Andover, New Jersey
Andover is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the borough's population was 595, down slightly from 606 in the 2010 census,guitarist,
backing vocalist
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...
and primary
songwriter
A songwriter is a musician who professionally composes musical compositions or writes lyrics for songs, or both. The writer of the music for a song can be called a composer, although this term tends to be used mainly in the classical music ...
for the
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 p ...
Hidden in Plain View
Hidden in Plain View is an American five-piece post-hardcore band from northern New Jersey. They formed in 2000 and originally disbanded in 2007. During this seven-year run, the group released records with four record labels (most notably the ...
. He owns/works at The Pilot Studio as a
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
, recording various up and coming artists.
Biography
Hidden in Plain View
Upon forming in August 2000, Hidden in Plain View began playing concerts somewhat frequently, in hopes of being able to make a living out of their music. Freeman, from
Stanhope, New Jersey
Stanhope is a borough in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 3,610,North Jersey
North Jersey comprises the northern portions of the U.S. state of New Jersey between the upper Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of northern New Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquial one rather than an administrati ...
in establishing the band. After graduating high school, the band released their debut EP ''
Find
Find, FIND or Finding may refer to:
Computing
* find (Unix), a command on UNIX platforms
* find (Windows), a command on DOS/Windows platforms
Books
* ''The Find'' (2010), by Kathy Page
* ''The Find'' (2014), by William Hope Hodgson
Film and t ...
'' (2001) independently and their sophomore EP '' Operation: Cut-Throat'' (2002) on Note to Self Records and re-released by LLR Recordings, while the number of fans attending their shows increased steadily.
Following several line-up changes,
Drive-Thru Records
Drive-Thru Records was a California-based independent record label owned by siblings Richard and Stefanie Reines. The label was partially responsible for popularizing the pop-punk/emo merger sound of the early to mid-2000s. After facing financi ...
signed the band in June 2003 and released their four-song sampler EP ''
Hidden in Plain View
Hidden in Plain View is an American five-piece post-hardcore band from northern New Jersey. They formed in 2000 and originally disbanded in 2007. During this seven-year run, the group released records with four record labels (most notably the ...
'' on November 11, 2003. In spite of being criticized for its lack of variety, the EP was a perfect showcase of the band's continuous development of both musicianship and songwriting. With more sophisticated lyrics, a heavier undertone in the instrumentation and a discreet nod to contemporary
screamo
Screamo (also referred to as skramz) is an aggressive subgenre of emo that emerged in the early 1990s and emphasizes "willfully experimental dissonance and dynamics".Jason Heller, "Feast of Reason". ''Denver Westword'', June 20, 2002Access date: ...
in the vocals, it served as a promising prelude to their following full-length album.
In mid-2004, Hidden in Plain View went into the studio with producer Jim Wirt to record their full-length debut ''
Life in Dreaming
''Life in Dreaming'' is Hidden in Plain View's first full-length album, released on February 22, 2005 by Drive-Thru Records.
Release
In September 2004, the band toured the US with Don't Look Down and Hellogoodbye. In January and February 2005, t ...
''. Song structures were far more diverse on this effort — featuring riff heavy anthems as well as melancholy
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
s — as were the lyrical topics, dealing with the pressure of growing up ("American Classic"), the experience of losing a close friend ("In Memory") and the controversial subject of
date rape
Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
("Bleed for You"). ''Life in Dreaming'' was also the first of the band's records that integrated Freeman as a full vocalist with almost as many parts as lead vocalist Reo in certain songs, such as "A Minor Detail", "Garden Statement" and "Top 5 Addictions".
The follow-up album to ''Life in Dreaming'' was recorded in 2006 and planned for a release somewhen in 2007. On January 29, 2007, it was announced via the label's website that the band had broken up.
Record production
In 2004 Freeman's studio took on the name The Pilot Studio when he began producing a variety of projects between and sometimes during a busy touring schedule.
The Pilot
Due to the considerable difference between the number of songs Hidden in Plain View's schedule allows them to record and the number of songs Freeman writes, he decided to put his recording studio to good use by starting a solo project under the name The Pilot. , The Pilot has released ten songs on his
PureVolume
PureVolume (formerly Unborn Media) was a website for uploading and streaming of music files, the first independently run of its type. PureVolume was created by Unborn Media, Inc; Mitchell Pavao; Brett Woitunski; and Nate Hudson, all from the Univer ...
and MySpace profiles ("This So Called Life", "Miss Mirage", "The Distance I Know", "Good Enough", "Home Away from Home", "Day In and Day Out", "5 Years in the Making", "You Verse Me Verse the World", "White Noise", and "Believe What You Will"), though it is unknown whether they will ever be issued on a CD, or if he will continue making them available for free download.
Musically, Freeman's solo project does not differ drastically from his work with Hidden in Plain View. It is safe to say that The Pilot songs are far less punk influenced, featuring more sensitive lyrics and acoustic instruments such as acoustic guitars, the
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...
and even strings. Often accompanied by drum machines, his songs are synthesized — yet not to an extent as predominant in
power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and c ...
, let alone electronica songs — and at times bear close resemblance to some of Jimmy Eat World's more mellow songs.
Accompanied by Thomas J. Chipmen on guitar, Freeman played his first acoustic concert under The Pilot moniker on October 28, 2006 at Bloomfield Ave Cafe in
Montclair, New Jersey
Montclair () is a township in Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Situated on the cliffs of the Watchung Mountains, Montclair is a wealthy and diverse commuter town and suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. ...
. Shortly afterwards, guitarist/ bassist Jason Jaksetic was announced as the first official member of The Pilot, besides Freeman. An East Coast tour supporting Houston Calls is scheduled for December 2006.
Discography
Musician
Producer
* Foster – ''The Demo'' (2002)
*
Houston Calls
Houston Calls was an American rock band, based in Rockaway, New Jersey, United States. They formed in 2003 and were signed to Rushmore Records (a subsidiary of Drive-Thru Records). On June 9, 2009, they announced their official breakup.http: ...
– '' 4 Song Sampler'' (2003)
* State Unfair –''Demos'' (2003)
* Sleepwell – ''Coin Operated Entertainment'' (2003)
* Royden – ''Best Friends Our Worst Enemies'' (2004)
* Maverick – ''Caught in the Negatives'' (2004)
* The Letter You –''Free from Everything'' (2005)
* Sound the Alarm – ''Sound the Alarm'' (2006)
* P.R.Y.D.E. – ''Drowning Between Life and Lies'' EP (2006)
* Someday Never – '' The Natural Trend of Breathing'' EP (2006)
* Hometown Anthem – ''If We Could Dream'' (2006)
* The Fallback – ''This City Story'' EP (2006)
* Hand Me Down Buick – ''The Greater the Risk'' (2006)
* Sayrelin – ''We've Come to the Conclusion'' (2006)
* SunSets North – ''Return To Sender'' (2007)
* Parade The Day – 'To Keep Us Moving'' (2007)
* Late Night Habit – 'The Single Life' (2009)
* Hit The Lights – 'Skip School Start Fights' (2009)
* Armor For Sleep – 'EP' (2009)
* Voted Most Random – 'Everything You Want and More' (2010)
* Hartford – 'Room 207' (2010)
* Royal – ''Royal EP'' (2010)
* Ally Burnett – 'The Takeover EP' 'The Seven' (2010) 'The Heartbreaker Sampler' (2011)
* The Spin Room – 'The Dreams We Keep' (2010) 'Forever & Ever & Ever After' (2012)
* All The Right Moves – 'When Your Compass Breaks' (2012)
* Like Crazy – 'A Short Story' EP (2013)
* Novelty – 'With Room to Grow' (2014)
* Hampton Hollow – ‘Hampton Hollow’ (2017)
* Anxious Club – 'Midnight at Smoke Permanent' (2021)
PureVolume
PureVolume (formerly Unborn Media) was a website for uploading and streaming of music files, the first independently run of its type. PureVolume was created by Unborn Media, Inc; Mitchell Pavao; Brett Woitunski; and Nate Hudson, all from the Univer ...