American post-hardcore group Hawthorne Heights have had to deal with some excruciating experiences in the recent past. Whilst embroiled in legal battle with their record label victory records, the band suffered a harrowing loss when guitarist Casey Calvert passed away on tour last year. The band, which now consists of Bucciarelli, vocalist/guitarist JT Woodruff, guitarist Micah Carli and bassist Matt Ridenour, regrouped to write and record their strongest album yet, which is soon to be released on the same label they fought with in the courts.

Fragile Future is a step forward from their first two records, The Silence In Black And White and If Only You Were Lonely, which both achieved gold status in America alone. Not bad for a band that rose from the punk rock underground in Ohio.

“Maybe for another band there would be pressure, but for us, we had so much other pressure on us,” Bucciarelli answers when conversation turns to emulating the commercial success of the previous records with Fragile Future. “We were dealing with all our legal matters and the loss of our band mate and friend that we were completely not concerned with any album sales pressure. We don’t care how many copies of this album we sell. We’re just trying to be a band again and play music.”

The band recorded for a month and a half, the longest period of time the band has ever taken to produce an album. Bucciarelli and co. used that time to continue to push the band progressively.

“I want to continuously progress as songwriters,” says Bucciarelli. “All of the best bands out there, with the exception of a few, have progressed album after album and have continuously written better songs. The Beatles, who were a huge influence on Fragile Future, are a prime example of that. If you compare Help! to The White Album it’s almost two different bands, but at the core you can tell it’s still The Beatles.

“I think if you don’t progress you don’t know what you’re missing out on. If The Beatles didn’t progress they wouldn’t have written such great songs as A Day In The Life and Let It Be.”

What the band were extremely careful, and articulate about, was making sure that even though Fragile Future deals with highly personal themes for Hawthorne Heights, the audience could still relate to the message behind the album.

“Not many people have been through a lawsuit with a record label but people have been in arguments with their family or friends and not known what the outcome is going to be. On the other hand, people have lost loved ones, and have gone through the emotions of dealing with that loss,” says Bucciarelli on the issue.

Refusing to let the struggles of the past break their spirit, Hawthorne Heights now have an album that has the capabilities of making them a stronger, more respected and an even more successful band. The circumstances of the past may have shaken them, but in no way will they give up. Fragile Future is evidence of that.

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS' new album FRAGILE FUTURE is released Tuesday Aug 5 on Victory/Stomp.

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