Sister Hazel 'Lift' album

The common and easy road rock bands travel is to sign a label deal, score as many radio hits as they can while in the spotlight and count on the fans they have at that moment to sustain them into obscurity.

For roots rockers Sister Hazel, though, common and easy have
never been options. Through a work ethic few bands can match, pure
innovativeness and a genuine love for interacting with their fans, the
members of the Gainesville, Fla., group have built a following so loyal
that some fans travel to see up to 30 concerts a year, sometimes taking
time off from their jobs or going during school breaks. All the while,
Sister Hazel has released more product in the past 18 months — two
studio albums included the brand new “Lift” LP, a DVD, a double live
collection and one member’s solo debut — than they were able to during
more than four years on a major label. Taking their dedication to the
fans several steps further, the band hosts an annual Caribbean cruise
and musical festival called the Rock Boat, as well as a ski trip
complete with concerts by multiple bands called the Rock Slope. They
also raise money for children and adults battling cancer through Lyrics
For Life, an organization that brings musicians and celebrities
together for acoustic concerts and silent auctions of handwritten
lyrics.

While other bands often take lengthy breaks from the
road to record each new album, Sister Hazel has been touring regularly
— even taking breaks from the studio to keep up their visibility and to
keep in touch with their fans. Band members take the time to sign
autographs after shows and, here’s the kicker, they do all of this
because they genuinely enjoy it. “First of all, we love playing,” lead
singer/acoustic guitarist Ken Block said. “Getting up and being onstage
and playing and having shows — every show has a life of its own. You
step up there and it’s born and lives its life. It’s really phenomenal
to me how people have been impacted by our music over the years. “I get
emails that knock me on my ass all the time about people who have been
able to relate to the songs or have been moved by the live show or
become a part of the Sister Hazel community and it’s really had an
impact on their lives,” he added. “I love to hear those stories and I
love to get out and meet people. I’m a student of the human condition.
I love to hear people’s life stories, I love to hear what’s going on
with them, I love to hear how they’ve been affected by music.”

Whether
it’s sold-out shows in cities like New York, Chicago, Boston and
Washington or tours in Japan and South Korea, the band continues to
expose its music to new audiences while keeping its already devoted
fans happy. “It’s pretty imperative for an independent artist, if they
want to do this, to keep their name visible out there and to be
proactive,” drummer Mark Trojanowski said. “You’re not gonna get the
media exposure through MTV, VH1 or on a level where a major record
label would have it. And you’re not gonna get it on some radio and
you’re not gonna get it in some print. So the only way to keep your
public eye aware that this band’s putting out records and touring and
is still alive is to go tour. I think we’ve done a really good job of
that.”

For Sister Hazel’s latest album, “Lift,” released Aug. 24
on their own Croakin’ Poets Records/Sixthman imprint, the band hit the
studio with the same passion its had for years. They shared ideas,
collaborated perhaps more than ever, reworked previously unreleased
songs and wrote brand new tracks that are sure to become fan favorites.
The diversity among the songs makes “Lift” stand out among Sister
Hazel’s releases. The song “I Will Come Through” is rooted in funk and
blues, while “Green (Welcome To The World)” and “In The Moment” are
acoustic-based. The song “Surrender,” which Block co-wrote with Richard
Marx, is an edgy cut, while “World Inside My Head” and “Another Me” are
piano-based and “All About The Love” features mainly acoustic
instruments and has a reggae feel. “Lift” also marks the first time
that the guys have picked a cover for their lead single, the Cars’
“Just What I Needed.”

Named in reference to the uplifting
feeling fans associate with Sister Hazel’s music, “Lift” features songs
on a variety of topics. Co-written by Block and Marx, “World Inside My
Head” is an introspective ode to being odd, feeling misunderstood and
going against the grain until you’re all alone. Meanwhile, “In The
Moment,” featuring Copeland on lead vocals, is about making the most of
every day and is co-written by Copeland and former Tom Petty and the
Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch. “‘Firefly’ is as poetic of a song
about a relationship as I’ve ever written,” Block said. “I wrote it
about how when you’re with that person that absolutely fills that big
giant hole in your soul that the wind blows through, you’ll never be
the same.” The album also includes the instrumental mood piece “Erin,”
written by lead guitarist Ryan Newell, and the retro-’70s sounding
“Hold On.”

Recorded over three sessions between November 2003 and
May 2004 at 747 Studio in Memphis, Tenn., “Lift” is produced by Skidd
Mills (Saliva, 3rd Day, Skillet). Trojanowski said one of the
highlights was making the song “I Will Come Through,” which was the
first time all five band members wrote a song in the studio from start
to finish. “Usually the collaboration is either between two or three
people, but this is the first time that we wrote a song as a band,”
Newell said. “It came together so quick because we were all in there
and we’d been playing together for years. We all knew what role to play
and it was a great experience. Our approach to recording records has
always been to throw away all the rules. We go with whatever comes to
our mind. We don’t think about radio, we don’t think about anything. We
focus on getting the songs together. So really what comes out is
anybody’s guess.”

After forming in 1993, the band’s self-titled
debut, which was actually a demo released to get gigs, was recorded in
three days in a barn. Soon after, the guys recorded their “Somewhere
More Familiar” album, which sold more than 30,000 copies independently
before Universal took notice, signed Sister Hazel and re-released the
album — which would become the label’s first platinum rock album. Lead
single “All For You” was a No. 1 hit that charted at four different
formats and served as many fans’ introduction to the band. Another
track, “Happy,” was a chart hit. And the band opened for the Allman
Brothers on tour, in addition to headlining regularly. At this point,
the band had made the transition from a regional success story in the
Southeast to a national act. Trojanowski pointed out that the band’s
rise to success was more gradual than immediate. The guys toured
heavily from January 1996 to October 1998. “We never played Leno, we
never played Letterman and we had a platinum record,” Trojanowski said.
“We never really got exposed in the media. It was kind of this quiet
million records that people didn’t really know about. And the only way
people really did know about us is that we were playing 90 shows in 105
days that summer.”

The band’s next album, 2000’s “Fortress,”
featured the chart hits “Champagne High” and “Change Your Mind.” Around
this time, band members had settled into their roles and their
individual talents shined. “I really love that record. I was in a
little bit of a heavier spot when we wrote that record. But top to
bottom, that’s a really powerful record. I love the sound on it, I love
the songs.”

Parting ways amicably with Universal, Sister Hazel
returned with 2003’s “Chasing Daylight” LP, which featured the chart
hits “Your Mistake” and “Life Got In The Way” and went on the receive
more radio play in 2003 than any other indy act. In early 2004, the
band released “Live*LIVE,” a double live CD that showcased the band’s
hits and fan favorites sounding better than ever. And, on the same day,
the band released the live concert DVD and documentary “A Life In The
Day,” which found the band in good spirits as they traveled across the
country on their tour bus, played shows and met with fans along the way.

Building
on its powerful live shows, the band started the Rock Boat in 2001. The
annual four-day Caribbean cruise has evolved over the years and has
included performances by Sister Hazel, Dexter Freebish, Edwin McCain,
the Pat McGee Band, Gavin DeGraw and Cowboy Mouth. Each year, the event
has drawn more than 30 bands and more than 2,200 fans. Then, in 2004
the band started the Rock Slope, a four-day wintertime gathering in
Steamboat Springs, Colo., featuring concerts at hotels, on the
mountains and on the ski decks. Bands that have joined Sister Hazel for
the event include Tonic and Shawn Mullins.

“We like creating an
event and an environment for people to enjoy the music. And we really
enjoy the sense of community with our fans and wanted to cater to that
and give them opportunities to get together,” Guitarist Ryan
Newell said. “Putting on powerful live shows has to come first. But
then, after that, we dive into creating an exciting community of music
lovers and life lovers to share the ride with. We make ourselves really
accessible and we have a lot of fun with all those different elements,”
adds Block.

Inspired by his younger brother Jeffrey’s
courageous battle against T-cell lymphoma, which he lost after 4½ years
in 1987, Block started Lyrics For Life in 2001. The nonprofit
organization has raised more than $360,000 for cancer charities. In
addition to concert performances, Lyrics For Life’s gala events include
auctions of handwritten lyrics by artists that have included Elton
John, the Beastie Boys, Matchbox Twenty, Jessica Simpson, Stone Temple
Pilots and Barenaked Ladies.

The release of “Lift” and
Copeland’s solo album, “No Regrets,” is only the beginning. The band is
considering a variety of future projects, include a Christmas album, a
solo album by Block, a side project by Trojanowski, a blues record
featuring Block and Newell and a concert recording featuring a
university orchestra. “It feels like we’re firing on all cylinders,”
Block said. “I don’t think this organization has ever been healthier.
We’re playing to more people every year than we ever had. Even when
‘All For You’ was the No. 1 song of the year, I don’t think we played
for more people than we’re playing to now. “We’ve been so fortunate,”
he added. “We were never that band that was an MTV darling or was on
the cover of Rolling Stone. But we’ve been able to stay consistent.
Every record, we’ve had a couple songs that you’ll hear on the radio.
We’ve been on a half dozen soundtracks and we’ll sneak into TV shows
here and there. We’re kind of that band that you’ve probably heard for
a long time. And then all of a sudden people connect the dots and go,
‘I had no idea that they did that and that and that.’ And that’s kind
of when they dive in there and see how much fun we’re having. And we
welcome people with a vengeance.”

Ken Block, lead vocals, acoustic guitar

Jett Beres, bass, vocals

Andrew Copeland, rhythm electric guitar, vocals

Ryan Newell, lead guitar, vocals

Mark Trojanowski, drums

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Sister Hazel - Lift