About Haste the Day

It was 2001 that guitarist Brennan Chaulk, bassist Mike Murphy and drummer Devin Chaulk would start what become known as Haste the Day. As a three-piece they began playing shows around their home town for the same reason the bands who came before them did – it was fun. "After being a three piece for 6 months we added two other members," recalls Devin. "Jason Barnes, a long time friend, became our second guitarist and Jimmy Ryan became our vocalist."

Since the bands' inception, Haste the Day made a name for themselves by performing passionate and energetic shows around the country. The band's tour resume consists of some of the most influential and well known bands in the hard music underground. Bands like Sick of it All, Poison the Well, Papa Roach and others have shared the stage with Haste the Day and it was only a matter of time before the band began to be approached by record labels from around the country.

After signing with Seattle’s Solid State Records, the band entered the studio with Barry Poynter (Living Sacrifice, ZAO) and recorded the undeniably heavy "Burning Bridges," a debut album vocalist Jimmy Ryan calls "rock and roll with break downs." Consisting of all new songs, besides the crowd favorite "Substance," "Burning Bridges" is an album full of passion and tension. True, the crowd appealing break downs are in tact but more than that, the band has a handle on melody and its gentle yet prominent control of the band's sound. Apply titled, the band’s debut is a story of new beginning, saying goodbye to faulty yet comfortable ways of expression. "We realized in the studio that there was a theme in the lyrics," Devin admits. "A theme of breaking away from the past, whether that’s habits, character issues or people permeates the album. We just wanted to burn the bridges to avoid past mistakes."

They spent the year on shows with bands like As I Lay Dying and Zao, and their next album, When Everything Falls (2005), appeared the following summer.

In late 2005, Ryan announced his pending marriage and quit the band, playing his last show with them that December. A few months later, the remaining members of Haste the Day added new vocalist Stephen Keech, formerly of New Day Awakening.

Pressure the Hinges arrived in March 2007.  Indicative of the last year, the record title reflects the band’s desire to adapt to challenge and to push themselves both musically and personally. “The material on this record is a quantum leap above the last two records,” explains the band’s lead guitarist Jason Barnes. “It is still Haste The Day but we consciously made and effort to try and not be influenced by anyone in the same genre we are. We wanted to write songs that were based on straight ahead rock & roll but still heavy. We wanted melodies influenced by bands like AC/DC and Def Leppard rather than the bands we’ve toured with.”

A casual listen to album tracks like “Stitches” and the title track, “Pressure the Hinges”, affirms what the band’s guitarist has been saying is true. Mixing a rich blend of both musical and strong vocal melody, “Pressure the Hinges” is a dramatic step forward for the band. Each track incorporates the riffing and breakdowns Haste the Day has long been known for. But along side the ferocity are striking melody lines only hinted at on the band’s previous full length, “When Everything Falls”.

Pushing forward as musicians crafting their own unique sound, the band released Dreamer (2008), their most experimental and triumphant record to date. Each member’s fingerprint and personality are all over the new record. Whether Keech, Murphy, Chaulk and drummer Devin Chaulk, the credit for the uniqueness of “Dreamer” truly extends to each member of the band. As a complete picture, Dreamer preserves the band’s style but it captures and highlights the gamble of stepping out into unconquered territory.

With a new album of new material and an already established but burgeoning fan base, Haste The Day will have little problem winning over new converts of both rock and roll and fans of hardcore and metal.