Lucinda Albers

On Feb. 14, Hawthorne Heights (along with bands Emery, June, Anberlin and Bleed the Dream) will perform in Sioux City, Iowa.

Hawthorne Heights hit the music scene in 2004 with the release of “The Silence in Black and White,” which earned gold-record status during the summer of 2005. They released “This Is Who We Are” DVD on Jan. 10, 2006, which includes concert and behind-the-scenes footage. Their sophomore album, “If Only You Were Lonely,” is set to release on Feb. 24.

Originally calling themselves A Day In The Life, Eron Bucciarelli (drums), Casey Calvert (guitar), Micah Carli (guitar), Matt Ridenour (bass) and JT Woodruff (vocals, guitar) formed the group in Dayton, Ohio during the summer of 2001. As many bands do, they revolutionized their sound and their name to become Hawthorne Heights.

In 2003, the five boys became a part of the Victory Records family. Wtih the release of “The Silence of Black and White,” the group broke Victory’s record for highest selling debut album. First week sales totaled 3,458 copies.

Hawthorne’s first single, “Ohio Is For Lovers,” got major airplay on MTV, Fuse and radios across the nation. The latest single from their debut album, “Niki FM” is currently all over MTV, Fuse, radio stations and online music programs such as Yahoo! Music.

While the band has been portrayed as an emo/screamo type, their music leaves the decision up to the listener. Their triple-guitar dynamic sets them apart from other bands, allowing them to create a thicker, more complex riff to go along with their quick drum beats.

Hawthorne Heights creates a setting with their lyrics, and give you a sense of what they’re feeling. In “Sandpaper and Silk” from “The Silence ? ,” JT sings “miles can cut this tie we’ve made/ the sharp side of the blade/ make sure that you can keep it/ make sure you keep it in your heart.”

With “If Only You Were Lonely,” the listener can tell the band has matured both lyrically and musically. Track One, appropriately titled “This Is Who We Are,” is a good intro to an eccentric CD filled with the usual Hawthorne sound with an electric touch.

“Decembers,” the last track on the album and somewhat-ballad of the CD, shows a more vivid side of the band. The song contains lyrics like “you don’t have to speak because I can hear your heartbeat/ fluttering like butterflies searching for a drink/ you don’t have to cover up how you feel when you’re in love/ I’ll always know I’m not enough to even make you think.”

Put those kinds of lyrics in front of the skilled tabs and drum rolls and you could have the most highly anticipated CD of the year. And who knows? Even though 2005 was a big year for the band, 2006 could possibly be THEIR year.