Articles by "Icon For Hire"
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Combining modern rock anthems with emo-drenched pop-punk melodies, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT caters to outcasts from all walks of life. Their over-the-top theatrics and loud, uncompromising music offer audiences a sense of community where the “weird kids” can let loose. The band have today (August 4) released the new single “Generation Psycho,” a sarcastic take on our current cultural climate. “Generation Psycho” will be featured on THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT’s debut album due later this year via Better Noise Music. The massive, no-holds-barred forthcoming release was co-produced by Johnny Andrews (Three Days Grace, Motionless In White, Halestorm) and Josh Landry, aka Lø Spirit (Motionless In White) while mixing and mastering was completed by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Arch Enemy). Check out the new track right HERE.

 “‘Generation Psycho’ is a statement piece from our band, a song about the out of control feeling so many people have about our culture, our society, and our government,” shares vocalist Lee Jennings. “The song captures the creeping fear of the future, of being outcasted and abandoned, and of falling through the cracks. We are hoping to connect with the disenfranchised and struggling with this song, the people who don’t know where to turn for help or guidance. We want to offer solace for people in this situation, so they know they are not alone in their fears, worries, and anxieties for themselves & their loved ones. So often it does feel like the whole world has gone crazy. We are no strangers to it and empathize with the experience.” 

THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT--Lee Jennings (vocals), Cody Weissinger (guitar), Caleb Freihaut (guitar/auxiliary), Robert Weston (bass) and Homer Umbanhower (drums)—have built an unwavering fanbase, The Coffin Crew, whom they devote their music to thus labeling their live performances as ‘devotion ceremonies.’ The ‘devotion ceremonies’ consists of full theatrics, stage décor, costumed actors and more. With previous tours alongside acts including Shinedown, Underoath, Skillet, Bad Wolves, From Ashes To New, Starset and Pvris under their belt and a main stage set at Inkcarceration Festival, THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT will bring their devotion ceremonies to audiences across the U.S. this fall. The band will next be seen opening for horror rock mainstays Ice Nine Kill for their “Silver Scream Concert” on September 9 in Lynn, MA which takes place amidst Ice Nine Kills’ horror convention, Silver Scream Con. They will then make their way to Greenville, SC on September 13 to join the “Emo Dreams Tour” with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles. The tour will make its way across the U.S. and a stop on September 22 in Toronto, ON before wrapping up on Halloween, October 31 in Memphis, TN. All upcoming dates can be found listed below.

TOUR DATES:


9/9 Lynn, MA – Lynn Memorial Auditorium (with Ice Nine Kills & Inspirit)

9/13 Greenville, SC - The Radio Room^

9/15 Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall^

9/16 Elmira, NY - The L (The Pit)^

9/17 Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theater^

9/18 Mechanicsburg, PA - Lovedraft's^

9/19 Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom^

9/20 Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland^

9/22 Toronto, ONT - Lee's Palace^

9/23 Erie, PA - Basement Transmissions^

9/24 Lakewood, OH - The Winchester^

9/25 Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar^

9/26 Indianapolis, IN - Hoosier Dome^

9/27 Grand Rapids, MI - The Stache at The Intersection^

9/29 Joliet, IL - The Forge^

9/30 Des Moines, IA - Leftys^

10/1 Fargo, ND - The Aquarium^

10/3 Billings, MT - Pub Station^

10/4 Great Falls, MT - The Newberry^

10/6 Boise, ID - The Shredder^

10/7 Spokane, WA - Big Dipper^

10/8 Seattle, WA - El Corazon^

10/10 San Francisco, CA - Brick & Mortar^

10/12 Fresno, CA - Full Circle Brewing^

10/13 Anaheim, CA - House of Blues (Parish Room)^

10/14 Los Angeles, CA - The Mint^

10/15 San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick^

10/17 Las Vegas, NV - The Usual Place^

10/18 Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge^

10/19 El Paso, TX - Rockhouse^

10/20 Rosewell, NM - The Liberty^

10/21 Lubbock, TX - Jake's^

10/22 San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger (Small Room)^

10/24 Houston, TX - Scout Bar^

10/25 Corpus Christi, TX - House of Rock^

10/27 Destin, FL - Club LA^

10/30 Detroit, MI – Saint Andrews Hall (with Twiztid)

^ “Emo Dreams” Tour with Icon For Hire, Conquer Divide and Concrete Castles

8:39 PM
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ICON FOR HIRE—composed of singer Ariel Bloomer and guitarist Shawn Jump—has quietly amassed a legion of followers. With hundreds of millions of streams and over a million followers across social platforms, ICON FOR HIRE is the sleeping giant of the modern rock scene, and is now ready to step into the forefront with the band’s new album AMORPHOUS, out NOW!

Virtual album release show for AMORPHOUS.  Catch the band playing songs from AMORPHOUS in addition to fan favorites from earlier releases.

April 10, 2021 at Noon PST / 2pm CST / 3pm EST

Tickets are on-sale NOW at shop.iconforhire.net.  "General Admission" tickets, VIP upgrades and merch packages are available. 

12:59 AM
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US underground rock upstarts Icon For Hire returns with “Curse Or Cure,” a rallying anthem that draws inspiration from giant names such as Bring Me The Horizon, PVRIS and Linkin Park. “Curse Or Cure” was released on September 18th via Kartel Music Group.

“Curse Or Cure” is Icon For Hire at their most visceral, powerful and robust, with heavy guitars, soaring vocals and a poignant message that begs to be heard. “Curse Or Cure” was recorded during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic with the band merging their quarantine with Nashville Producer David Thulin in order to safely create the song.  Then the track was mixed remotely by Grammy-Nominated engineer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Don Broco, Busted and Kids in Glass Houses) in Cardiff, United Kingdom.

Speaking on the tracks’ lyrics and meaning, singer Ariel Bloomer says, “Society often tells people with mental health issues that we are the problem, but then also expects us to be able to fix ourselves. If I am what's broken, how can I also possibly solve myself from the inside?” It’s this ability to mix a striking sound with an equally impactful lyrical message that has seen Icon For Hire build up an expansive & dedicated fan base. 

Since forming in 2007, the duo—Bloomer and guitarist Shawn Jump—have amassed a legion of followers. Currently sitting at almost half a million monthly listeners on Spotify and over 600,000 followers across social platforms, Icon For Hire is the sleeping giant of the modern rock scene. 

Their previous album, You Can’t Kill Us was completely funded by fans through Kickstarter on a campaign that raised $127,200—making it one of the year’s highest-raising music campaigns. This success was achieved thanks to the bands highly dedicated fanbase that support them on Patreon and have been supporting the band though thick, thin, litigation, addiction and more.

Check out the track HERE.

8:27 PM
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Even as they continue to create more music to reveal over the coming months, Nashville, TN based Alternative Rock Duo ICON FOR HIRE has revealed Summer dates for THE ICON ARMY TOUR. Launching July 19th in Atlanta, GA, the tour winds through the Mid and Southwest before finishing up on August 25th in Nashville, TN. Tickets and VIP Packages will be available at iconforhire.net.

TOUR DATES:

07/19 @ Hell - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
07/20 @ The Visulite Theatre - Charlotte, NC
07/21 @ Ottobar - Baltimore, MD
07/23 @ Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
07/24 @ Sonia - Boston, MA
07/25 @ TBA - Philadelphia, PA
07/26 @ Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA
07/27 @ The A&R Music Bar - Columbus, OH
07/28 @ The Loving Touch - Ferndale, MI
07/30 @ Thompson House - Cincinnati, OH
07/31 @ Irving Theater - Indianapolis, IN
08/01 @ Subterranean - Chicago, IL
08/02 @ Gabes - Iowa City, IA
08/03 @ The Garage - Burnsville, MN
08/04 @ Roxy Bar - Shawnee, KS
08/06 @ Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
08/07 @ Kilby Court - Salt Lake City, UT
08/09 @ El Corazon - Seattle, WA
08/10 @ Bossanova Ballroom - Portland, OR
08/12 @ Holy Diver - Sacramento, CA
08/13 @ Moroccan Lounge - Los Angeles, CA
08/15 @ Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
08/16 @ Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AZ
08/17 @ Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
08/19 @ Club Dada - Dallas, TX
08/20 @ TBA - San Antonio, TX
08/21 @ House of Blues - Bronze Peacock - Houston, TX
08/23 @ Southport Hall - New Orleans, LA
08/25 @ TBA - Nashville, TN
4:12 PM
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Icon For Hire have been a thing now, for sometime, releasing a handful of albums, played shows and done tours, with even more music, touring, and showcases on the way! Frontwomen Ariel discusses what the band has been up too, since our last discussion, quite sometime ago!


1. First off, who are you, and what is it that you do in Icon For Hire?

Ariel: My name is Ariel, I sing and write in Icon For Hire.

2. Did you know, that it has been 6 years, since we last spoke and which was the first time, talking with you guys?

Ariel: Wow that’s crazy! Thank you for helping spread the word about our band back then, and again now.

3. Can you give us a brief summary, as to what the band has been up, between then and now?

Ariel: We’ve released three full length albums, toured the world, and have embarked on various creative side projects. Our little fanbase has turned into a big fanbase, and they helped us create our latest album, after we left our record label. We’ve drank about six thousand liters of Starbucks coffee, and have driven our Chevy van like 300,000 miles across the continent.

4. Back then, we discussed your album titled "Scripted", what other releases, have you released since then?

Ariel: We did our self titled album, Icon For Hire, an EP featuring Now You Know, and then more recently released our 3rd full length,You Can’t Kill Us.

5. Did Icon For Hire, change up their style choice, because in some of the newer tracks, you have taken the rap rock approach, whereas on "Scripted" it more rock based. Why the change up, or was there no change at all?

Ariel: I have always appreciated the rap/rock dynamic-Linkin Park and Rage Against The Machine are among my favorite bands. I think with Scripted we were still testing the waters. Since then, we’ve learned to take more risks and care less about people’s reactions. We have a lyric on the new album that says, “We’ve unscripted, now we do what we want”, and that’s how it feels.

6. Back to the previous interview, you mentioned of your EPs being self-released, produced, but it's been sometime since their release. Can we expect a re-release of those EPs in the future?

Ariel: That would be awesome! We would love to rerelease those EPs, but unfortunately I don’t think our old record label would allow us.

7. Back then as well, you guys were signed with Tooth and Nail Records, is that still a thing, or did you get re-signed to another label or are you doing the DIY approach as you previously had done before?

Ariel: We are currently an independent band, and we are completely loving it. The creative freedom and being able to do it all on our own terms is priceless. That said, we do have a great team supporting us, that help bring our vision to life.

8. What's new in the recording of your music, have anything new on the horizon?

Ariel: We are working on a side project, an acoustic album, where we're taking our current songs and reworking them. We love working with big guitar chords and heavy pop production, but we thought it’d be cool to play around with the songs and distill them down to their essence.

9. You will be heading out on tour, what can we expect from this touring cycle, anything different or new, or same old route for you?

Ariel: We have actually added a lot of new elements to our live show, including some songs we’ve never played before. We are heading out with Assuming We Survive and October Sky, and we really just can’t wait to get back out there connecting with our fans.

10. Anything else you would like to say or add on?

Ariel: Thank you for the chance to share our music! We would love to meet any of your readers on the upcoming tour-come out and say hey!
11:30 AM
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Icon for Hire have announced their Spring 2017 tour plans and the duo can't wait to return to the road. The band will embark on a two-month trek with Assuming We Survive and October Sky in tow. The tour runs from early May through the end of June. The list of dates is below; there may be additional dates announced shortly.

"We're so excited to be taking the 'You Can't Kill Us' tour all over the country with Assuming We Survive and October Sky. We've been pushing our live show to new heights and we can't wait to hang out with our fanbase — their passion is what makes touring so amazing!," said Icon for Hire's Ariel.

TOUR DATES:

5/3 — Kansas City — The Riot Room
5/4 — Denver — Larimer Lounge
5/5 — Colorado Springs — The Black Sheep
5/6 — Salt Lake City — Liquid Joes
5/9 — Seattle — Funhouse Lounge
5/10 — Portland — Dantes
5/11 — Sacramento — Goldfield Trading Post
5/12 — Anaheim — Chain Reaction
5/13 — San Diego — House of Blues — Voodoo Room
5/15 — Las Vegas — Beauty Bar
5/16 — Mesa, Az — Nile Basement
5/17 — Tucson — The Rock
5/18 — El Paso — Lowbrow Palace
5/19 — San Antonio — Fitzgeralds
5/20 — Dallas — House of Blues — Cambridge Room
5/21 — Houston — House of Blues — Bronze Peacock
5/23 — Baton Rouge — Spanish Moon
5/24 — Birmingham — The Syndicate Lounge
5/25 — Orlando — Backbooth
5/26 — Atlanta — Masquerade — Purgatory
6/8 — Indianapolis — Emerson Theater
6/9 — St Louis — The Duck Room — Blueberry Hill
6/10 — Decatur, Il — Macon County Fairgrounds
6/11 — Pontiac, Mi — Pike Room
6/13 — NYC — Studio — Webster
6/14 — Hamden, Ct — The Space
6/15 — Philadelphia — Voltage Lounge
6/16 — Cambridge, Ma — Out of the Blue
6/17 — Lancaster, Pa — The Chameleon
6/18 — Richmond, Va — Broadberry
6/20 — Pittsburgh — Cattivo
6/21 — Columbus, Oh — Skullys
6/22 — Chicago — Beat Kitchen
6/25 — Minneapolis — Triple Rock
3:22 PM
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Stitched Up Heart have announced a new batch of tour dates supporting Icon For Hire on a month long U.S. run this Fall. Speaking about the band's upcoming dates with Icon For Hire, vocalist Alecia "Mixi" Demner comments: "Icon For Hire is a band at the top of our bucket list to tour with. We've looked up to them for a while now and blast their music on plenty of long drives. We pretty much all freaked out when we found out that we got the tour. This is going to make us and a lot of mutual fans very happy."

TOUR DATES:

Thursday, October 13 - Jackson, MI @ The Foundry
Friday, October 14 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Emerson Theater
Saturday, October 15 - Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
Sunday, October 16 - Louisville, KY @ The New Vintage
Thursday, October 20 - Merriam, KS @ Aftershocklive Musicvenue
Friday, October 21 - Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone
Saturday, October 22 - Nashville, TN @ Exit/In
Thursday, October 27 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen
Friday, October 28 - Springfield, IL @ Boondocks
Saturday, October 29 - Burnsville, MN @ The Garage
Friday, November 4 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Saturday, November 5 - Charlotte, NC @ The Rabbit Hole
Monday. November 7 - New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall
Tuesday, November 8 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub
Wednesday, November 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ Voltage Lounge
Thursday, November 10 - Washington, DC @ Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe
2:41 PM
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The new teaser trailer for These Heart's new video "Roman 15", can be seen below. The band will also be touring alongside Icon For Hire and Jamie's Elsewhere.


TOUR DATES:

Jan 20, 2012 The Garage, Burnsville, MN, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 21, 2012 The Rave, Milwaukee, WI, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 22, 2012 PENNY ROAD PUB, S. Barrington, IL, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 23, 2012 Pop's, Sauget, IL, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 24, 2012 Fubar, St. Louis, MO, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
Jan 26, 2012 Marquee Theatre, Tulsa, OK, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
Jan 27, 2012 National Park AG, Hot Springs, AR, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
Jan 28, 2012 Rocketown, Nashville, TN, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 29, 2012 Goodtime Charlie's, Tupelo, MS, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Jan 29, 2012 Goodtime Charlie's, Tupelo, MS, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
Jan 31, 2012 The 7 Venue, Douglasville, GA, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 1, 2012 New Brookland Tavern, West Columbia, SC, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 2, 2012 Volume 11, Raleigh, NC, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 3, 2012 Shaka's, Virginia Beach, VA, US
Feb 4, 2012 Planet Trog, Whitehall, PA, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 6, 2012 Broadway Bar, Amityville, NY, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 7, 2012 The Loft, Poughkeepsie, NY, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 8, 2012 The Center, Palmyra, ME, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 9, 2012 Firehouse Thirteen, Providence, RI, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 10, 2012 3065 Live, East Wareham, MA, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 11, 2012 Rocko's, Manchester, NH, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
Feb 12, 2012 Bogie's, Albany, NY, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 13, 2012 Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 15, 2012 The Vortex Concert Club, Akron, OH, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 16, 2012 The Venue 42, Lebanon, OH, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 17, 2012 The Active Room, Wyandotte, MI, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 18, 2012 Building One, Twin Lakes, MN, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 19, 2012 Kaliseum, Kalkaska, MI, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamie's Elsewhere
Feb 20, 2012 Broadripple, Fort Wayne, IN, US w/Icon For Hire, Jamies Elsewhere
12:49 PM
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There have been a variety of women in rock music, one's that come to mind who were most popular by today's standards would probably be frontwomen Gwen Stefani of old school ska punk act No Doubt and then new comers Paramore with their frontwomen Haley Williams. Well those women aren't the only one's sparking interest, there's a few more within the mix, Los Angeles locals Stitched Up Heart's Mixi and New Year's Day's Ash. So who else is left well it just so happens that Icon For Hire has a frontwomen of their very own, Ariel and they just released their debut full-length “Scripted”.

Since their signing with Tooth and Nail Records the band has gone on to release two videos and two singles "Make A Move", and "Get Well", but aside from those "The Grey", "Off With Her Head" and "Theatre" all have a solid sound that's rather upbeat and catchy. Ariel has some powerful pipes on her and can put Haley Williams to rest. As far as "Scripted" is concerned is it a solid source of sound that each of the instruments has their own role to partake in. The guitar riffs are crisp and clear while the bass lines stay in check and the drumming is flawless from start to finish and Ariel just brings it altogether.

Somebody made a move and no one could have done it any better than Icon For Hire.
9:06 PM
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Rock/pop act Icon For Hire straight from Decatur, Illinois is made up of Ariel (vocals) Shawn Jump (guitar) and Adam Kronshagen (drums). As of 2007 the band has been establishing their following and their source of sound by writing music, recording it, and performing whenever possible. Since this beginning the band has gone on to get signed to Tooth & Nail Records and says that “We are thrilled to be joining such an established and well-respected group at Tooth & Nail,” shares the band upon their signing. “It’s a label that has a history of consistently putting out good music and really working side by side with their artists. Because we’ve been doing this thing on our own for over two years, it feels great to partner with Tooth & Nail. We can’t wait to record our debut full-length and see where this road takes us.” The band has been working as hard as it is that their debut album will be hitting at the end of the summer and having worked with producer Aaron Sprinkle the band is quite anxious about how it will all turn out. Front women Ariel spoke with me to discuss the band's debut release upcoming plans, and what the band has done to get so far ahead.

1. Tell us about the band?

Ariel: That’s a loaded question… We're really just a group of average people trying to do something worthwhile with our lives, and music is our tool of choice. We started late 2007 as a progressive rock band and we had no idea what we were doing! We still don't really know what we're doing, but we know how to fake it better now.

2. Icon For Hire.... so have you gotten hired, Icon For Hire?

Ariel: Haha yes and no. On the surface, we recently signed with Tooth and Nail records so at first glance maybe it looks like the hard work is over. Far from the case, we want to make it a point to step our game up with every accomplishment or small bit of 'success' we may achieve. Our music, live show, and day to day interactions with people need to be growing as well....so yes it feels great to have so many opportunities ahead of us, but we in no way want to settle in where we're currently at.

3. What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)

Ariel: We really want our lyrics to inspire people to live beyond their past, to get over themselves so to speak. We've seen a lot of our friends (and we've seen it in ourselves) be tempted to throw their life away based on the stupid things they've done or the unfair things done to them. In a way, almost everybody's had a hard life, you know? Most people have been tempted to give in to the pressure and just stop trying. We're attempting to write music that can help people get over their circumstances and realize a lot of other people out there need them.

4. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)

Ariel: Definitely. That has always been core value inside this band, which our music is authentic, and the lyrics are personal and genuine. We don't want to be up on stage every night playing some random person's song that doesn't mean anything to us, it wouldn't feel right. That being said, we worked with some talented friends and co-writers for a few songs on this album helped us form our ideas into a tangible piece of music. Lyrically speaking, Ariel is really protective and doesn't let a lot of people help her with that. As far as the writing process goes, we don't really have a formula down yet. Sometimes Shawn, our guitarist, will create a loop using Protools and we'll run with that. Other times Ariel writes songs on piano and we build the music around that. We all like to be very involved in the writing process and each contributes ideas.

5. Did you grow up wanting to play music, or when did the whole making albums thing come about and how?

Ariel: All of us had very different backgrounds but always knew that this is what we wanted to do with our lives.

6. How do you describe your music to people?

Ariel: We are a rock band that really loves top-forty pop production, so we enjoy throwing some of that in with the heavy rock riffs. Our vocals are fast and sassy, but we have brutal moments too.

7. What image do you think your music conveys?

Ariel: We hope we're conveying something a little more than just a straight rock song. We make every effort to put out thought-provoking lyrics, a powerful live show, and meaningful fan interactions. One of the things we've always kept in mind is that we don't want to be all about self-promotion, what good does that do? The goal isn't to get a million fans and sell a ton of records and then die rich, fat, and empty. We want to intentionally inspire our fans to give their lives to something bigger then themselves.

8. Where are you in the recording process of the new album?

Ariel: The album is recorded, mixed, and mastered so all that's left is finishing up the cover art.

9. You working with producer Aaron Sprinkle who's worked with Anberlin, The Almost, and Acceptance. How do you think he’s helped Icon For Hire?

Ariel: We worked with Aaron for half the record, and Rob Hawkins for the other half. Both are incredibly talented producers, as well as great people; however their style, the way they worked, couldn't be more opposite. So working with them taught us flexibility and how to adapt to different styles.

10. The new album is being released August 23 and is titled Scripted. What are your hopes and goals with this release?

Ariel: It's hard to say just how far it will go or how many copies it will sell; that's really not the point. We've made an album that we are so proud of and we're incredibly grateful to have been given this opportunity. Whether people like it or not isn't central; we've created a piece of art that we're thrilled with and that is more than enough for us.

11. So how did Tooth & Nail Records get into the picture?

Ariel: They checked us out on MySpace-this was late 2009, back when people still used MySpace. We began dialoging with them and a few months later they came out to a show in Chicago. They offered us a deal shortly after and we felt like they understood what we were all about, so we decided to move forward with them. We know it's not exactly popular for a band to like their label, but they've been really good to us. We have no complaints.

12. How would you describe the overall sound of the new album? How does it compare to the EP work?

Ariel: We've mixed the hard rock sound with pop programming in a way that creates a fresh, interesting blend. Our EPs were self-financed and self-produced, so we've always been limited in regards to how far we can take the vision in our heads and bring it out in our music. For this album, we had the chance to take more risks and incorporate some different elements that we've always wanted to do.

 13. What qualifies you guys to be in a band?

Ariel: Great question.....We're probably some of the most unqualified people you'll ever meet. We don't have any formal music training, we come from a small factory town in the Midwest, and a few years back we were living the very lives that we're now trying to tell our fans not to. We've worked very hard to get to this point, holding down forty hour jobs all week then hitting the road playing shows, only to make it back 3 AM on Monday mornings. But we wouldn't have had it any other way, this is what we love to do and it's been completely worth it.

14. How about 2011, what else does it have in store?

Ariel: We're going to be in Houston shooting our music videos next week, and we're on a Tooth and Nail tour this summer with The Letter Black, Write This Down, I Am Empire, and Nine Lashes. We want to be out on the road as much as possible, make new friends, and continue exposing our music to new people.

15. What is your greatness/weakness as a band?

Ariel: Our greatest strength is probably our drive and DIY work ethic. We've had to sacrifice a lot to do this and want to continue pushing ourselves to keep growing as musicians and as people. I'd say our greatest weakness is how bull-headed we all are. Each of us thinks we're always right, all of the time....needless to say; things can get interesting when we're cooped up in the van for too long.
12:23 PM

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