Hawk Nelson is a Canadian

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band from

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums to date.

History

Early independent releases (2000–2003)

In 2000, Dunn, Clark, and Paige founded a

Peterborough Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire until ...

-based group called "SWISH", while Biro sang lead vocals for a four-piece group called the "Cheese Monkeys from Planet Nine" from

Barrie, Ontario Barrie is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada, about north of Toronto. The city is within Simcoe County and located along the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the western arm of Lake Simcoe. Although physically in Simcoe County, Barrie is politically i ...

. In 2000, SWISH released their first independent album, ''Riding Around the Park'' on Mime Radio, an independent record label based in Peterborough. In January 2002, Biro moved to Peterborough to join Dunn, Clark and Paige and SWISH was renamed "Reason Being", before finally settling with the name "Hawk Nelson". In 2003, they released their second independent album, ''Saturday Rock Action''.

''Letters to the President'' (2004–2005)

They continued to perform and tour independently in Ontario, Canada, before being signed with

Tooth & Nail Records Tooth & Nail Records is a Christian rock record label founded by Brandon Ebel in California in November 1993. The label later moved to Seattle, Washington where it is situated today. It is home to many well-known musical acts, including Underoat ...

, largely on the recommendation of

Trevor McNevan Trevor McNevan is a Canadian singer who is best known as the lead singer, songwriter and rapper of Thousand Foot Krutch, lead singer and songwriter of pop punk side project FM Static along with Steve Augustine (the third Thousand Foot Krutch dr ...

, the lead singer of fellow Tooth & Nail bands

Thousand Foot Krutch Thousand Foot Krutch (often abbreviated TFK) is a Canadian Christian rock band formed in Peterborough, Ontario, in 1997. The band has released eight studio albums, two live albums, and three remix albums. The band currently consists of foundin ...

and FM Static. McNevan, also from

, is credited with discovering the band. In July 2004, Hawk Nelson released their debut album '' Letters to the President''. It was produced by

Aaron Sprinkle Aaron Sprinkle (born March 20, 1974) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Seattle, Washington. Career His career in music began in high school with a group called BellBangVilla. BellBangVilla became Poor Old Lu and the ...

and McNevan, who also co-wrote the album's fourteen songs. He has also appeared on some of the band's songs, as well as in their video for the song "California". The band has achieved some success in the mainstream as well. They portrayed

The Who The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...

on an episode of the NBC drama '' American Dreams'', and they recorded a song named "Bring 'Em Out" as the theme for the 2005 motion picture '' Yours, Mine and Ours'' featuring Drake Bell. This song and another hit song "The Show" were both used on Sunday Night Football commercials. "Things We Go Through" from ''Letters to the President'' was also featured in ''Yours, Mine and Ours''. In October 2005, the band re-released ''Letters to the President'', with new material including their cover of

's "My Generation", three acoustic versions of some of their hits, and a limited edition cover. Hawk Nelson plays the party band for the film '' Yours, Mine and Ours'' (2005). On December 20, 2005, Hawk Nelson released an EP titled ''Bring 'Em Out''.

''Smile, It's the End of the World'' (2006–2007)

Hawk Nelson continued to gain popularity and was voted "Favorite New Artist" by ''

CCM Magazine ''CCM Magazine'' is a twice-monthly online magazine focusing on contemporary Christian music, published by Salem Publishing, a division of Salem Communications. History ''CCM'' was first published in July 1978, as a printed magazine. It has bee ...

'' in their February 2006 Reader's Choice Awards. On April 4, 2006, Hawk Nelson released ''Connect Sets'' EP with six acoustic tracks, including "Bring Em' Out", "Thing We Go Through", and "California". HawkNelson-DanielBiro

The band released their second studio album, ''

Smile, It's the End of the World ''Smile, It's the End of the World'' is the second full-length album by pop punk band Hawk Nelson. It was released on April 4, 2006. The record was a 2007 GMA Dove Award nominee for Rock Album, produced by Aaron Sprinkle. It was also a nomine ...

'', on April 4, 2006. The album was also co-written by Trevor McNevan of

. The album won a GMA Canada

Covenant Award The Covenant Awards are awarded to the Canadian gospel music industry by GMA Canada, the Gospel Music Association of Canada. The association is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the growth and ministry of Christian music in Ca ...

for "Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year" in 2006. The album's first single, "Everything You Ever Wanted", went on to hit No. 1 for 9 weeks on the '' R&R'' Christian CHR chart, and was the fourth most-played song of 2006. The band spent the middle of 2006 touring the major Christian music festivals, and also took part in Jeremy Camp's ''Beyond Measure'' tour. Hawk Nelson released a three-track

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

EP titled ''

Gloria Gloria may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music Christian liturgy and music * Gloria in excelsis Deo, the Greater Doxology, a hymn of praise * Gloria Patri, the Lesser Doxology, a short hymn of praise ** Gloria (Handel) ** Gloria (Jenkins) ...

'' on November 21, 2006, and then toured with

TobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known f ...

's Winter Wonder Slam tour along with The Afters, Family Force 5, and

Ayiesha Woods Ayiesha Woods (born July 2, 1979) is a contemporary Christian musician signed to Gotee Records. She has released two studio albums on Gotee: '' Introducing Ayiesha Woods'' (2006) and '' Love Like This'' (2008). Woods is known for the hit songs " H ...

. Bulletproof Records and producer Ralph Sall have assembled the compilation ''Charlotte's Web: Music Inspired By The Motion Picture'' featuring music by Christian artists including Hawk Nelson, Amy Grant,

Selah (; hbo, סֶלָה, selā) is a word used 74 times in the Hebrew Bible. Its etymology and precise meaning are unknown, though various interpretations are given. It is probably either a liturgical-musical mark or an instruction on the reading ...

, and Billy Ray Cyrus, which was released December 12, 2006. In addition,

Bob Carlisle Robert Mason "Bob" Carlisle (born September 29, 1956) is an American Contemporary Christian music, Contemporary Christian singer and songwriter. He performed with several bands, most notably Allies (band), Allies and Billy Thermal, before launchin ...

, Leigh Nash ( Sixpence None The Richer), and The Send have all contributed exclusive tracks. Hawk Nelson performed in 2006 on the Fringe Stage at Creation Festival Northwest, then again on the main stage at Creation in 2007. They performed sometime between July 25–28, 2007, at Creation Festival Northwest on the Main Stage, and they played again on the Fringe Stage at Creation Festival Northeast sometime between June 27–30, 2007. In 2007, (and again in 2009), Hawk Nelson performed at Winter Jam with a variety of other

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

bands, including

Newsong NewSong is an American contemporary Christian music group that was founded in 1981, at Morningside Baptist Church in Valdosta, Georgia. They have had twelve GMA Dove Award nominations, and one 45th Annual Grammy Awards, Grammy Award Nomination ...

, Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sanctus Real, and Britt Nicole. Hawk Nelson also toured with

MxPx MxPx () is an American pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington, founded in 1992 as Magnified Plaid. As of 2016, current members include Mike Herrera on lead vocals and bass guitar, Yuri Ruley on drums and percussion, Tom Wisniewski on lead gui ...

Run Kid Run Run Kid Run is a Christian pop/rock band from Carmi, Illinois and Morganfield, Kentucky, formed in 2006. Their debut album '' This Is Who We Are'', was released on May 18, 2006 through Tooth & Nail Records. All of the members, except Paul Stewar ...

, Project 86, The Fold, and

The Classic Crime The Classic Crime is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 2004. The band's current lineup consists of Matt MacDonald (vocals, guitar), Alan Clark (bass), Robert "Cheeze" Negrin (guitar), and Paul "Skip" Erickson (drums, voca ...

on the Tooth and Nail Tour. On March 27, 2007, Hawk Nelson released a "Double Take" which includes selections from ''Letters to the President'' and ''Smile It's the End of the World''. They then released a holiday-themed EP titled ''Holiday Trio'' on November 20, 2007. In 2007, Aaron Tosti left the band to pursue other musical ventures and was replaced by Justin Benner.

''Hawk Nelson Is My Friend'' and ''Live Life Loud'' (2008–2010)

The band's third full album, ''

Hawk Nelson Is My Friend ''Hawk Nelson Is My Friend'' is the third full-length studio album from Christian rock band Hawk Nelson. It was released on April 1, 2008, debuting at No. 34 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In the first week of its release the album sold a little ...

'' was released on April 1, 2008, and featured songs co-written by Trevor McNevan of

, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace and

Richard Marx Richard Noel Marx (born September 16, 1963) is an American adult contemporary music, adult contemporary and pop rock singer-songwriter. He has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Marx's Richard Marx (album), self-titled debut album went tri ...

. In 2008, the band also contributed a cover of "

Don't You (Forget About Me) "Don't You (Forget About Me)" is a song by the Scottish rock band Simple Minds, released as a single in 1985. It was written and composed by the producer Keith Forsey and Steve Schiff, a guitarist and songwriter from the Nina Hagen band. Forsey ...

", originally by

Simple Minds Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band formed in Glasgow in 1977. They have released a string of hit singles, becoming best known internationally for "Don't You (Forget About Me)" (1985), which topped the '' Billboard'' Hot 100 in the United St ...

, off the ''Don't You Forget About Me: The Covers'' EP. The song was also featured in back-to-school commercials for

J.C. Penney Penney OpCo LLC, doing business as JCPenney and often abbreviated JCP, is a midscale American department store chain operating 667 stores across 49 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. Departments inside JCPenney stores include Mens, Womens, Boys, Girl ...

. On June 8, 2010, ''Hawkology: Anothology of Hawk Nelson'' was released containing three previously released albums: '' Letters to the President'', ''

'', and ''

''. On June 16, 2009, '' Summer EP'' was released through digital outlets only. In January 2008, the band headlined their own tour that they called "The Green T Tour" which also featured

Capital Lights Capital Lights was an American Christian pop rock band from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Formed in 2002 as Aftereight (stylized afterEIGHT), the band changed its name after signing to Tooth & Nail Records in 2008. The group initially disbanded in 2009, b ...

and

. Hawk Nelson was nominated for a 2009 Grammy Award in the category for Best Recording Package, for their 2008 album ''Hawk Nelson Is My Friend''. On July 21, 2009, Hawk Nelson released their second single from their fourth album ''

Live Life Loud ''Live Life Loud'' (stylized as ''LIVE*LIFE*LOUD!'') is the fourth studio album from Christian rock band Hawk Nelson. It was released on September 22, 2009. According to Daniel Biro, the dog on the cover is lead vocalist Jason Dunn's dog Murphy. ...

'' called "The Meaning of Life", and on August 8, the song "Alive" began to be played on Christian Radio. They released their fourth album, ''Live Life Loud'' on September 22, 2009. The title song "Live Life Loud" was made available in the Rock Band store during the first week of April 2010. The song "Live Life Loud" was featured in the trailer for the movie, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules".

''Crazy Love'' and departure of Jason Dunn (2011–2012)

On February 8, 2011, Hawk Nelson released their fifth studio album titled '' Crazy Love'', which was bundled together with a new acoustic EP titled ''The Light Sides''. Hawk Nelson released another Christmas EP, titled ''Christmas EP'' on November 1, 2011, and it included the songs "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "The Wassail Song", and "Up on the Housetop". On March 27, 2012, Hawk Nelson released a compilation album titled ''The Songs You've Already Heard: Best of Hawk Nelson''. On February 1, 2012, lead vocalist Jason Dunn announced he would be leaving the band in order to pursue his solo project, Lights Go Down, recording an album tentatively titled ''Abandon Progress''. On March 11, 2012, in Fresno, California, Dunn performed his final US show with Hawk Nelson. Following Dunn's departure, guitarist

Jonathan Steingard Jonathan Steingard (born 1983) is a Canadian musician who was the lead vocalist and lead guitarist for the Christian pop-punk band Hawk Nelson, which he joined in October 2004, replacing the former guitarist David Clark. He took over vocal dutie ...

took over as lead vocalist and bassist Daniel Biro became the last remaining original member of the band.

Post-Dunn releases (2012–present)

After Dunn's departure from the band, Steingard replacing him on vocals marked a shift in the band's genre from fast-paced

pop punk Pop punk (or punk pop) is a rock music genre that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. It is defined for its emphasis on classic pop songcraft, as well as adolescent and anti-suburbia themes, and is distinguished from other pu ...

to softer, contemporary

alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

and

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

. On December 11, 2012, Hawk Nelson announced they had signed with

Fair Trade Services Fair Trade Services, formerly known as INO Records, is an American record label based in Brentwood, Tennessee, specializing in Contemporary Christian music (CCM). History The label was founded in 1999 as INO Records, a division of M2 Communica ...

. ''

Made Made or MADE may refer to: Entertainment Film * ''Made'' (1972 film), United Kingdom * ''Made'' (2001 film), United States Music * ''Made'' (Big Bang album), 2016 * ''Made'' (Hawk Nelson album), 2013 * ''Made'' (Scarface album), 2007 *'' M.A.D.E. ...

'' was released on April 2, 2013. The album's release was preceded by the release of the album's debut single on January 15, 2013, "Words", featuring

Bart Millard Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: '' Hymned, No. 1'', in 2005 and '' Hymned Again'' in 2008. He received a ...

of MercyMe, which reached No. 1 on the Christian Hot AC/CHR charts. On December 10, 2014, Hawk Nelson released the first single off an upcoming album, "Drops In the Ocean" via YouTube and made available on iTunes January 13. The album, ''

Diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...

'' was announced on January 21. ''Diamonds'' is Jonathan Steingard's second album as lead vocalist for the band and first for guitarist Micah Kuiper and drummer David Niacaris. "Just Getting Started", another song from "Diamonds", was heard in several ''

American Idol ''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...

'' promo spots ahead of the album's release. The album was released on iTunes and other major music websites on March 17, 2015. On December 15, 2017, the band released the single, "He Still Does (Miracles)", as part of a new album, ''Miracles'', which was released April 6, 2018 through Fair Trade Services. In May 2020, Steingard announced on his

Instagram Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...

page that he had lost his faith in God and is no longer a Christian. In response, Daniel Biro made a post on the band's official Instagram page the following day thanking his bandmates and expressed continued support for them on and off the road. Soon thereafter, Steingard changed his Instagram profile to "Former lead singer Hawk Nelson".

Personnel

Current * Daniel Biro – bass guitar, backing vocals (2002–present) * Micah Kuiper – lead guitar, backing vocals (2013–present) * David Niacaris – drums (2015–present) Past * Jason Dunn – lead vocals, keyboards, rhythm guitar (2002–2012) * Dave 'Davin' Clark – lead guitar (2002–2004) * Matt 'Matty' Paige – drums (2002–2005) *

– lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–2012), lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards, piano, synthesizers (2012–2020) * Gideon 'Gidz' Courtney – drums (late 2005) * Aaron 'Skwid' Tosti – drums (2005–2008) * Justin Benner – drums (2008–2014) Timeline

Discography

Albums As SWISH *2000: ''Riding Around the Park'' (Independent) As Hawk Nelson *2003: ''Saturday Rock Action'' (Independent) *2004: '' Letters to the President'' (

) *2006: ''

'' (Tooth & Nail Records) *2008: ''

'' ( BEC Recordings) *2009: ''

'' (BEC Recordings) *2011: '' Crazy Love'' (BEC Recordings) *2013: ''

'' (

) *2015: ''

'' (Fair Trade Services) *2018: ''Miracles'' (Fair Trade Services)

Awards

GMA Canada Covenant Awards * 2006 Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year: ''

'' * 2007 two nominations: Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year: "The One Thing I Have Left", and Recorded Song of the Year: "Everything You Ever Wanted" * 2008 two nominations: Group of the Year, and Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year: ''

'' * 2009 Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year: "Live Life Loud" * 2010 two awards: Modern Rock/Alternative Album of the Year: ''Live Life Loud!'', and Modern Rock/Alternative Song of the Year: "Never Enough" * 2011 two awards: Rock Album of the Year: ''Crazy Love'', and Rock Song of the Year: "Crazy Love" GMA Dove Awards * 2007 nominee, Recorded Music Packaging: ''Smile, It's the End of the World'' * 2009 nominee, Recorded Music Packaging: ''Hawk Nelson Is My Friend'' * 2010 nominee, Recorded Music Packaging: ''Live Life Loud'' * 2012 nominee, Rock Recorded Song of the Year: ''You Love Is A Mystery'' * 2012 nominee, Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year: ''Crazy Love'' * 2012 nominee, Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year: ''Crazy Love'' * 2012 nominee, Short Form Music Video of the Year: ''Crazy Love'' Golden Ear Music Awards (''Ignite Your Faith'' Magazine) * 2006 two wins: Best Band, and Best Male Vocalist: Jason DunnHawk Nelson placed third in Best Song of the Year: " Letters to the President
The Second Annual Golden Ear Music Awards, Christianity Today (2006)
Retrieved November 28, 2009.

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

s * 2009 nominee, Best Recording Package: ''

'' Juno Awards * 2007 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: ''

'' * 2012 nominee, Contemporary Christian/Gospel Album of the Year: '' Crazy Love'' VH1 *2006, No. 1 spot on VH1's top 20 video countdown with "The One Thing I Have Left" music video.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Musical groups established in 2003 Musical quartets BEC Recordings artists Tooth & Nail Records artists Canadian pop punk groups Musical groups from Peterborough, Ontario Canadian Christian rock groups Christian punk groups 2003 establishments in Ontario