Guelph, Peterborough and Niagara Falls, New York.
After reforming the band and getting back onstage, the Headstones went back into the studio to record a new album. Released in 2013, Love + Fury was crowdfunded through PledgeMusic, before being released by Universal Music. The album garnered the band their first top 10 album, and #1 hit single "Long Way to Neverland". This was in followed in 2014 with another crowd-funded album, the acoustic covers collection One in the Chamber Music. The band's next album, Little Army, was released on June 2, 2017 on Known Accomplice, an imprint of Cadence Music Group. It includes the hit single "Devil's on Fire". With this release the band gave their fans an exclusive behind the scenes look into the making of the album, in real time.
A remastered edition of Picture of Health with bonus tracks was released in October 2018. On March 15, 2019, the band released a cover of Gordon Lightfoot's "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". Their next album, PeopleSkills, was released by Known Accomplice on October 25, 2019, and is the band's first full album to be released on vinyl. The album's lead single, "Leave It All Behind", reached number 8 on the Billboard Canada Rock chart. The band's newest album, Flight Risk, was released on October 14, 2022.
Discography
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Peak chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [12] |
CAN [13] | ||
| 1993 | Picture of Health | — | Platinum |
| 1995 | Teeth and Tissue | 62 | Gold |
| 1997 | Smile and Wave | 36 | Gold |
| 2000 | Nickels for Your Nightmares | 34 | |
| 2002 | The Oracle of Hi-Fi | 47 | |
| 2013 | Love + Fury | 7 | |
| 2014 | One in the Chamber Music | — | |
| 2017 | Little Army | 26 | |
| 2019 | PeopleSkills | 45 | |
| 2022 | Flight Risk | — |
Compilation albums
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| CAN |
CAN [13] | ||
| 2001 | The Greatest Fits | 43 |
Singles
| Year | Title | Peak Chart Position | Certifications CAN |
Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [14][15] |
CAN Rock/Alt [16][17] |
CAN Content (Cancon) [18] | ||||
| 1993 | "When Something Stands for Nothing" | 71 | — | — | Platinum[13] | Picture of Health |
| "It's All Over" | — | — | 1 | |||
| 1994 | "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" | — | — | — | ||
| "Cemetery" | — | — | — | |||
| "Three Angels" | — | — | 3 | |||
| 1995 | "Unsound" | 58 | 8 | — | Teeth and Tissue | |
| "Hearts, Love & Honour" | — | — | — | |||
| 1997 | "Cubically Contained" | 20 | 8 | — | Smile and Wave | |
| "Smile and Wave" | 57 | 14 | — | |||
| "And" | — | — | — | |||
| 2000 | "Settle" | — | 4 | — | Nickels for Your Nightmares | |
| "Blonde & Blue" | — | 8 | — | |||
| "Fuck You" | — | — | — | |||
| 2001 | "Blowtorch" | — | — | — | The Greatest Fits | |
| "Come On" | — | — | — | |||
| 2002 | "Reframed (Every Single Failure)" | — | — | — | The Oracle of Hi-Fi | |
| 2003 | "Tiny Teddy" | — | — | — | ||
| 2013 | "Long Way To Neverland" | 87 | 2 | — | Love + Fury | |
| "Far Away from Here" | — | 6 | — | |||
| 2014 | "Colourless" | — | 37 | — | One in the Chamber Music | |
| 2017 | "Devil's On Fire" | — | 6 | — | Little Army | |
| "Broken" | — | 30 | — | |||
| 2019 | "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" | — | — | — | Non album-single | |
| "Leave It All Behind" | — | 8 | — | PeopleSkills | ||
| 2020 | "Horses" | — | 22 | — | ||
See also
References
- McEwan, Paul (2011). Bruce McDonald's 'Hard Core Logo'. University of Toronto Press, Scholarly Publishing Division. p. 31. ISBN 978-1442612730.
- LeBlanc, Larry (February 5, 1994). "The Next Sounds... You'll Hear". Billboard. Vol. 106, no. 6. p. 50.
- "The Headstones". The Canadian Pop Encyclopedia, jam.canoe.ca
- "Hugh Dillon changes direction" Archived March 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. MIKE ROSS, Edmonton Sun, September 9, 2005
- "NIELSEN MUSIC & BILLBOARD PRESENT CANADA 150 CHARTS" (PDF). bdsradio.com. p. 28. Retrieved January 2, 2020.
- " Hard-rocking Headstones driven by soft spot". Barrie Advance, November 13, 2015. By Laurie Watt
- "CD REVIEWS: Bush, Headstones, Incubus, Rheostatics and many more". Chart Attack, October 23, 2001 By: Debbie Bento
- "Headstones Sign On With Maple Music". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on June 24, 2003. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
- "Straight man" Archived March 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Canoe: Showbiz, DARRYL STERDAN. November 30, 2004
- "The Headstones Call It Quits". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on September 28, 2003. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
- "REVIEWS: Headstones – [Live]". Ground Control. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2012.
- Peak positions for Headstones' albums on Canadian Albums Chart:
- For "Teeth and Tissue" "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 61, No. 10, April 10, 1995". RPM. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- For "Smile and Wave" "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 65, No. 11, May 19, 1997". RPM. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- For "Nickels for Your Nightmares" "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 70, No. 25 April 24, 2000". RPM. July 17, 2013. Retrieved August 22, 2017.
- For "The Oracle of Hi-Fi" "DEMI LOVATO LANDS FIRST NUMBER ONE ALBUM" (PDF). Retrieved May 24, 2013.
- For "Love + Fury", "Little Army" and "PeopleSkills" "Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved June 3, 2021.
- "Headstones Top Singles positions". RPM. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- "Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
- "Headstones Rock/Alternative positions". RPM. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
- "Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
- "Headstones Canadian Content positions". RPM. Archived from the original on October 21, 2012. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
