ARTISTS

Sister Hazel

Sister Hazel’s creative train just keeps rolling. Last year’s well-received “Release” reached the band’s highest ever spot (#37) on the Billboard Album Charts, topping even their platinum disc “Somewhere More Familiar,” and they are keeping the momentum going with “Heartland Highway” (Oct. 12, 2010, Rock Ridge Music), marking the band’s quickest album-to-album turnaround in their 15-plus-year career.

Sister Hazel uses HERCULES guitar stands GS414B and GS601B.

According to bassist Jett Beres, “Release” “sparked a creativity” in the Gainesville, FL-bred band (vocalist Ken Block, guitarist/vocalist Drew Copeland, lead guitarist Ryan Newell, drummer Mark Trojanowski and Beres) that led to “Heartland Highway,” a collection that they all agree is their most diverse-sounding disc. “All of us like a lot of different music,” says Trojanowski, “but we have a vibe together,” – one that helps to create the Sister Hazel signature mix of Southern pop hooks and country rock harmonies. “There are a lot of moments that have never been in Sister Hazel songs before,” notes Newell, adding, “We strive to give our audience something different each time.”

The band still hits the road regularly, doing around 100 dates annually, but they also find other avenues to maintain close ties to their fans. “The only way we can keep doing what we are doing is having our fans continue to connect and support us,” proclaims Copeland.  The band’s Rock Boat excursion, the world’s largest floating music festival, celebrated its 10th anniversary this past January and next year’s outing will be a “Uncharted Waters cruise,” according to Trojanowski. “We missed a lot of ports due to weather so we won’t pick a destination until we leave a port.” Just as popular is their annual Hazelnut Hang (“Hazelnuts” being the name for the group’s ardent fans) at The Windjammer on South Carolina’s Isle of Palms. Among this year’s highlights was the group’s “Triple Crow” set where they covered tunes by Sheryl Crow, the Counting Crows and the Black Crowes.

The band has embraced the Internet and social networking too. Their Twitter followers are fast approaching the 1 million mark and last year they did several unique fan-centric events. It’s also not surprising that the group, named after the Gainesville nun Sister Hazel Williams, is deeply committed to charitable work. Among their many involvements is Lyrics For Life, a charity they started to raise money for pediatric cancer.

After all their years together, the band is feeling like they’re reaching new milestones with “Heartland Highway.” “We are all in groove. We have all things rolling along,” asserts Block, with Newell seconding that emotion: “I feel like we are stepping into our heyday.”

Band website:  www.sisterhazel.com
MySpace:  www.myspace.com/sisterhazel
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/sisterhazel
Twitter:  www.twitter.com/sisterhazelband