Hail Citizen

In the beginning, there was a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Boston with an endless supply of catchy pop/rock songs, an unassuming guitar player from Portland, OR, with some tasteful licks, a bass player from Monrovia, CA, with a flair for the melodic, and a drummer from Ann Arbor, MI, whose style could be both bombastic and restrained. By early 2008, having played together in a variety of different projects at one time or another, Darryl, Arthur, Sebastian and John formed Hail Citizen. Their inspiration ranged from Wilco, Spoon, Sonic Youth, Harry Nilsson, The Monkees, Robyn Hitchcock, The Kinks and the Velvet Underground. The chemistry was immediately evident, as the band quickly developed a potent sound that effectively complimented the three-minute power pop song structure, delivering plenty of hooks and memorable choruses in a concise package. While traces of the band's influences can be heard throughout their music, it's never obvious or heavy-handed. The band had only been together for three months before heading into the studio to cut their self-produced 4-song debut EP. The result is record that captures the exhilaration and freshness of a new band finding its sound while showing a maturity of both songwriting and musicianship usually expected of a band that has been together a few years, not a few months. For Hail Citizen, it's all about leaving the listener wanting more, of hearing a song and wanting to immediately hear it again.