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honorbyaugust

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Hometown	Arlington, VA
Genres
Band Members	Michael Pearsall (vocals, guitar), Evan Field (lead ... » more
Achievements
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:	Manager Mike Marucci info@honorbyaugust.com 410-626-1475
# Years Experience Performing Live:	6
Market Draw:	Home Market: 501-600; NYC: 101-150; Raleigh, NC: 76-100
Venue History:	Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD Verizon Center - Washington, DC 930 Club - Washington , DC Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, The - Vienna, VA
Opener Experience:	Bon Jovi; Third Eye Blind
Performing Rights Society:	BMI
Discography:	On Our Own EP—2010; Found LP—2009; Drowning Out The Television LP—2007

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About the Artist

In its young career Honor By August has already played arena stages, had its music broadcast to millions and won the Grand Prize in Billboard’s World Song Contest.

“Now widely considered one of the most promising new talents on the East Coast,” (Washington Post) Honor By August makes music characterized by “distinctive, inviting vocals and anthemic, reverb-drenched guitars” (MetroMusicScene.com) and built on “award-winning songwriting, strong vocals, catchy melodies, and dynamic live performance” (Jenni Chase, Washington’s Z104/OnTap Magazine).

“With comparisons to U2, Snow Patrol, Kings of Leon, and Bruce Springsteen...their music is inspired by observations on life, loss, love and hope.” (Los Angeles Magazine)

A fast-growing reputation has helped create opportunities for the band to share up to arena-sized stages with artists including Bon Jovi, Third Eye Blind, Hanson, Peter Frampton, Vertical Horizon, Hootie & the Blowfish, Pat McGee Band, Edwin McCain, Virginia Coalition and many other emerging artists.

While developing a sound of their own, Honor By August won the Grand Prize in the Billboard World Song Contest, as well as an XM Radio contest to play DC’s largest venue, Verizon Center (20,000).

Their music has been broadcast to millions many times over though popular outlets like ESPN, and they have worked with Grammy-winning producers, mixers, and engineers including Jack Joseph Puig (U2, Snow Patrol, Rolling Stones), Paul David Hager (Goo Goo Dolls), Jeff Juliano (John Mayer, Lifehouse, Jason Mraz), Jim Ebert (Butch Walker, Meredith Brooks) and Toby Wright (Third Eye Blind).

Honor By August has played to single crowds as large as 20,000 from arena shows at the Verizon Center, McDonough Arena and Innsbrook Pavilion, to headlining multiple shows at one of the nation’s premier theaters, the 9:30 Club (DC), to performances at notable national venues like the Bowery Ballroom, the Blender Theater, Mercury Lounge and Knitting Factory main stage in NYC, The Roxy and Viper Room in LA, Ram’s Head Live (MD), Middle East main stage (MA), Toad’s Place (VA), Cain’s Ballroom (OK), House of Blues Cleveland (OH) and many, many others across the country.

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Achievements

Top 10 in Shout It Out with HANSON: Richmond, VA, June 2010

Top 10 in Shout It Out with HANSON: Raleigh, NC, June 2010

Top 10 in John Mayer "Side Stage Warfare" Competition for Boston, MA, June 2010

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Press Coverage

Press Pass: Honor By August by Mike Hume
While the Internet and the advent of MySpace and Twitter has made the world smaller for resource-limited bands trying to make names for themselves, there’s still no substitute for a live performance. At some point, you want to step on stage in front of the fans you’ve made in some of those distant markets you’ve cracked online. Honor By August (Photo: Courtest Barbara Parker) And so the men of Honor By August (HBA) invested in a 25-passenger bus to use on tours. Remodeling it themselves and with the help of some family associates, the foursome stripped out the back third to hold their equipment. They added bunk beds, an eating area and a couch to the front, even slapping in a DVD player and Wii gaming system. “It’s pretty awesome and we’re very happy with it,” frontman Michael Pearsall says. Ready to roll, the band has expanded its touring radius which once consisted of stops on the Eastern Seaboard. With the bus, they steamed across country in two-and-a-half days to do shows in California and Las Vegas. The decision to purchase (and pimp) their new ride, upgrading from a Ford cargo van (“It required some serious Tetris skills to make everything fit in the van,” Pearsall says), has also helped them capitalize on the buzz the quartet has received from new album Found, released last May, as well as the eye-popping new video bearing the same name. Since its release, HBA has used PR firm Trendsetter Marketing to place the vid into health clubs, restaurants, cruise ships and FUSE TV. “We get royalties when it gets played, so it’s almost paid for itself already.” It’s also given them what Pearsall calls their most “rock star” moment to date. A restaurateur in Las Vegas saw the video while working out, then traveled to see their show in California, afterwards inviting the band to his restaurant in Vegas, Nob Hill Tavern at the MGM Grand. “He treated us like kings,” Pearsall says. The video for “Found” has also led to renewed heat from a record industry that has flirted with the D.C.-based band since its formative moments. They’ll have several labels gathered at a showcase Jan. 7 in New York’s Mercury Lounge. The most intoxicating aspect of HBA’s music is the fullness that comes flying out of the speakers with every record. With a pulsing drum beat supplied by Brian Shanley and some virtuoso work on the axe by lead guitarist Evan Field, each song on the newest album throws at you everything you can handle and more. The most striking sonic quality though is the return of robust harmonies to the band’s repertoire. After the departure of former bassist Joe Wenger, the soaring chorus harmonies that completed “Into the Light” and “The Quiet Sky,” two tracks from HBA’s debut album, Drowning Out the Television, largely fell by the wayside in live performances. With the addition of Chris Rafetto on the bass, replacing John Athayde, who held the job from 2006-08, the harmonies have been brought back full-force. The additional voice takes tracks like “Found” and “Unbreakable” off the new album to grander heights. Rafetto’s involvement in writing has also broadened the horizons for the band’s future catalog. In the meantime, however, they’ll concentrate on touring and making use of their latest investment. They’ll return home to D.C. following the New York showcase for a Jan. 8 headlining show at 9:30 Club. Tickets range from $10 – $15 with proceeds going to benefit the Nothing But Nets Foundation, a charity dedicated to combat malaria by supplying mosquito netting to impoverished communities in Africa. • For more on Honor By August, visit www.honorbyaugust.com.

Press Pass: Honor By August by Mike Hume
By now you’ve probably noticed that Honor By August has appeared rather frequently as the subject of Press Pass. The reason for this is two-fold. First, they’re good. To this day, the D.C.-based quartet remains one of the most polished young bands both within and without the District music scene. Their constant construction of pop melodies and memorable lyrical hooks has made them a mainstay of the Press Pass collection and their energetic live shows have made their concerts a must-make trip to 9:30 Club or wherever they’re taking the stage. Second, they’re active. Really active. Since frontman Michael Pearsall first joined forces with lead guitarist Evan Field, drummer Brian Shanley and then-bassist Joe Wenger, the band has forever had its foot on the accelerator. Their debut EP turned into an LP, Drowning Out The Television, which morphed into Drowning Out The Television 2.0 after remixing several songs and the addition of hall-of-fame worthy tunes “Good Enough” and “Into the Light.” They followed that effort with follow-up LP Found last May, and now they’re at it again, introducing a five-track EP to try to capitalize on the recent momentum from Found and a national tour that took them from the East Coast to California. The reason for the quick-strike effort — recorded in no-time-flat at Falls Church’s Cue Recording Studios — record companies kept pressing the band for what’s next, as HBA continues to audition for label support. “We kept having a lot of record label folks tell us, ‘We love the new record. Can’t wait to hear the new songs!’,” Field says. “So instead of waiting two years until we have 12 really refined songs, why don’t we take a snapshot of these five songs and show them where we are at the moment.” As more and more young bands shun the traditional pursuit of a record-company contract, utilizing social media and cheaper distribution methods to spread their sound, HBA has stayed the course. The obvious rub is that, in the aftermath of the golden age of labels, companies have become more and more selective about which acts they bring into the fold. To those that frequently hear the radio-friendly qualities of past hits like “Only in Photographs,” “Better” and “The Quiet Sky,” that a contract continues to elude the foursome is nothing short of shocking. But perhaps the labels have been slow-playing the band and waiting for sign of a safe bet. And one listen to On Our Own may be just the thing that changes their mind. The band’s splendid harmonies have also been revived in full on the EP, with new bassist Chris Rafetto fully utilized for the first time after stepping into the band circa Found. “He’s a great asset. You can really see his impact in the songwriting and he’s a great piano player too, which has added some great texture to these songs,” Field says. The finished product is a quintet of pleasing pop songs that recalls both modern marvels like The Fray, as well as titans like Tom Petty. Third track “I Stand” shows glimpses of a Snow Patrol, with more hooks than a New England fishing boat. Closing number “On Our Own” is begging for a spot on a soundtrack for “One Tree Hill,” “Gossip Girl” or another teen-friendly TV show. Simply put, labels and fans alike will easily find the appeal in this perfect pop package. The EP vaults out of the starting gate with the get-up-and-go “Don’t Give Up On Us,” which should provide an extra-nice surge when played (most likely) at Wolf Trap on July 1 when Honor By August splits the show bill with Pat McGee Band. After that, bet on more shows and more new music from Field and Co. It hasn’t been an easy road they’ve traveled in pursuit of their goal. But while the hits have kept coming, Honor By August keeps giving them right back. • For more on Honor By August, visit www.honorbyaugust.com.

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honorbyaugust

About the Artist

Music

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Achievements

Press Coverage

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