Burn Halo is a mainstream hard rock band led by former Eighteen Visions lead singer James Hart that made its album debut in 2009. Based in Orange County, CA, the band was founded in 2007 by Hart after the dissolution of his former band, Eighteen Visions, an alternative metal act found in 1995 that had a brush with mainstream success with its final album, Eighteen Visions (2006).
Intending to craft a straightforward mainstream hard rock album with commercial potential, Hart collaborated extensively with songwriter/producer Zac Maloy (formerly of the Nixons) on a full-length batch of songs recorded with hired studio hands such as Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Synyster Gates. A band lineup was also assembled: Joey Cunha (guitar), Allen Wheeler (guitar), Aaron Baylor (bass), and Ryan Folden (2009), in addition to Hart (vocals).
Burn Halo made its eponymous full-length album debut in 2009 on the label Rawkhead Rekords in association with distributor Warner Music Group. The single "Dirty Little Girl," featuring Gates on guitar, was a mainstream rock radio hit. The band joined the 2009 SnoCore Tour in support of the album.
INTERVIEW WITH LEAD SINGER JAMES HART
WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE:
Dirty Little Girl - Burn Halo (Feat. Synyster Gates)
"I think it could stand up to other modern rock albums. It also has that classic vibe where it has that vintage feel to it, where somebody that grew up on music in the '70s or '80s can be like, 'Oh this reminds me of this,' 'This reminds me of that from that era of music.' I think that's great." - Hart
THE NEW ALBUM : BURN HALO
When one door closes, another one opens...
...This couldn’t be truer for musician James Hart, who spent nearly a decade recording and touring as the frontman of Orange County band 18 Visions. After their breakup in early 2007, Hart quickly redirected his creative energy and honed his talent into a singular vision that fully represents his individual skill and ideas. Never losing momentum, Hart landed a label deal with Island/Def Jam and began working almost immediately with songwriter Zac Maloy on what would become Burn Halo’s charismatic self-titled debut.
Between May and October of 2007, Hart made weeklong treks to Tusla, OK to write and demo with Maloy, solidifying his objective of what the music would sound like and focusing on writing songs that would construct a well-balanced record. “I knew that I wanted a clear-cut rock ‘n’ roll band, which is something I had not had in the past,” Hart says of the music. “My vision and my brand of rock ‘n’ roll without having to compromise on any of the songs or any of the material. I wanted to make a very straightforward rock album. Something that had commercial appeal, but also something that had a classic, vintage mid-‘80s throwback vibe to it.”
Hart recorded the album from October to November of 2007 with Maloy as producer, laying down the tracks with an army of skilled studio musicians, including Nickelback drummer Daniel Adair, former Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, and guitarist Neil Tiemann who now tours with American Idol winner David Cook. In the studio Maloy was particularly helpful in getting the best possible performance out of Hart, especially when it came time to lay down the vocals. “I really felt like he was able to grasp what I wanted to do and where I wanted to take this,” Hart says. “From a producer standpoint I feel like he really knocked it out of the park. As a vocalist he was able to bring a lot out of me instead of having me go through the motions and just get the part right. Emoting a little more than I have in the past. He was really able to pull a lot of character out of my voice.”
The result is a dynamic, gripping collection of gritty rock songs that immediately engage their listener, ranging from the propulsive “Save Me,” which Hart describes as the “heaviest” track on the record, to the memorable first single “Dirty Little Girl,” which features Avenged Sevenfold guitarist Synyster Gates. Hart also reveals his emotional and musical range on “Here With Me,” an emotive throwback ballad that resounds with immediacy and sincerity, and showcases Hart’s songwriting goals for the album. “I wanted to touch more on real life situations and real life stories,” Hart says. “I wanted to paint a real life picture. I started listening to country and a lot of those songs are very real and down to earth. They are songs about real life, about situations you would come across with a lover or the loss of a friend or heading down a dark path in life. I wanted it to be really simple and easy to digest. I wanted there to be no question about what I was singing about.”
After the album was completed, in early 2008, Island elected not to release Burn Halo’s debut, leaving Hart with the tough job of finding a new home for his project. Nothing felt quite right, though, so Burn Halo’s manager Bret Bair formed his own label Rawkhead Rekords through Warner Music Group to release the record. Hart spent much of 2008 finalizing the lineup of his touring band- which he hopes will help write and record Burn Halo’s successive albums- with Aaron Boheler on bass, Joey Cunha on lead guitar, Allen Wheeler on rhythm guitar, and Timmy Russell on drums. All that’s left is to show it all to the world. “I think this is a real statement album for me,” Hart says. “Anyone who is familiar with me and my past is going to be able to get this record. They’re going to understand why I made this record and that this is the record I’ve been wanting to make.”
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: THE DEAR HUNTER CLICK PIC FOR INTERVIEW
September Concert Calendar
Manhattan/Brooklyn
9/04: Mavado / Bounty Killer / Beenie Man /
Serani @ Hammerstein Ballroom
9/06: Benny Page / LionDub / Starkey
@ Public Assembly: BK
9/06: Irie Jamboree @ York College: Jamaica
9/08: Rubblebucket @ Brooklyn Bowl: BK
9/08: The Roots @ Highline Ballroom
9/11: John Brown's Body / The Black Seeds
@ Bowery Ballroom
9/12: Bill Laswell Presents: Method of Defiance
@ Bowery Ballroom
9/17: Face To Face / Pegboy @ Gramercy Theatre
9/18: Groundation @ BB King Blues Club
9/18: Dub War / Mary Anne Hobbs @ Love
9/19: Skream / Benga / Drop The Lime @
Le Poisson Rouge
9/20: Thursday @ Bowery Ballroom
9/22: Face To Face / Pegboy @ Irving Plaza
9/25: The Pimps Of Joytime @ Brooklyn Bowl: BK
9/26: Dub Trio @ Knitting Factory: BK
9/26: Brothers Past @ Bowery Ballroom
9/27: Sunny Day Real Estate @ Terminal 5
New Jersey
9/04: Last Days Of Empire / The Casting Out / Chambers /
Stay Gold @ Court Tavern: New Brunswick
9/09: The Janks / Magic Hat #9 Party @
The Saint: Asbury Park
9/11: Westbound Train / Hub City Stompers @
Asbury Lanes: Asbury Park
9/18: Youth Brigade / The Casualties @ Asbury Lanes:
Asbury Park
9/20: Little Joy @ Maxwell's: Hoboken
9/24: Rorschach @ Asbury Lanes: Asbury Park
Philadelphia & PA.
9/04: Rubblebucket @ World Cafe Live
9/05: Dopapod / Turkuaz / Josh Phillips @ The Fire
9/18: Immortal Technique @ Trocadero
9/18: Thursday @ First Unitarian Church
9/19: Mary Anne Hobbs @ SubDivision: Pittsburgh
9/20: Face To Face @ Trocadero
9/21: Face To Face @ Mr. Smalls: Pittsburgh
9/30: Immortal Technique @ Altar Bar: Pittsburgh
9/30: Mike Gordon @ Mr. Smalls: Pittsburgh
Washington DC.
9/05: !!! / Pivot @ Black Cat
9/06: DJ Jerome Baker III / DJ Tom Lim @ Studio 10
9/08: Motorhead @ 9:30 Club
9/17: Yo La Tengo @ 9:30 Club
9/25: Yeah Yeah Yeahs @ 9:30 Club
9/29: BLK JKS / Laughing Man @ Black Cat
9/30: Sunny Day Real Estate @ 9:30 Club
Baltimore & MD.
9/04: Ruiner / Pulling Teeth / Sick Fix @
Talking Head Club
9/06: Medeski Martin & Wood / Karl Denson's
Tiny Universe/ Dumpstaphunk / Traffic Jam @ Sonar
9/08: Down / Melvins @ Sonar
9/10: Akron/Family @ Talking Head Club
9/11: Naked Raygun / Paint It Black / Shot Baker
@ Ottobar
9/16: Mos Def / Talib Kweli @ Sonar
9/17: Matt and Kim / Amanda Blank @ Sonar
9/18: Busdriver / Mickey Free @ Talking Head Club
9/19: Face To Face / Pegboy @ Sonar
9/19: Immortal Technique @ Recher Theatre
9/20: Appomattox @ Talking Head Club
9/21: People Under The Stairs @ Ottobar
9/25: Ponytail / Crazy Dreams Band @ Ottobar
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