Hedley

Jacob Hoggard: Vocals/guitar/piano Tom McDonald: Bass/vocals Dave Rosin: Guitar/vocals Chris Crippin: Drums/vocals “I’m not perfect but I keep trying/’Cause that’s what I said I would do from the start” “Perfect” From the country that brought you Drake, Justin Bieber and Nickelback, comes Canada’s latest musical-sensation in Hedley, winners of three categories at the recent 2010 MuchMusic Video Awards, including Video of the Year (“Perfect”) and Pop Video of the Year (“Cha-Ching”), to go alongside multiple Juno nominations for their three multi-platinum-selling albums. With the release of their Island Records/IDJMG debut, The Show Must Go, Hedley take their brand of melodic, celebratory rock and roll below the 49th parallel, with charismatic frontman Jacob Hoggard leading the tight-knit Vancouver-based group which also includes bassist Tom McDonald, guitarist Dave Rosin and drummer Chris Crippin. “We understand the competitive nature of music, and we thrive on that challenge,” says drummer Crippin about the elusive goal of making it in America. “Success in the States is like grabbing the brass ring,” nods bassist McDonald. “It unlocks so many doors.” “Much of what we’ve accomplished has been based on the relationship we’ve established with our fans,” adds Hoggard. “They’ve progressed and grown right alongside us.” That can be heard on The Show Must Go, which is the work of a band that is already coming into its own. Produced by Brian Howes (Boys Like Girls, Hinder) and David Bendeth (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin) along with John Feldmann (The Used, Goldfinger) and longtime collaborator Dave Genn, the album showcases the charismatic Hoggard, who combines the theatrical showmanship of Steve Tyler, Freddie Mercury and Billy Idol with the story-telling abilities of Billy Joel and Elton John. Check out Hoggard’s falsetto on the soaring piano ballad and first single, “Perfect,” the McCartney/Wings tunefulness of “Amazing,” the aching ode to being apart from a loved one, “Sweater Song,” the satiric tribute to cougars, “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and the tongue-in-cheek sarcasm of “Cha Ching,” which pokes fun at the reality TV phenomenon, calling out The Hills, the Kardashians, Flava Flav and Tila Tequila (“Line up all the Idols/Who paint on phony smiles/Trying to ride the fast track to fame,” sings Hoggard, admitting he’s not excluding himself after his own participation in Canadian Idol, where he finished as a third runner-up. “The musical chemistry with these guys is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” boasts Hoggard, who first joined McDonald, Rosin and Crippin five years ago after his Idol stint. “I love being in this band. There’s a certain sense of unity about us, four people who are more important than any one individual. This is the most fun I’ve ever had playing music. We’re like a family. The fact we’ve persevered says a great deal about our dedication to this project. I wouldn’t have done it any other way.” “It’s been a very natural progression from the very beginning,” agrees Rosin, a BC native who comes from a small lumber town eight hours north of Vancouver. Hoggard honed his musical chops singing in the church, where his mom was a choir teacher and his dad played saxophone. He started playing piano when he was five, then taught himself to play guitar by “removing the three big strings and learning on the top three small ones.” Jake began writing songs in high school, “mostly to impress girls,” before dropping out and starting a band, living in a horse barn for awhile in the process. A bet with his bandmates resulted in his auditioning for Canadian Idol, the northern cousin of the hit Fox show. When he found himself in the final three, Jacob urged viewers to vote him out of the competition. “At the time I was working construction and drinking on the weekends,” says Jake. “The show turned what was little more than a dream into reality for me. It put the opportunity in our grasp and we just capitalized on it and made sure we could sustain that initial exposure.” Hedley’s self-titled debut came out on Universal Canada in 2005, producing the chart-topping single, “On My Own,” “Gunnin,” “”3-2-1” and “Trip,” eventually achieving double-platinum status. The double-platinum Famous Last Words followed in 2007, with three Top 5 hits in “For the Nights I Can’t Remember,” “Never Too Late” and “Old School,” with the band sweeping five MuchMusic Video Awards at the 2008 ceremony. The Show Must Go produced three Top 5 singles in “Perfect,” “Don’t Talk to Strangers” and “Cha Ching,” as the band sold out a Canadian arena tour in support of the album. Hedley played “Cha Ching” live before a world-wide audience at the closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Hedley has also become known for its cheeky, conceptual videos—all 10 have reached #1 on the MuchMusic charts—including one they did for “Never Too Late,” a frame-by-frame remake of Duran Duran’s yacht clip, “Rio,” as well as the stunning “Perfect,” featuring Hoggard’s tour de force performance on piano. In all, Hedley has received a total of 11 career Juno nominations, Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys. “We’ve been dying to get down to the U.S.,” admits Hoggard. “Once people pick up on us, they won’t put us down. We’re just real guys and that comes out in our music. There’s no disconnect between what we are and what we do. What you see is what you get. People like hanging out with us and seeing what we do next. With Hedley ready to storm the States, look for that success to translate across the border.