Hawk Nelson is My Friend!

Living Life Louder!!!!

2009-06-25T13:57:00.000-07:00

OK!!! I have totally neglected this blog!!! I am sorry!!!! Well, the most amazing group did it again!!!! They just came out with a new EP... called Hawk Nelson Summer EP!!!!!! It has two songs that are also going to be featured on the new album that will arrive in stores Sept. 22!!! Here is the song Live Life LoUD (I gpot it off of YouTube)!!!!

GO FLAMES GO!

2009-04-22T16:47:00.001-07:00

Ok... so you all probably already know that Jason LOVES the Calgary Flames... if you don't than you have been living in a hole:) Ok.. well being a MAJOR hockey fan too I have been closely paying attention to Round 1 of the playoffs and it just so happens that the Flames FINALLY made it this year! YAHHH! They have been playing against the Blackhawks (Chicago) and have been defeated twice, but on April 20 they made a come back and won Game 3!!! Tonight they play again soo.... this game is important to if they have a chance at advancing on to Round 2! SOOOO..GO FLAMES GO!

A Little Longer....

2009-04-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

Ok... soo here is a clip of ne4ws from their wedsite!!! A little strange I thought that their album was comming out in July???!!! Apparenlty not... an EP comes out in June and the album comes out in September..sooo we have a little ways!

"The question "Where in the World is Hawk Nelson?" would be appropriate for the band that has been coast to coast this year playing in front of more than 350,000 fans with the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular (Jan.-March), REVOLVE tour (Jan.-Feb.), and finishing up the Rock and Worship Roadshow. Despite this insane touring schedule, fans will be pleased to know that these road warriors are finding time to record their fourth studio album in Nashville, TN. "Hawk Nelson Summer EP + Digital Pass" will be released June 16th preluding the fall release, "Live Life Loud," on Tooth & Nail / BEC Recordings set to release September 2009.
"Live Life Loud" features co-writing with Chris Stevens, Matthew Gerrard, TobyMac, Trevor McNevan, Bart Millard and others to be announced. The band has already been performing the title track for fans attending the Rock and Worship Roadshow receiving a huge response. Stay tuned for more information about this new album as the band gets in and out of the studio."

Amy and the Band!

2009-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Here is an interviw with the boys and Amy Grant when they did their own "One Little Miracle Tour/Fundraiser:

The 30th anniversary of any event is special, but the 30th anniversary of the Creation East festival was made extra memorable by the appearance of one of Christian music’s most well-known and loved artists—Amy Grant. On Friday night she performed five songs, including her hits "Lead Me On" and "Love of Another Kind". It was fascinating to see how the crowd responded. One humorous exclamation came from a young girl who turned to her Dad and said, "What's Amy playing a Bethany Dillon song for?" (Bethany re-did "Lead Me On" on her debut.)

The icing on the cake was when Amy teamed up with pop/rock sensation Hawk Nelson to sing backup on their song “One Little Miracle”.

Just how did this collaboration come about? Where has Amy been for the past few years? What can we expect from her and the Hawk Nelson guys in the future?

At an exclusive interview session with other members of the press held on the festival grounds, we at TitleTrakk.com discovered the answers. Moderated by FM 90.3 WJTL dj Mindy Lynn, read on to experience for yourself this intimate and entertaining conversation!

MINDY: A couple years ago, Amy, I understand in 1983 you were getting ready to perform at Creation and a transformer blew. What happened?

AMY: There was an event in Florida where a candlelight was planned. But it rained, and the candles weren’t used. I guess all the trucks and vans drove up from Florida for Creation, and when the transformer went out everything went out. I mean, there was no sound system, and we were in darkness. Back then there weren’t all the worship songs either. Not many choruses. The only songs we could figure out that everybody knew were Christmas songs. (Laughs.) Pretty limited! So Brown Bannister got up and he was swinging a lantern to keep everybody singing in time. It was the dark ages! Jason (nods to Jason Dunn sitting next to her) was not quite one then.

DANIEL BIRO: That is so vintage!

AMY: Somebody went and got all the candles from the van, and that was the beginning of the candlelight service at Creation.

So, Amy . . . what have you been up to?

AMY: So much. This month marks 20 years since I had a record called Lead Me On come out. And so I’ve reassembled most of the old band, and we’re going to do a 20 city tour. We re-released Lead Me On with 45 minutes of unpublished material. Some live concert songs from the 1989 tour, and some more recent things. And then I’m starting a record which will be out next summer. I’m doing a Christmas tour with my husband Vince, and mostly just trying to keep my kids out of trouble. (Laughs.)

DANIEL: Hey, Amy, do you think we could be like a permanent part of your band?

AMY: That was so much fun tonight. It was unbelievable. We’d have to include Will Owsley though.

JASON DUNN: Will’s amazing.

So I understand you going back and bringing out these 45 minutes of older stuff brought you to your newer album. The old stuff kinda made you think of new material?

AMY: I sort of fell off the map a little bit because I went through so many life changes. I went through a divorce in 1998. In 1999 I remarried, had a baby. I sort of feel like I entered a long, dark tunnel that took about ten years to come all the way through. And anybody that’s ever been through an intense life change realizes your life can suddenly look different, and you can feel like a stranger in your own life. It takes time to get your footing. It was Brian Ward’s idea to re-release Lead Me On, and it was when I re-heard those live recordings that something happened in me . . . the healing was done. So I said, let’s get out there and start making some music. I’m 47 and a half, and I don’t know what music is going to look like as I’m closing in on 50, but it probably has less big stages like that [gestures behind herself toward the Creation festival main stage] and more tents like this [referring to the small tent in which the interview was conducted], which suits me just fine. But I know when you’re creative, there’s always something ahead.

And I understand there are 3 new recordings, one with Vince and one with Michael W. Smith and Will Owsley?

AMY: Yes, the songwriter versions of three of the songs we picked are totally stripped down to highlight the lyrics.

Who are some of the original band members who’ll be out with you on the fall Lead Me On tour?

AMY: Well, one person who will definitely not be on the road is Terry McMillan because he died a little over a year ago. Unbelievable harmonica player. We tell a story about Mutt Lang who produced AC/DC, Shania Twain, so many people could sing his praises. But he’s legendary for making a musician do a hundred takes of the same thing. (Imitates British accent) “Man, that was really great, let’s just try it one more time.” Terry McMillan is the only person who has ever done one take for Mutt Lang. And it was in a Shania Twain song that had a key change. He went from one harmonica to the next. When the red lights were turned off, Mutt said, “That’s all we need.” And so on this re-release there’s an extended solo by Terry McMillan, and it’s just wonderful that that’s on there.

And the only other person who I probably won’t invite out on the road, though he would probably go!, is my ex-husband Gary Chapman (Laughs.) I think he would go and have a blast, but . . . we get along great, but there’s only so much you can ask!

Everybody else that was in the band will be out with me. Chris Rodriguez. He’s been out with Keith Urban, but Nicole’s baby is due so he’s off. Gerry McPherson’s been out with Faith Hill, but she’s got the fall off, so he’s coming. Greg Morrow on drums. Chris Eaton on keyboards. Ken Rarick, and Warren Ham who’s been out with Donna Summer.

JASON: I kinda think Smitty should make the comeback, you know?

[One of the Hawk Nelson guys breaks out into song: “Thy word, is a---”]

So what about this little ditty I’ve heard, “One Little Miracle”. How did that come about?”

JASON: Well, me and this girl go waaaay back. [Wrests arm around back of bench he’s sharing with Amy] High school prom, 1984. I was two and a half. (Laughter.) Our manager, Miss Theresa Davis was an Amy Grant mega-fan. Don’t get me wrong . . . Heart in Motion . . . thank you, Lord! But I mean, I could probably sing three of the songs, but Theresa can tell you the track listings. As a kid I grew up listening to Phil Keaggy, who was playing today. I would love to meet that guy still. I grew up on artists such as Michael W. Smith, and of course the fabulous Amy Grant. That was the music I listened to as a kid. My parents raised me on it. Then I grew up and I realized my friends were listening to it, so obviously I couldn’t listen to it anymore. But deep down I was like, “Oh, I love this song. Don’t change the radio. Aw, he just changed the radio! Great.”

When we started Hawk Nelson we came into Nashville for the Gospel Music Association week, and I was like a kid in a candy shop. As a kid raised on Christian music I was nineteen years old and was like, “Oh, my goodness, that’s Michael W. Smith over there. That’s Michael W. Smith over there!” I got Rick Cua to sign my wallet. And then I ran into John Schlitt from Petra, and I was freaking out.

So that’s a long story to say that’s just the type of music I was raised on. I hate to say it, but kids out there don’t know who Rick Cua is, they don’t know who David Meece or Randy Stonehill is. Are you kidding me? It offends me. So we’re bringing it back.

Theresa was like, “We’ll get Amy to do a song with you.” And we were like, “She won’t do it. There’s no way.” But she actually said yes!

AMY: You know, Nashville is a great music town, and the whole fun of making music is making it with other people. I’m not a very good background singer---

JASON: That’s not true.

AMY: I’m telling you, it was pretty painful the first hour of trying to do it because Jason sang that song so well. But I love the collaboration we wound up with. I’m married to a great singer—

JASON: The luckiest man in the world.

AMY: Not a week goes by that he’s not singing on somebody’s record. And it’s because that’s the whole point, to share your gift. And I was so honored. Because I’m not a really good harmony singer, I don’t get asked. Every week Vince is like, “I’ve got five sessions, I’m singing on all these debuts. . .” And I’m thinking, “They must’ve heard about me, because nobody’s calling!” So when Theresa called I was like YES!!! I get to go sing on somebody’s record!

JASON: You did the one up, didn’t you? “What are you doing today, Vince, honey? Oh? I’m going to do that too.”

JONATHAN STERNGARD: And Vince asks, “Hawk Nelson, is that Willie Nelson’s son?”

(Laughter.)

JASON: Actually, I think it’s great, great, great, great grandson.

AMY: Hey, that’s a pretty good gene pool.

JASON: I’m sorry

So, Hawk Nelson, great, great, great, great, grandson of Willie Nelson, what have you been up to?

JASON: Well, this and that. We released an album called Hawk Nelson is My Friend. Available on iTunes, Hawknelson.com, check it out, thank you. (Laughs.) Also, festivals. I love festival season, except when it pours rain. In between festivals is baseball. So we’ve got both ends of the spectrum. We’ve got rain. And then we’ve got 1,000 degree heat in Mississippi where you’re afraid to go outside because your feet might burn.

DANIEL: It’s called Faith Nights, and our booking agency puts it on. Last year we did about 30 of them. It’s AAA baseball teams. The Veggie Tales are there, there are player testimonies, and it’s like a family fun night. It’s all around the U.S.

JASON: Free hot dogs.

JONATHAN: Good times. We did a few major league games, too last year. The Twins. The Dodgers.

DANIEL: Mark Stuart from Audio Adrenaline speaks.

JONATHAN: I grew up with Audio Adrenaline, too, so I’m kind of nervous around him still. This fall we’re on the Revolve tour. It’s for teen girls and is put on by the Women of Faith ministry. It’s awesome, because there are like 10,000 teen girls out there screaming at the same pitch. Actually, that kinda hurts, but . . .

JASON: And we’re like the only guys on the tour so it works out perfect!

AMY: Just don’t let them rip you to shreds.

DANIEL: [Imitates a teen girl screaming into microphone.]

JASON: It’s intense. We play the Cyndi Lauper song, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”, and it’s the best song on our set because it’s not ours.

QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS:

Jason, you played at the Stone Pony I think about a year ago. A guy approached you and wanted to invite you to a big beer bash he was having back at his house. You very eloquently turned him down. Does that kind of stuff happen often?

JASON: There have been some really weird experiences that’ve happened on the road, especially on certain tours that we’ve done. There have definitely been times where I’ve been like, “Are you serious? Are you kidding me? Go get disciplined by your parents or something, you shouldn’t be saying those sort of things.” I’m really thankful for my family, my parents. Parents are awesome. My dad was a great leader. I still admire him and really look up to him. He’s like my hero. I’m really thankful for the way they raised me and my brothers and sisters. I mean, sure, there are times when you relax and fall off the path. We’re all guilty of that, but we need to remember why we’re here, and why we’re doing this and what our motives are behind our music. Once people grasp that and what our mission is, it makes a huge difference for sure.

A lot of people like country music as much as they like Christian music. So Amy, being married to a country artist, what do you see as the similarities between Christian and country music, and would you even consider putting out an album?

AMY: I don’t think I’m an authentic country singer. I love recording with Vince, and I feel like all these years, eight and a half, of being married to a country singer has changed they way my production sounds. It’s just earthier. But I think there’s an honesty to a lot of country music. They’re not afraid to tell a hard luck story. Yeah, there’s a lot of chest-beating and strutting songs, but country music embraces the down and out, and it tells the common man’s story. In Christian music we’re all commoners that need Jesus. There is something, an honesty level, that I think draws people to both.

Jason, you’ve gone through a lot of different band members, and how has that shaped your band into what it is now?

JASON: Hawk Nelson started in high school, so I was eighteen, and I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. One week I wanted to be a doctor. The next week, maybe I’ll got into archeology. The next thing I know I’m in a van driving across the country playing shows. When you’re that age you don’t really have the brain capacity to know what you want to do with your life. So we had some guys in the beginning who were like, “Oh, yeah, sweet, we’re gonna go on the road.” Then they’re like, “We’ve been doing this for a year, I’m going to lose my mind if I keep doing it.” The older they got they started realizing this wasn’t for them. That happens in life. You start finding your niche. Now we’re got the greatest guys our band could ask for. I’m so thankful for them. We’re like a family, brothers. We look out for each other.

JONATHAN: Amy, you know this better than anyone, but traveling takes a lot out of you. Certain points in people’s life, they’ll come to the point where other priorities might take the front burner. When you’re in a band that travels that much, it’s going to happen.

AMY: How many shows to do you guys do?

JASON: When we were nineteen and twenty we did 280. We’re down to 175 now. There are certain days in the year where we’re like, “Okay, this is it. I’m done.” But that’s life! Everyone’s got that day where they think, “I’m not going to work today. I don’t care what happens.”

JONATHAN: I feel a country song coming on . . . “Quit my job, I’m not goin’ to work . . .”

JASON: Why is it that when you do a country song you gotta put that twang into it?

As Christian music royalty, what do you hope to leave with this awesome group of guys called Hawk Nelson, and Hawk Nelson, what do you hope to gain from this awesome experience of working with Amy Grant?

JASON: Amy Grant’s phone number.

(Wild laughter!)

AMY: I hadn’t really thought that far. Contemporary Christian music is kind of a new genre, but I guess I just wanted to be a part of what they were doing to be encouraging. I’m a generation older than you guys [gestures toward Hawk Nelson]. I didn’t expect you to know my stuff. But I know how powerful music can be. I was never like, “Hey, you need to get in the saddle and buckle down.” I think it’s encouraging when you find someone who has done something you’ve done for a long time. I hope we stay in contact, and maybe the conversation you’re looking for will come in a natural way. I’m all for things happening in a natural sequence. Great conversations are born out of real relationships. Things happen in a proper time frame, and so far Jason has not asked for my phone number (Laughs). He’s such a big tease . . .

JASON: I’m nervous!

AMY: Mostly what I feel is you guys have so much energy. And what I wanted to take away from the experience of being with them . . . sometimes when you’ve been doing something for a long time and you partner with somebody who’s new at it, their enthusiasm is infectious, and you go, “I forgot how exciting that was! I forgot how great it is to be excited about a new song!” It’d be like somebody who coached a team for thirty years, and you get some great young players on that team, and you feel revived to go into this next season. That’s honestly what I was hoping for, and it’s absolutely what I got. Beyond all that, we have the fellowship of being in the same family.

DANIEL: When we played together tonight, it was one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever been a part of. I want to thank you, Amy, for doing that with us. It’s moments like that we get every now and then as musicians and believers where God has an opportunity to instill inspiration and fresh thinking on things. It’s funny how we’ve gained a bit of new enthusiasm, too.

JASON: It’s like a jump start.

AMY: I loved John Denver when I was a kid, and I bought tickets to his concert, and I was there when he did a live recording at the Opry House. I got to be a part of a four man songwriter in-the-round, and John Denver was one of those people. It was the year he died, and I’ll always remember that. This is not the year I’m dying, but I’m telling you there is something about just doing something with somebody that affected you when you were a kid. The things that affected us as kids, on that blank palette, are so strong. It never happens like that again. I don’t know if you guys felt that way, but to this day when I hear “Country Rose” and sitting this close to John Denver and singing harmony and going, “Thank you, God, that I got to do that.” It was really a great memory.

JASON: I was telling Amy this tonight. This is by far one of the most monumental things I’ll ever do in my life. I’m not kidding you. This is maybe a little too much information, but this is even more monumental than my first kiss, when I graduated . . . I’m never ever gonna forget this. I don’t even remember my first kiss! Who cares? [Makes buzzer sound.] Back burner. I’m telling you, this is amazing.

AMY: You know, as you gain more and more attention . . . she will never say [makes buzzer sound] on the first kiss. She’ll say, “That guy up there on stage, he was my first kiss.”

JASON: I think I was actually her fifth. I was like thirteen years old! I didn’t know what I was doing!

(Everyone laughs.)

Jason Dunn

2009-03-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

I have decided to post a few pictures of each band member every month and I figured I would start with the lead singer: Jason Dunn! Enjoy!

Birthday!

2009-03-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Justin Benner you are amazing at what you do you care soooo uber much about your fans and that means alot to me! I hope to see you at the Winterfest at LU in December! Happpy 27th birthday!

Ummm...

2009-02-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Ok.. soo I just recived three comments by an anonymous commenter dissing Hawk Nelson, now I don't mean to be rude, but.... God created us all and I am not a HUGE fan of tattoos (ok believe me i think it is a waste of money)! Just because they have them dons't mean at all that they arent great role models or their music has bad lyrics! As far as im concerned God created them too and I am absolutley sure they love God with all their heart! We shouldn't be so judgmental of people who may look different or have tattoos and peircings! God loves them just as much as me and evrey other one of His children!

2009-02-03T09:59:00.001-08:00

2009-01-31T13:33:00.000-08:00

OK..... sooo the official MONTH of the release of the Hawk Nelson CD is in July!!! WOW that is way sooner than I thought it would be! lol

Want a HN hat??

2009-01-28T13:57:00.000-08:00

The Title for this post is: You Know You Want One...

So I was just checking up on my favorite band at hawknelson.com and I see an advertisement.

DO U WANT TO HAVE THE OFFICIAL HAWK MART HAT? CLICK HERE! Sorry I couldnt get a picture but I'll give ya a picture in words. It was a Hawk Nelson Krispy Kreme hat!!! It was soooo awesome! Just give your email address. :) i gave mine and will tell you what happens :) i just thought i should tell you what happens. sorry i don't have more info!

Thank You

2009-01-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

dearest readers

I would just like to thank all you who commented!!! And I am so sorry i haven't posted in a while, school kills ya! :) and aren't you glad hn is coming out with a new album?? WUHU!!!! and one more thing....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWISS GIRL!!!!!

leave her a shout out cuz it's the girl's bday!

happy b-day hannah!

luv redheaded bandit

ITS STARTED!!!

2009-01-21T13:33:00.000-08:00

Ok well HAWK NELSON HAS OFFICALLY STARTED THE WORK ON THEIR NEW ALBUM!!!! Also anyone who has seen them play the song "Girls just wanna have fun in concert" dont yall think they should put that on their new album or at least on an EP! soo if ya do vote!

2009-01-15T13:58:00.000-08:00

HEY YALL! Ok new news HN is working on a NEW Album...but sadly it is just in the begininng stages sooo it will be a while! At least we can look forward to it!

NOT LENAY!!!

2009-01-08T15:00:00.000-08:00

Ok clear up..... Neither me nor Redheadedbandit are Lenay Olsen!!! We LOVE the band Hawk Nelson! Umm but I do email Lenay! And... Lenay knows Jason... she's dating HIM!! Well, just wanted to clear that up!

2009-01-04T07:16:00.000-08:00

Ok to day's the day!!!! I have allowed comment on our blog sooo feel free to comment!

2009-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Ok hey yall I did go to Winterfest..... and I meet my HEROS too!!! Yes Jason, Daniel, Jonathan and Justin!!! Well,they aare actually going to read this then.... I just want to thank them for talking to me!

Jason: Thanks sooo very much for signing my arm and taking a pic with me! I wish I could have talked longer with you..... oh well next year!

Daniel: Thanks soooooo much for taking A LOT of time to talk withme anf actually caring taht mean soooo much to me! I dont know if ur really gong to check out this blog, but if you do thanks!!

Jonathan: Thanks for everything you have done!! You ROCK on the guitar and I love your blog!!

Justin: I had a really great time talking to you too! I hope I get to see you again in concert!

Thaks again! Like I said I dont really know if ur going to actually read this! See u soon! And I HOPE ull be there next year at Winterfest 2009-2010

HN wishes you a very merry christmas!!!

2008-12-24T12:00:00.000-08:00

Dearest Readers,

A VERY merry christmas to you!

Yes it is that time of year again! its christmas guys! wuuhu! Well as it is christmas that means it is time onece again for the WINTERFEST!!! yes i will put the next two dates on the blog the rest are HERE

WHERE: WHEN: VENUE:

Magon, GA Dec. 29, 2008, 8:30 pm Macon Centroplex

200 Coliseum Drive

Lynchburg, VA Dec. 30, 2008 Vines Center-L.U.

1971 university drive

MERRY CHRISMAS TO ALL OUR READERS AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!

lots of love your favorite blogger,

the redheaded bandit

2008-12-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Thank You Lenay!!! Here is another video created by Jason's grilfriend Lenay Olsen!!!

The Sidelines!

2008-12-18T12:09:00.000-08:00

ELLO!!! That is my new word guys!!!! Ok sooo just checking out blogs and I think I have found it!!!! Ok guys here is is Jonathan (lead guitarist) has a blog! SOOOO check it out I think it is the real thing here it is: http://jonathansteingard.blogspot.com/

BUT DONT YOU EVEN DARE STOP LOOKING AT OUR BLOG YA HEAR!!

2008-12-14T13:26:00.001-08:00

Dearest Readers,

Yes, Swiss Girl is right. We are having Shout-Out Week!! So leave your comments on the week of January 4- 11. Also Hawk Nelson has an official Fan Club. CLICK HERE to join! It costs $30 to join but that includes:

1 yr. subsciption
attend band Meet and Greets
special tickets for HN shows
exclusive merchandise
Hear music before anyone else
Exclusive band blogs
fan club news nad access

Something To Say!

2008-12-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Hey guys ok soo radicalredhead and I have been talking and we both realize that ya'll are the ones we are trying to please (as well as honor the group HAWK NELSON) soo we have decided for one week and only one week we will let you comment and tell us what you think about our blog! It will start January 4, 2009 and end Jauary 11, 2009! So for ya'll who actually read this blog please tell us what you think and what you would like to see more of because your opinion really does matter!!!
Love ya'll and hope your Christmas is amazing! Lets not forget what this season is really about! In the mist of all the presents and sales and cookies and family and friends and food lets all try to remeber that Christmas is really about Christ Jesus who was born that night in a stable and He would become the man who would die for all of our sins because HE LOVED US!

2008-12-06T11:54:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone!!! Hawk Nelson has officailly changed their website and personally I think it looks great! Also go to www.lenay.tv for some amazing videos of Jason Dunn and his girlfriend Lenay!!! here's a video too~

Jonathon Steingard

2008-11-27T10:51:00.000-08:00

Dearest Readers,

Jonathon Steingard

Jonathon Steingard: probably the second most heard of member of Hawk Nelson.

BIO: He came to HN in October 2004, replacing former member Davin Clark. He got married a couple years ago to Jessica Hubbard and they are still going strong. They live in Nashville, TE together. He is the oldest of three children and started to play guitar at age 9.

BAND ROLE: lead guitarist

B-DAY: June 23, 1983

WEBSITE: jonathansteingard.com

SOLO ALBUM: under the canopy

Well, visit his website, it is really cool! hope you enjoyed this post. I certaintly found out some new stuff about our dear friend jonathan.

xoxo,

the redheaded bandit

Just a Simple Thank You!

2008-11-18T18:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I think the sign says it all! I just want to thank all of you who read and pay attention to our blog! This is an amazing blog dedicated to an amazing Christian band. I want to thank them for being soo willing to help young teens out with lifes problems that they face and need help with. Soo in the end thank you all for supporting us and this great band!

Meet WHO.....????

2008-11-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

Sooo sorry that I haven't posted please forgive me! Well last weekend my dad saw his cousin (Will Graham). Will does crusades and revivals for teens and one of the music groups that works with him on some of it is Hawk Nelson! So my dad had asked him a few weeks back if there was any possible way I could meet them at the Winterfest at LU! Last weekend we saw him and asked if there was any way? And he said he knows the MC of the whole thing and that I WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THEM!!!!! The Winterfest is in December and I am sooo thrilled! I will be sure to post pictures and about what happened!!! It should be alot of fun! Hope that ya'll are well! Thanks sooo much for supporting the group HAWK NELSON!!!

the Revolve tour!

2008-11-15T09:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

and how have you all been? Hope you missed me!

Okay, so we are a Hawk Nelson news blog, so to help you out here are the dates for the Revolve Tour 2008:

City: Venue: When:

Spokane, WA Spokane Arena TODAY!!!!!

Portland, OR Rose Garden Arena Nov. 21 & 22

San Antonio, TX Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center Nov. 28

Dulath, GA Gwinett Arena Dec. 6 & 7

Greensboro, NC Greensboro Colloseum Jan. 24, 2009

Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center Jan. 31, 2009

Orlando, FL Amway Arena Mar. 7

Houston, TX Toyota Center Mar. 14

Denver, CO Denver Coliseum Mar. 21

Rochester, NY One Memorial Square Mar. 28

************************************************************************************

Winnipegg, MB, CA ** Calvary Temple May 1

Greenville, IL Bond County Fairgrounds May 2

Saskatoon, SK, CA ** Credit Union Centre May 9

Kalamazoo, MI Miller Auditorium May 15

Edmonton, AB, CA** Rexall Place & Northalnds Park May 23 & 24

Snyder, TX Scurry County Coliseum June 6

Charlotte, NC Paramount's Carowinds June 13

Gaylord, MI Ostego County Fairgrounds June 18

N. Lawrence, OH Clays Park June 19

Mason, OH Paramount's Kings Island July 9

Doswell, VA Paramount's Kings Dominion July 10

Willmar, MN Willmar Civic Center Grounds July 17

S. Bend, IN Lindeman Farms aug. 8

Leitchfield, KY Loucon Training & Retreat Center Aug. 14

To purchase tickets to all shows above the stars go to: REVOLVETOUR.COM

to purchase tickets to all shows below the astericks, to go hawknelson.com and see the tour dates. find your show and click on the link.

All information was taken from HAWKNELSON.COM!

Hope you enjoy your hawk nelson concert! If i go to one, you will def. be hearing about it!

XOXO,

the redheaded bandit

Hawk Nelson & Election 2008

2008-11-03T05:21:00.000-08:00

Dearest Readers:

Yes, even if you don't live in the USA, you'll know one thing. The 2008 Presidential Elections are tomorrow!! Isn't that just so great? Yes, and the name of our blog is Hawk Nelson for President odly enough! I just thought I would do an American themed Hawk Nelon post!!!!!!!Yay!! I found this wicked awesome picture of Hawk Nelson, it does look a little Patriotic right?

They look kind of evil right? It's kinda wweird...... Whatever!

CELEBRATE AMERICA!!!! GO OUT AND VOTE 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chaplin...

2008-10-27T14:49:00.000-07:00

Do you ever wonder who is "preaching" to Hawk Nelson and some of these other groups to help them grow in their faith?? Certianly they can't go to church every week when they are on tour. Well Tony Nolan is one of the men who is these groups "chaplin" he allows these artist to grow in their faith on the road. A few months ago I had the privelage to hear him!! He is such an amazing guy with an amazing testimony!!

The Show..

2008-10-27T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yes I wa searching for "Liberty Winterfest" images on Googole and this picture came up!!! Can you geuss who it is?? Of course Jason Dunn wearing a LU t shirt!!! SWEEET!!!! You gota love Lynchburg they bring in sooooooooo many Christian singers!!! In fact this Friday MercyMe is going to be a TRBC!!!!

YAY!! New EP!!

2008-10-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Dearest Readers of Hawk Nelson:

Hawk Nelson just released their new EP "One Little Miracle" It is too suport their new foundation which has been discussed in previous posts. On the EP are three versions of the one song "One Little Miracle". One is just the radio single, while the other is acoustic featuring Amy Grant. The other is Amy Grant and Hawk Nelson live in Concert!! Thanks ya'll!

L.O.L

~The Redheaded Bandit~

One Little Miracle

2008-10-21T17:24:00.000-07:00

I'm Back!!!

2008-10-13T15:56:00.000-07:00

YO YO YO!!! It's me your Swissgirl!! Sorry I haven't been posting in a really really long time, but I've been sorta busy:( But now I am back a ready to go! Hawk Nelson has recently started a new seiries of podcast and the two lastest have been dedicated to the late Peter Pancake:( Yes it was very hard for Jason to talk about, but he was able to make it through both of the podcasts and I think he is slowly overcoming his feeling for his beloved friend. They have also started a new capaign called "One Little Miracle" based after their song. They are on it w/ Ronald McDonald House, Tom's Shoes , Hands and Feet Project (started by Mark Stewert former member of Audio Adreniline) and Air1 Radio. They are giving shoes, helping the people devistated by Gustava! Also you can purchase "One Little Miracle" -HN and Amy Grant at iTunes. Also they are on they Revolve tour for the young women out there. They will be traveling to Columbus, OH; Dallas, TX; Greenburo, NC; and Orlando; FL just to name a few of the places were they will be going. So check out their website for more details. Got to go now!

2008-10-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dearest Readers:

Sorry for the leave of abscence.

I know you all have been wondering where are dearest Hawk Nelson has been. Well, I have a bit of news. Hawk Nelson has started a new campaign called the "One Little Miracle Campaign" Working with the Ronald McCdonald House, Tom Shoes, Hand and Feet Project, and Air One Radio every time someone purchases a pair of Tom Shoes, one pair of shoes will be give to a child who is a part of the Hand and Feet Project in Jacmel, Haiti. PRAY FOR THIS CAUSE!!!! The town Jacmel was DEVASTED by hurricane Gustav and these children need help!!! Pray for Tom Shoes to thrive in their sales so that the children would be protected. Thanks!

To watch the video where all this information came from click HERE!

Lots of Love,

the Redheaded Bandit!

xoxo

2008-09-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

2008-09-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just An exerpt about Hawk Nelson News!!!

SEATTLE, WA...September 24, 2008...From the band that knows how to make teen girls swoon as well as impact the lives of the youth generation, Hawk Nelson is on target to make a difference with the "One Little Miracle" campaign in multiple facets. The band is partnering with various organizations to urge others to reach outside and be that "one little miracle" that can change someone's life. The moniker for the newly launched program is based of the band's newest single "One Little Miracle," which is currently charting at No. 6 on CHR formats. As the song states:

Quote:

One little revolution could turn it all around.
Back to the Kingdom we once knew
Just a little bit of me, just a little bit of you
One little miracle to get us through

Not just focusing on one area of need, Hawk Nelson has chosen three avenues to be the "one little miracle" across the nation; however, the band needs the help of their truly devoted fans and following to make an impact. Each outreach will enforce the band's ongoing involvement with the Hands & Feet Orphanage in Haiti, which the band visited last summer and recently purchased a van from proceeds raised during the spring tour (pictured below). The orphanage was directly hit in the recent Gustav hurricane, and the band is striving to help provide aid as many others.

An "Ah-Ha" Moment

2008-09-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, just as the title states: I have had an "Ah-Ha" moment! :) You know the packaging on the CD, that's like the paper in the CD? well, The packaging on the album "Hawk Nelson is My Friend" is a gameboard! :) hawk nelson is just to creative.!

More Fun (random, stupid) News!

2008-09-17T13:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Just a quick note, if you watch the "California" music video really carefully, you can tell that Jason Dunn is a leftie!! Isn't that awesome?! See, you learn a new thing everyday! :)

Love Ya'll

~~The Redheaded Bandit~~

2008-09-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hey, I have one really really big favor to ask ya'll who actually read this blog. Will you please add us to your 'Followers' list!!

2008-09-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

Swiss Girl:

Wow! I can't believe he's diabetic! Hey Swiss Girl, would you mind posting the website on here? :) thanks! That would be mucho awesome!

Doing the Disco,

Lydia

A Couple of Things......

2008-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Hey its me again and I found some really interesting info about Jason Dunn!!
His Birthday: December 26, 1982
His Role Model: Micheal W Smith
One Unknown Thing About Him: He's diabetic!!!

2008-09-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Well, here is some mechendise and a video of my absolute favorite band!!! HAWK NELSON! I can't wait until December because I am going to the Winterfest at Liberty and am going to see them in concert!! It will be completely awesome.

HN bobble head

2008-09-13T12:07:00.001-07:00

lol!

hawk nelson: california video

2008-09-13T11:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers of Hawk Nelson for President:

ok, so SO sorry I couldn't post this directly onto Hawk Nelson for President. Technical difficulties with YouTube... :( so just click on the link below and watch the California Music Video. I had never seen it before, probably cuz it's not on iTunes. It's a really early video. I mean, California was like their first single or something. Coolies...

Link:

Hawk Nelson California Music Video

Thanks for reading!

~~Redheaded Bandit~~

2008-09-03T14:51:00.000-07:00

Hey Sorry Lydia. The page loaded and the colors blinded me so I had to change it:(

2008-09-03T14:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers:

Okay i might as well admit, I was the one who applied the radical changes... I just thought the old look had been there for too long. i mean, on my private blog, i change the template, every couple days. sooooo I'm sorry i haven't blogged about you know the best band ever after U2 (sorry, my heart is forever theirs).

Something that's not really new news, but it's something interesting that i read on the website today. did you know that when composing songs for their latest album "Hawk Nelson is my Friend" the band worked with plenty of people who have helped SO many other great stars. David Bendeth (elvis presley, red jumpsuit apparatus), Matthew Gerard (high school musical :(, hannah montana), Raine Malda (Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson), and Richard Marx (keith urban)

Well, I've gotta go for now!

Doing the Disco,

~the Redheaded Bandit~

FYI

2008-09-01T07:11:00.000-07:00

O h my goodness I was just reading this interview with Hawk Nelson from this Wisconson Music place and this is what came up in topic!!! I mean after reading this I realized that our life is so short and we literally could die any monment. With this story I also realized that God is always watching over us even at Waffle House!

You’ve been on the road almost non-stop over the past couple of years. Do any moments stand out over the blur?

JD: Our very first tour we were robbed in Hillsberry, North Carolina. By gunpoint. Literally a week on the road after a show one night, we went to a Waffle House. Two guys came in, and ordered some food. Next thing I know, they pull out these automatic hand-guns. They cleared the cash register, and one of them came up to me and pointed a gun to the side of my head. I could feel the barrel against my temple. I really thought I was going to die! It was so scary, he made me put my wallet on the floor. He took it, and then they just left.

I'm Back!!

2008-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Wow I haven't been able to post about HN for a while now, but I am back for good now1 I can't believe we actually have that many hits!!! It is truly amazing! Also HN just came out with a new season of podcasts!

Hey this is one of the few pics I found of Justin Benner the drummer that took over for Aaron!

Just a few years ago HN was the set of Yours, Mine& Ours singing Bring Em Out!

I love this Pic. of Jason!

Did you know that Dainel has a Compassion sponser child!

Back Stage: At the Revolve Tour!

Pictures: Live Photo Gallery

2008-08-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I have created another Photo Gallery for you, this time of Hawk Nelson in concert.

So here it is...

Enjoy!

The Crowd Surfing Jason... :)

Whoa!

2008-08-12T06:36:00.000-07:00

Just one word: Wow!

Jason getting all decked out for April Fool's Day. Another Reason Hawk Nelson isn't perfect: ALL THOSE TATTOOS!!!!! Yuck! "Here let me pay you to stick a needle in me to have a design on my body for the rest of my life. Yes, even when i'm 70 yrs. old and sick with some disease or overweight or something I will still have it" Yike!

Again sorry we haven't update you all these last days. You see Swiss Girl has officially moved to her now home but what we call "The Magical Land" of VA.!!!! I

2008-08-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Here is some more information too!

Jonathan and Daniel are the only people in the band who are married. Jason has a girlfriend named Lenay! Here is her web address: www.lenay.tv! She is just as funny as Jason! She has her own podcasts on iTunes too!

MORE COMING LATER......

A Concert!!

2008-08-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hey!!! I have awesome news Hawk Nelson is going to be in Lynchburg,VA this December!!! I case some of you don't know I am moving there next Sunday! Sooo... When I realized this I decided that I should go tell my dad and see if we can go! Soo... I think I might be able to go! If any of you live in Lynchburg or around it you should go to!!! That night the also have Skillet!! On new years eve they have Stellar Kart and Jeremy Camp playing!!! It is going to be a blast! Go to www.libertywinterfest.com for more details!

on the opposite spectrum...

2008-07-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Fellow Hawk Nelson Lovers,

Sorry for the lack of posting over the weekend, we've been quite busy. Swiss Girl is moving and I was just getting ready for school to start all over again. Anyway, onto happier horizons...

Hawk Nelson: Well since this blog is about the band Hawk Nelson and I am a writer of it, I was researching a certain thing on a certaing member of this particular band. I was wondering just how old is Jason Dunn, lead singer and pianist? I found out that he was born on December 26, 1982 in Peterborough, Canada. That makes him 25. Which means he is out of college. Where did he go to college? That was not stated in the article in question. But I do need to find this out. I also found out that Jason's favorite Bible verses are Proverbs 4:5-6. His middle name is Kevin. If you didn't know he is a die-hard fan of the Calgary Flames and has a tattoo of their logo on their back. I guess there's something in everyone that's disgusting, perverted, and wrong. Tattoos disgust me!!!! Eww..... I'll try to finish without throwing up completely. Ok, he lives in Minneapolis.

And a funny picture to go with it...! hahahaha

On a sadder note:

The song "Everything That You Ever Wanted" is about a boy whose father left him when he was young. It's about him working through his pain and finally figuring out that it's not his fault his dad abandoned his family. I found this all out in an interview which you can see HERE.

But wait... there's more. As I read on Daniel says: "Happened to me and my mom. I'll be honest. She left when I was 13 and those were some hard years. And just a couple years ago things worked out. I think that's a good song that a lot of people can relate to even if it's not a father. It can happen in your own life to anyone." I think what he's saying is that his mom left?? I'm not so sure. S.G. what do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Doing the Disco,

~The Redheaded Bandit~

I LOVE THESE PEOPLE!!!!

2008-07-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a couple pictures that I found and loved!!! Check them out:

This is Will Graham Billy Graham's grandson on stage w/ HN at his youth gathering!!

I didn't know my dad's cousin could play Kazoo?!?!?! I wonder if he was any good???

I just can't get over how Daniel plays his guitar! He is an amazing player live!! Did you know that "The Show" is his favorite song to play live!!! I can see why too.

You can always count on Jason Dunn to give it all he's got!

Here he is again! He is not only good at singing he is an amazing entertainer!!! BUT don't let him tell jokes on stage!!!

Another great picture of Jason singing!

This picture is really old cause the only two member still in the band are Jason (up close) and Daniel (in the way back)!!! I just thought this pic. was sorta cool!

O My Goodness!!!! He TOTALLY ROCKS IN CONCERT!!! That sums it all up!

Their they all are bowling!! (Another oldie)

The Latest News.....

2008-07-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well, hey everyone!!Ithough this picture was sort of funny with them. I got it in the news update and boy is there alot of cool new things going on with them!First JC Penny and Hawk Nelson teamed up w/ a couple other groups and recorded a new song called "Don't You Forget About Me"!!! So check this awsome song out!! Also this week only at the Family Christian Book Stores you can get Hawk Nelson's sophmore album and Hawk Nelson is My Friend for especially low prices!!! Speaking about cheaper on iTunes they just reduced Hawk Nelson is My Friend album w/ music video to "Friend Like That" for only $9.99!!! Even if you already have it why not Gift It to a friend!!! Once again they will be on the Revolve Tour this September so check out the Revole website to see if they are coing to your town!! Speaking about tours they have just started their Baseball Tour for the second year in a row!!! Just a little info for next year too: This summer they were playing on the Christian Music Cruise and many people got to see and hang out with these awesome bands soo this years they again are scheduled to go on this cruise to meet their fans and spend some time with them!!!

Art and the Band (don't forget Heidi and Skydiving)

2008-07-24T08:51:00.001-07:00

Okay, so one thing about me is I love photography so here are so well composed and cooly edited photos of the band.

Playing the guitar

I love the black and white background with one part or the subject being source the only of color.

Yes!! The band and fashion come together! Hawk Nelson with Supermodel Heidi Klum.

(what is up with Jason's face?)

Oh yeah!! Hawk Nelson in concert at Sonshine. Who knew he could jump SO high??

That's Jason Dunn (lead singer) right there parachuting! Hawk Nelson made quite an entrance at Spirit West Coast in 2007. Each band member flew tandem as they flew into the festival that was attended by 20,00 people.

Artistic black and white concert photo of Jason Dunn. I believe this is the calmest photo of him I've ever seen.

And that concludes Artsy Photo Gallery.

thanks for reading!

~redheaded bandit~

;)))

2008-07-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

Hello!! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. I've been kind of busy lately. One thing you have to know about me: I like photography and artistic things. I am an aspiring proffessional fashion/food photographer. Today I meant to welcome you into my world and hawk nelson's by showing artisticly composed and edited photos of the band. Due to lack of needed equipment, I will not be able to do swo at the moment, but will as soon as possible!

Thanks~
Redheaded Bandit

They Just Keep Coming!!!

2008-07-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Jesusfreakhideout.com (John DiBiase): Your sophomore record comes out tomorrow? How does it feel?

Jason Dunn: I don't know. I guess I'll find out in the morning. *laughter* Wow, I guess our sophomore record's coming out. I think we're all super excited for sure. It's long overdue, you know? We've put alot of work into it and I'm a little nervous. A lot of people are speaking highly of it, but talk is cheap.
Daniel Biro: Talk is cheap and numbers don't lie.

Jason: Numbers do not lie. Honestly I'm really excited. Even if it doesn't do well. The fact we have another record out is really exciting for me, and for all of us I think. We get to play new material now. It's like a whole new phase in Hawk Nelson.

Daniel: If I may interject. I couldn't fall asleep two nights ago. I was lying in bed and getting really excited about it. Right now I'm kinda tired, it's mid-day and time for a nap, but two nights ago it's two in the morning and I'm so excited I had to write a little journal entry. I don't know if you saw it. I sent it to our manager. (Jason: I heard that you wrote one) I was like, "I can't fall asleep and I'm really excited." It was kind of the feeling I guess, a little bit like when the first one came out. (Aaron Tosti: Like Christmas really.) *laughter* We don't have that in Canada. (Aaron: They have Christ Mas. It's a different holiday. *laughs*) It's amazing that we've made it this far and been able to do a second record with Tooth and Nail. Some bands don't get to. It's an honor.

JFH (John): Why the title? Because you seemed to have it last year before you really started writing most of the record, right?

Jason: Yeah. No actually, no. Well I guess we did. It was during the writing process. Before the songs were recorded, for sure. We wanted to bring a positive response because of all the things that go on in the world - hurricanes and all that jazz. Things obviously aren't the best with 9-11. *phone rings twice and Jason answers, sounding like he just woke up* Hello? *pauses* Yeah, that-that's fine. *giggles around the room* OK, bye. *laughter* (Daniel: Who the heck was that?) That was Margeurite from house cleaning. She's like, "Would you like your room cleaned everyday at five?" I'm like, "Ok..." *laughter* Anyway where were we? So as people started having all these things happening with the hurricane disasters and stuff and started getting freaked out about it being the end of the world. "The end of the world is taking place in 2006, I totally called that in '97!" *laughter* You know people actually do that. My own mother does that, "It's not til 2008." They're planning dates on the return of Christ. Which I think is a total joke. In the Bible it says Christ doesn't even know when He's coming back, only God the Father knows. It's funny how people all of a sudden start putting dates. It's almost like a superstition, you know? So we just kind of saw Smile, It's The End Of The World as not a slap in the face, but almost a sarcastic remark. But a lot of bad things are happening to say the least, but when things come we just need to have a positive attitude. We need to not worry about things that are gonna happen. We always need to be aware of them. But you just smile and don't worry about it because things are under control. And if the end of the world happens that's awesome. We're ready, but nobody knows, you know. It's funny that people put a date on that.

Daniel: I think that's the major thing and the minor thing like examples with each of us in our lives sometimes we feel like it's all gonna end with your own personal conflicts and problems and even with this band we went through a lot of stuff in the last few years. I'll be honest, sometimes I thought we were gonna have to pack it up and go home. But it didn't end. Just like the world, it's still turning. I saw the sun rise this morning. It was beautiful. Happy to see the sunshine stay. (Jason: I thought you were talking about breaking up in 2008.) *laughter* And totally just having that positive approach.

JFH (Amy): We didn't know if you actually came up with the title for the album and didn't have the song "Fourteen" yet or if you wrote the song "Fourteen"...

Jason: Yea the song went after. We wanted to have a song that went with the theme.

Daniel: There was actually a song "Smile, It's the End of the World," the title track, that didn't make the record.
Jason: It may be for sale on iTunes. I don't know if you buy the record online or not you'll get that actual song. I don't know if it actually went through or not.

JFH (John): Why is "Fourteen" called "Fourteen"?

Jason: I've always wanted someone to ask that question. *laughter* I've been waiting for this. It's partly due with laziness. *laughter* Originally we were gonna have 13 tracks and we wanted to have it kind of wierd, like skip number 13 because it's unlucky. So were were gonna go "1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,14. But we only ended up having 12 songs and I couldn't think of anything else so I'll just leave it at "Fourteen". So that's really why.

JFH (John): Your new record is distinctly more mature, more raw effort.

Jason: Thank you. What if we're still really immature? *laughter*

JFH (John): What do you feel lead to this? What were the ingredients for this result?

Jason: Easy. These two guys right here. With two members right here. Jonathan and Aaron. They're better musicians than the last guys. *everyone goes "Oooo!"* I'm not saying that... You guys are awesome. We played together since we were 12 but didn't have a lot of time to grow. But for these guys, music is their passion. They put everything into playing and that was their passion like us. And I think their ability really made us grow stronger as a band.
Jonathan Stiengard: I have a lot more pedals. *laughter*
Daniel: Jay, I'm gonna go on a limb and say, these guys, that they're better musicians by far. Far better than me and you. They're amazing.

Jonathan: I have at least like 20 pedals.

JFH (Amy): How bout your influences for this record?

Jason: During the whole writing process, I really liked the All American Rejects new record. It's a really really good record, I think. Every song on there is a good song. It's not very often you find a record that you can listen to every track without being bored, you know? That record really did it for me.
Daniel: I think there's some songs that have a Sum 41 influence. I don't listen to them all the time, but I really like their stuff.

Jason: I remember before doing all the vocals, every song had a different influence behind it. If I knew I was doing one song, for instance "The One Thing I Have Left," I'd spend like an hour listening to Sum 41 and The Used. Just to get some... obviously it'd still be my own voice but still have a little bit more of that influence. It's a really neat process to see how some songs are different than some songs like Green Day or All American Rejects or Goldfinger or Blink 182 or something like that just to get different feeling I guess for each song.

Daniel: I think because we all appreciate so many different kinds of music and these guys brought that to the table so that there's more diversity on the record. Not every song sounds the same.
Aaron: It's not so much pop-punk rock. It's just pop rock.

Daniel: But it's still Hawk Nelson totally. So a song like "The Show" is... I love that song and the quartet that we got to sing on that. I never thought I'd like Southern Gospel music but I really do like it. And when they sang on it it was like proof that... let's do a whole record like that!

JFH (Amy): What's the story behind the market? Do they sing at a market?

Jason: It takes place at a market downtown. They're like street performers.

JFH (Amy): Have you guys gone to see them play there?

Daniel: They sang at the first Starbucks that ever existed and we were getting stuff there and they had a couple CD's so we bought a few and listened and they were really good. So we went to see them play or sing I guess and they were great. So they came up.

JFH (John): What was your inspiration for "Everything You Ever Wanted?"

Jason: "Everything You Ever Wanted" was a song about a father who walked out on his family, abandoned his kids and his wife and his whole family. And it goes from his son's point of view - how he was just a kid when his dad walks out on him and it's a tough life. And he realizes his dad's a jerk and can't believe he did that. It's sad that a lot of kids are dealing with that. Even kids in our own church. I guess for kids growing up, all of us had this fairytale view of, "OK, I'm gonna grow up and have the best wife and the best job and I'm gonna live in the biggest house and drive the nicest car." And that's like everyone's dream and something like that comes and falls apart and slowly one by one things just start crumbling. "This isn't what I pictured it being like." It's like my dad just left me and you get fired from your job and all these things start crumbling and he starts building up all this hatred and resentment towards his dad like a lot of kids do. It's like a spiral effect. Because of that one thing, depression sets in which leads to cutting and suicide which a lot of kids are dealing with and this song is kind of telling kids that crappy things are gonna happen in your life, but you need to forgive and forget and move on. Things aren't perfect but that's life and we just need to know that. And this song says there is hope and you need to find resolution by forgiveness. And forgiveness is so essential, you know?

Daniel: Happened to me and my mom. I'll be honest. She left when I was 13 and those were some hard years. And just a couple of years ago things worked out. I think that's a good song that a lot of people can relate to even if it's not specifically a father. It can happen in your own life to anyone.
Jason: A brother, a girlfriend or a boyfriend. There's so many scenarios. It doesn't necessarily have to say your dad. It can be anyone, like your best friend. So many kids are dealing with that.

JFH (John): Between "Take Me" and "Zero" you seem to have a real heart for people that are struggling with suicide. What brought about this passion?

Jason: Seriously I don't know how it came about. "Take Me," one night I was going through the song and through my heart just brought back memories of when I was a kid how one of my friends had committed suicide when he was 19. I hadn't forgotten about it and moved on with my life, but I didn't really focus on it a whole lot. I just remember one night it hit me. I had to say something. So literally I talked on stage. It was probably ten minutes, but I knew it was something that had to be said. I didn't know why or anything right before that song. That song "Take Me" is about God and how He'll never leave you. It doesn't really have a whole lot to do with suicide, but it can. I don't know why but I just sang with all my heart. That night 7 or 8 kids came up to me and they were just bawling and saying "I've been struggling with suicide." Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is happening. I didn't know what to say. I'm like, "Wow, ok... uh?" And it was awkward. That obviously was from God for me to bring that up so I started realizing that kids were hurting and kids in our own church were hurting with things and struggling with that. Like pastors' kids even are struggling with suicide and we tend to ignore them because "the kids outside the church need help, but it's not the kids in the church that need help." And we kind of forget about them and "the kids in high school need our help." And I just think it's really important that every kid knows that they are here for a reason. I've been reading this book by Victor Franco. He's a psychiatrist and how everyone is here for a reason and man's search for meaning is in the book. Everyone's here wanting to know why they're here and they spend most of the majority of their life trying to figure out why they're here. I just think it's really important that every kid knows that they're here for a reason and they all have a passion inside of them and they need to get that passion out on the table and start exploring what they need to do to change this world. Because some of those kids that are suicidal don't realize it, but maybe deep down inside they wanna be that doctor that cures cancer and if they're not here that person's not here to do it. Someone else can do it, but it's not directly what they're called to do. It's an ongoing thing and I could keep going on for hours about this.

JFH (Amy): Were you 19 when your friend committed suicide?

Jason: He was a couple years older than me. I was I think 16 or 17 but I worked with him. I worked in a hospital and we worked together for over two years and his life... He was a really really funny guy, like he'd always make jokes and he was on his football team - one of the top guys on his football team and I could make up theories as to why he decided to do it. I remember he had a pretty serious girlfriend and I remember him always on breaks and always fighting with her on the phone. You know things like that.

JFH (John): What do you hope to get across to your listeners with your new album?

Jason: We wanna remain as positive as possible. We're a pretty positive group of guys. But really honestly they are here for a reason. They have a meaning to be alive. And they have passions and they really need to get those out of them and really follow their dreams and to really give everything they've got into fulfilling their dreams to make them possible.

Jonathan: There's a little tag at the bottom of our artwork on the inside and it says... What does it say exactly? "This album is a positive response to a negative world?" (Jason: I've never actually seen the artwork. I've never looked at or read it and everything.) That's kind of like the whole idea that everyday we have so many moments where we have an opportunity to make a choice and there's always gonna be tough things that happen in life. Every time something like that happens we have an opportunity to take it negatively and let it affect us in that way or we have an opportunity to turn around and try to make the best of it. Obviously the second one is the harder of the two to tackle.

JFH (John): What was it like being in a film (Yours, Mine, & Ours)? And how is it working with the cast? Were there any standout moments?

Jason: Oh for sure. It was awesome, you know? We did the American Dreams [TV] thing and then going to Hollywood again for the second time was just like... American Dreams was awesome but this was huge compared to that. I can't believe like the stage and the whole house was actually just a prop. It wasn't a real house.

Jonathan: It was filmed inside a sound studio, but the house was built inside a studio. It was massive.
Jason: It was literally bigger than the one my parents live in. It was like, "Holy Smokes."

Jonathan: And everything was kind of oversized. The doors were bigger. And I think that's partially to make... What do you think Jason...? Was it to make the people look small? And also so the cameras can get around easier.

Jason: But it was so neat meeting Dennis Quaid and Renee Russo and the whole cast. It's like "Oh my gosh, this is so surreal." Y'know? Just being a part of the whole thing was just literally a dream come true for all of us. I mean every kid wants to be in a movie. *laughter* Why we got to do it I'll never ever know, but right now I think God's been opening a lot of doors for us and we have the choice to walk through them or say "no thanks." So every opportunity we're just jumping on them.

JFH (John): How did that evolve? Did they come to you and were you one of a couple of bands that had to audition?

Jason: Well they knew of us. We have awesome management. They totally hooked us up for sure. We gave them the record Letters to the President. They were listening to it and it was alright but it wasn't exactly what they were looking for. But they were like, "We do like that interlude part the 'Recess' part, that quick 30 second part there. Would you be able to make a song with that?" So we kind of took that and kind of branched off with that and wrote "Bring 'Em Out," and they liked that. (Amy: You almost had to know what the theme of the movie was gonna be about too.) They called and like told what the whole scene was. It was like a party scene.

Jonathan: We talked to the director on the phone and it was kind of funny. It's a family film so it's kind of like the audience is fairly young and so the director was like, "Can you include phrases like 'party on' and 'party all night' and 'rock on?'" And we're like, "Alright." Some of that stuff made it in there. It's kind of funny as far as "Bring 'Em Out" being on the new record. That song sticks out a little bit to me because, lyrically, I think that the new record is a bit more mature than the first and it's taken a step up for sure and Jason did an awesome job with that. And then you have this one song "Bring Em Out" that's like, "Everyone move to the beat" *laughter* "Everyone move to the beat, come on." It's kind of funny.

Jason: It's like an aerobics song *laughter*

JFH (Amy): How has God helped you with the challenges posed with changing members?

Jason: I think it's been really awesome. The two guys before Jonathan and Aaron are awesome guys, but honestly I think it was that we all have passions and passions shift and change and as we started going on the road most of our passions stayed the same, but others' didn't you know. The guys, a lot of their passion was to be at home with their family and proceed to live a normal life. Because this, by no means is a normal easy life and it is challenging at times and it's not normal and I think they were starting to see... They were keeping in touch with all their friends back home and were missing out on a lot of stuff. What they weren't realizing was all their friends back home were missing out on this and this is something we dreamed about doing when we were kids, but like I said, they had girls in their lives that they were more passionate about, which is totally fine and they wanted to be with them. Which I totally respect and I'm so for that for them because that's what they need to do. And we're really happy for them. We miss the guys a lot touring. They were my two closest friends in high school so having to say goodbye to them was really tough for me especially because me and Dave started this band together.

Jonathan: I kind of feel the first couple years in a band's touring life is kind of a testing ground for a lot of things and you see a lot of bands go through member changes in their first couple years because some people just don't like the lifestyle because you're away all the time. You're sacrificing your family time if you're a real family oriented person. So people who are in that sort of a vein usually... Sometime they'll get kind of weeded out. Not to make them sound like they're not contributing. Sometimes people just decide it's not their type of thing after the first couple years.

Jason: It was hard especially because like I said they were my best friends back in high school and when you start a band when you're 14 years old, you don't know it's gonna end up like this. You're just having a lot of fun. But it sucks then because you become friends, then it becomes a business, and you don't wanna break their hearts. It sucks, but they're really really happy. Dave and his wife are actually expecting their first child and I'm super happy for them. Matt's happily married too. Almost married for a year now. (John: That's why he left the band?) Well he actually got married in September, so it's been half a year and he knew it was something he wanted to do. We're super stoked for them for sure. It's tough but it's life.

JFH (John): Any last comments?

Jonathan: Thanks for talking to us!

Songs To Check Out:

2008-07-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a list of ALL the Hawk Nelson Songs:

~ Smile It's the End of the World
- The One Thing I Have Left
- The Show
- Bring 'Em Out
- Everything You Ever Wanted
- Something On My Mind
- Is Forever Enough
- Zero
- Nothing Left To Show
- Head On Collision
- Hello
- It's Over
- Fourteen

~ Letters to the President
- California
- Things We Go Through
- Every Little Thing
- From Underneath
- Letters to the President
- Right Here
- Recess
- Take Me
- Someone Else Before
- First Time
- Like a Racecar
- Late Show
- 36 Days
- Long and Lonely Road

~ Hawk Nelson's My Friend
- You Have What I Need
- Friend Like That
- Turn It On
- One Little Miracle
- Let's Dance
- Ancient History
- Somebody Else
- Arms Around Me
- Just Like Me
- Not the Same
- Words We Speak
- I Still Miss You

~ Gloria-EP
- Alleluia
- Gloria
- I Heard the Bells
- Last Christmas

2008-07-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hey for those who read this blog!! Which isn't many right now, but on the bottom of the screen I have added google translater so many more can read this blog!! Enjoy! But don't forget to tell your friends about this blog!

A Little Backgroung and Information!!

2008-07-18T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hawk Nelson has been around for about four years (well...that is when their first album came out)!! Since then many people have come to like four guys who started in Canada!!! Although through the years they have lost and gained some members.
Here's the list:
Davin 'Dave'Clark - guitar(2003-2004)
Matt 'Matty' Paige - drums (2003-2005)
Aaron 'Skwid' Tosti - drums (2005-2007)
Jordan 'JD' Dean - additional guitar (2007)

They currently have 4 guys:
Jason Dunn - lead vocals, piano (2003-present)
He was born in Peterborough, Ontario, and now lives in Minneapolis, MN.

Daniel Biro - bass, backing vocals (2003-present)
He hails from Barrie, Ontario, and now lives in Franklin, TN.

Jonathan Steingard- guitar, backing vocals (2004-present)
Jonathan released a solo album called Fox Run.

Justin Benner - drums (2008-present)
Justin was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and now lives in Nashville, TN.

In these four years of recording they have come out with three albums!!
Letters To The President (2004)
Smile, It's the End of the World (2006)
Hawk Nelson Is My Friend (2008)
All of these albums have amazing songs and the guitars, vocals and drums rock!! These guys are extremely cool and I love listening to there music!!

Redheade Bandit and More...

2008-07-18T08:45:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! This is the redheaded Bandit!! Welcome to the Hawk Nelson for Pres. Fan blog!!!! Um, if your reading this, thank you for reading this! Just a little intro to our blog. Well, I don't know about you've been following the 2008 presidential race, but personally I'm bored with the two candidates left. Obama- well, don't really agree with him on much, anything actually. McCain- i just have a bad feeling about him. In Berkeley there were some PRETTY funny bumper-stickers about him and republicans (they really don't like bush out there i.e. "Voldemort votes republican :/ ) So who would be better for the presidency than....*drumroll please*...... Hawk Nelson, particulary Jasun Dunt (sp?). So ya, welcome to our blog, and you'll be hearing more about the story of Hawk Nelson, our favorite band, and me and Swiss Girl's story!

Just A Picture

2008-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

Here is a cool picture of the band Hawk Nelson!!!

Well....This is What I Think!!!

2008-07-17T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ok enough of copy and pasting for one morning!!! I just realized how amazing these guys are!!! I mean it isn't easy being in a band and from one interview it sounded as if they were getting alot of critisism!!! I think that these guys are really great and people need to lay off!!! If this is what they believe God wants them to do with there life than I am 100% supportive of that. Some people just are really critical (I know I am at sometimes), but we have to remeber that they are serving God even if their music doesn't mention Christ a whole bunch. Although I do wish it did a little bit more openly! And as for their piercings God does NOT look at the outside, but in the heart (my parents wuld kill me if I had something pierced beside my ears)!! Well, I have to go now!!! Be back ASAP!!!

More and More......

2008-07-17T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here is another Interview with Hawk Nelson!!! But as I was reading it I realized how much people judge these guys!! Goodness Jason was right about how God looks at the heart not weather you have piercings everywhere (although my parents would kill me if I had piercings anywhere, but my ears)!!! This is also for Christanity Today!!!

Are you guys getting tired at all, or is it still fun and fresh running around so much?
Jason Dunn: Like anything, it's your life, career and job, but at the same time, it's been our dream since we were kids and we're all super passionate. There are days when you want to bite each other's heads off, but for the most part it's amazing. I got tired of looking out our van window seeing highways, which can really make you loopy, but now that we have a bus, that's calmed us down a bit, and I could do this full on for another 10 years. You do get tired, but doing this as a job is a dream come true.

How did you find time to write being gone so much on the road?
Dunn: A lot of writing on this record came from hearing kids' stories on the road. Kids come up and share their problems—dealing with suicide, depression, parents that aren't together, a boyfriend who dumped them, a girlfriend they've broken up with. One girl was showing me the cuts in her wrist and had me look at the scars, but what do I do with something like that? What should I say? It leaves you speechless because you don't want to say the wrong thing.

So how do you respond in that kind of stressful situation?
Dunn: I've been reading books and checking websites on the issue of suicide, looking for information that can be helpful to people. For some reason, kids aren't going to parents, teachers and even best friends, because they feel mistrust. But for some reason they'll go to a guy in a band they don't know and pour their heart out.
In Cleveland a girl came out, grabbed me and wouldn't let go. She told me that a week ago her best friend was in a car accident, and the passenger was killed instantly. Now she's a wreck and so she's suicidal. This girl said, "If [her friend] kills herself, I know I will next." It's so scary because we know kids have such a calling on their lives, and they don't realize it. They need to know their passion could be the next biggest thing in the world; their passion to help people could cure cancer. If they leave the world today, they are missing their purpose and reason to be here.

Do you feel your lyrics on Smile point people to that hope even if they don't overtly address spiritual themes?
Dunn: Secular kids are way more open to it. Christian audiences are looking for certain things in songs, like the name of Jesus repeated, and when they don't hear that, they think we're giving a bad impression: "I thought these guys were a Christian band!" That really hurts, and I've heard it more times than not, even with the way we look.
A woman kind of freaked out a couple weeks ago and asked, "Have you been baptized by fire and the Holy Ghost?" as she's all shaking and staring at me. And I said, "Yes ma'am, I have." And she asked, "Why do you have that [piercing] in your mouth?" "Ma'am, are you offended by this?" "I'm not offended, but I think God is offended." So I was like, "No ma'am. I don't know what your Bible says, but my Jesus looks at my heart!"
A lot of people are offended by our music because it doesn't have "Jesus Christ is our savior" in the lyrics. But I think to a non-believer, our words are obviously reflected toward Christ, and they can go, "Oh, this is a Christian band."

But Christians have their doubts about that?
Dunn: I got four e-mails recently; three in a row were from Christians saying, "I thought you were Christian band, but I didn't hear one word about Jesus [on the new record]." The fourth kid, who had never heard of us before, saw us play in L.A. and said he knew there was something different about us. He wrote, "Your music and your song ["Zero"] have changed my life." Some people are so full of religion that they're offended by us, and I'm okay with that, as long as lives are being changed. That's what's important to me.

So, how do you keep all that stuff from getting you down?
Jonathan Steingard: We're in this position where we're not able to please everyone, and at some point we had to accept that. We have to be responsible in our relationship with Christ and the way we live our lives. The four of us together are responsible for how this band comes across and we have goals and things we want to accomplish. We're not perfect, but we try the best we can, and God honors our efforts. We've taken the gifts he's given, and use them for his glory.
Daniel Biro: There are way more people who are supportive, which is why we've seen so much success. People have been great and receptive.

What has a show like American Dreams done to build up your fan base?
Dunn: I never really felt that it did much. I didn't think of it as a huge deal, but maybe things came out of that we didn't know about. As a whole, it was a cool thing and it certainly looks good on a resume.

How about being involved with Winter Jam?
Biro: It was a huge Christian tour with NewSong, Newsboys, tobyMac, and we didn't know what to expect. But we went out four days a week and it was amazing. It was so encouraging from a professional, spiritual and fun point of view.

What would be your dream tour?
Biro: It would be cool to go out with Building 429 and Kutless. I also want to tour the world globally—to see Japan, the U.K. and all the cool places outside North America.
Steingard: I'm attached to Audio Adrenaline. We toured with them last year, but they're calling it quits this year. We really love hanging with them and want to play as many shows as we can with them this year. Christian music is going to miss them.
Biro: I hope they give us their bus and pass everything down to us!

Visit our site's artist page to learn more about Hawk Nelson, and click here to read our review of their latest album, Smile, It's the End of the World. To listen to sound clips and buy their music, please visit Christianbook.com.

Still Another.....

2008-07-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

With even more searching I found another interview with Danial Biro from Christianity Today!!!!

Rumor has it that you just performed with Amy Grant at Creation Festival's 30th anniversary. How did that come about?
Daniel Biro: Jason [Dunn, the band's lead singer] was such a huge fan of hers growing up. I didn't listen to as much Christian music early on, but everyone knows Amy Grant, right? So when we rehearsed with her before playing Creation, I was definitely nervous.

But that's the funny thing about her and any other celebrity—she's really so normal once you hang out with her.
Biro: Yeah, that's what was so cool about it. She was like "Guys, it's not my thing, it's our thing. Let's just go have fun." I guess when she first played Creation thirty years ago, they had their first candlelight service, a special tradition they've continued every year since. So she came back for the candlelight service, and we performed three of her songs together. And since she sang on "One Little Miracle" from our new album Hawk Nelson is My Friend, we all did that one together. It was so much fun that we actually filmed the whole experience. I think the songs are going to eventually end up on iTunes.

So does it surprise you that Amy is a Hawk Nelson fan?
Biro: Oh, she's not a fan! (laughs) But she's really had such a cool attitude about working with us. Like Jason, our manager was a huge Amy Grant fan, so she coordinated Amy's guest appearance on "One Little Miracle." It's been so much fun working together whenever we've had the opportunity.

Talking about Hawk Nelson is My Friend, what did the band set out to accomplish with that record?
Biro: In general, the idea is to top what you've done before, to improve. We worked with a ton of different writers this time to keep growing with our songcraft. We've always had the privilege of working with really talented people like Trevor McNevan (Thousand Foot Krutch). This time we got to work with even more people that we've really admired like Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace.
We really set out to have more diversity and an appreciation for different styles of music. While I [don't think] it's different enough for people [to confuse us with someone else], it's still got some different musical elements to it. Obviously we started in the whole pop/punk genre, and we really still like that. But as you progress, you want to try other things and consider how far you can stretch the boundaries without your core fan base getting too bent out of shape.

Right, because it can be the kiss of death when you change too much.
Biro: I think if you're going to do that, you may as well start a side project to showcase that style, under a different name or something. I know Jason loves ballad-y piano stuff, and there is still room in this band to have that. We can't do a whole record of that, but it was still fun to experiment.

What life experiences were your drawing from when you were writing the album?
You've probably more to say as you grown older and spend time on the road meeting people.
Biro: Jason wrote "I Still Miss You" about dealing with the loss of his grandmother. Several other songs deal with our lives as musicians, like leaving our hometown when we tour and missing our friends. Other than that, we continue to make music that talks about serious issues and offers positive takeaway. It's hard to get away from the cliché that "God is there, and Jesus is the answer." Sometimes those stock answers aren't enough to make you feel better.
It's weird because before we started all of this, we didn't know much about the Christian music scene. In Canada, it's just music. Then you come down here to America, and there's a pressure to drop the "J-Bomb," as we call it (i.e. the name of Jesus). We are definitely huge followers of Christ, and we want it to come across in our music. But we don't want to do it in a cheesy way. I feel like there are others like Jeremy Camp or Chris Tomlin who express their heart for evangelism very well. For us, that's not what we do. We're more of an entertainment-type band. We try to be honest and sincere, and sometimes in this kind of industry, that gets hard because people expect a certain kind of content. You won't find tons of that overt Jesus-is-the-answer stuff in our music. But at the same time, that is our message. We try to be real.

How do you deal with that pressure? Christian music is the only genre with those lyrical expectations.
Biro: The fact of the matter is that if you want to have a hit on Christian radio, you've got to have [overtly spiritual content]. I really look up to bands like Switchfoot. I think [frontman] Jon Foreman is a really awesome writer. You can pick up on his faith, and yet it's not all "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus." They've lasted for more than a decade and have had their fair share of ups and downs along the way, but Jon continues to write songs that are compelling, and we hope to do the same. To be clear, I'm not trying to bash the system. I understand needing to get a message across in two to three minutes, and that isn't always easy. There are no easy answers to it, but we know that we want to write songs that are positive, about relationships and friendships.

How did you come up with the title Hawk Nelson is My Friend?
Biro: Hawk Nelson is my friend is kind of a joke because some people think that Hawk Nelson is still some solo dude or something. (laughs) We've had this t-shirt for the past few years with a slogan on it that my wife made up: "Hawk Nelson is my friend." Initially, we were like "That doesn't make sense," and she said "Exactly." But the t-shirt really caught on over the years. And then when we were thinking of a title for the record—which is so hard, by the way—someone suggested Hawk Nelson Is My New Friend because we were talking about relationships in our lyrics. Besides, we really love all the people we meet on the road, and do consider them our friends.

Being on the road so many days out of the year, how do you handle band squabbles in a friendly fashion?
Biro: Every group has its own dynamic. I guess it must be supernatural or something because any time you stick a group of people in tight quarters, there's bound to be fights. But somehow we've learned how to have balance by picking our battles. We've decided not to fight about the small stuff. I guess that's what five years of touring does—we understand each other and all our quirks. I guess some bands break up over stuff like that, but that's not us. We all really love being in this band, and we can either make it work or give it up … and we don't want to give it up!

Quick takes:
What is your favorite place you've ever traveled to?
Alaska
What's the best meal you can prepare?
I like to make yogurt curry chicken stir fry
What is a pet peeve of yours?
When non-smoking hotel rooms aren't available
My most annoying habit:
Sometimes I can be too serious, which doesn't always fit into the Hawk Nelson regime.
What makes you laugh?
Jim Carrey
What's the last good book you read?
The Shack by William P. Young
What's the last good movie you saw?
I'm been kind of disappointed with movies lately, so I've been hooked on Say Anything with John Cusack
What's a song you wish you'd written?
"In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel
What's a band or artist you've been listening to lately?
Sigur Røs
What's your favorite song to play live?
"The Show"
What is your favorite Bible verse?
Mark 12: 28-30
What is the last lesson that God has taught you?
Patience in relationships with others

A Little Off Subject!!! But....

2008-07-16T15:37:00.001-07:00

Hey this is a little off subject, but for those who like Jeremy Camp here is his fan address!!
Jeremy Camp, P.O. Box 273, Franklin, TN 37065.

Another Amazing Interview!!!

2008-07-16T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well... This is another interview with the band Hawk Nelson!!! This on is from Brio Teenage Girl Magazine!!!

Maybe you have a “Hawk Nelson is my friend” green T-shirt. Or perhaps you’ve seen the guys perform on the Revolve tour. And you’ve probably heard their song “Friend Like That ” on the radio. But this interview is about more than the things you already know. We have answers to the questions that YOU, our Brio sisses, e-mailed to us a few months ago. So check out the honest and entertaining responses from lead singer Jason Dunn, bassist Daniel Biro and guitarist Jonathan Steingard.

Brio: Since friendship is the theme of your new album, “Hawk Nelson Is My Friend,” what makes someone a good friend?
Jason: You might have some really good friends, but if they’re always talking bad about somebody else, I don’t consider them very good friends. A good friend is someone you can trust to say good things about you—someone who’s loyal and always there for you.
Daniel: Friendships aren’t necessarily telling the person what they always want to hear. The guys in the band are great friends because, through thick and thin, we’ve bonded, and we’ve stuck together. A true friend will call you out on things; they’ll be honest with you even if you don’t want to hear it. That’s what those guys are to me.
Jonathan: The people I’m closest to are those whom I don’t see for a year and then pick right up where we left off. That’s been kind of a theme, since we travel so much.

Who’s an influential friend in your life?
Jason: There’s one guy from high school with whom I still keep in touch. He’s a great guy, and he listens. He always cares about what I have to say, and that means a lot.
Jonathan: Daniel has been my best friend since before we were in the band together. We used to play in separate bands back in Canada, and every time we’d hang out, it was like we’d been hanging out for years. Daniel’s a couple years older than me, so he was one of the people who inspired me to want to be in a band.

What are some of your favorite songs from the new album?
Jason: In the past, we’d been writing songs about what we were hearing from kids in e-mails. And this time around, because this album is a dedication to our audience, the songs are more real. They’re about life on the road or growing up in my small town in Canada. It was fun to sing them in the studio, because it actually means something to me.
Daniel: “Not the Same” because it’s a song that describes our hometown, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. That’s a personal, close song to me.
Jonathan: I really enjoy “Friend Like That” because it’s fresh. It’s the first time we’ve been more intentional about our faith and moving away from being a little bit more vague. “Friend Like That” talks about the closeness we have in Christ. We’ve moved to a place where we can be more specific about saying things like that.

How did you get started as a band?
Jason: I started a band when I was 12. My dad was a worship leader at my church, and another guy who played the drums had a son my age. I started Hawk Nelson when I was 19. The guys in my original band in high school all got real jobs, and I couldn’t seem to get a real job, so I kept going with music. Along the way, I ran into Daniel and Jonathan, who also couldn’t get real jobs!

What does your band name mean?
Jason: The name doesn’t really mean anything. When I was 14, I was playing a snowboarding/skateboarding video game, and Hawk Nelson was my character’s name that I made up. But why it’s the band name, I couldn’t tell you!

How do you maintain your faith while you’re out on tour and away from your home church?Jason: When we first started, we found ourselves growing stale spiritually. So we’ve been doing devotionals every day as a band family. Some of us would do it on our own, but we weren’t growing spiritually as a band, and it’s important to stay focused as a team.
Daniel: The communication you have with your parents or your best friend, it’s the same with God. That’s helped me understand His availability to me on a daily basis. I miss not having a home church, but it’s helped me to develop a closer relationship with God.
Jonathan: Spending time making Him a priority. I’m always feel encouraged when I make time to sit down and spend time with God, even if it’s just 15 minutes. I also talk to my wife daily, and sharing what God’s doing in our lives is pretty cool, because it gives us a different perspective.

If there were no Hawk Nelson, what would you do as a career?
Jason: I’d probably be writing songs, and I’d be in a different band. I don’t think I could do anything else!
Daniel: I’ve thought about opening a coffee shop with a small venue for acoustic performances. I worked at coffee shops before the band, and I feel like the band is the in-between thing, and then I’ll go back to that (but hopefully I’ll have my own!).
Jonathan: I was a vet assistant before the band, and I may have ended up going to school to be a vet.

What advice would you give to girls waiting for a godly guy?
Jason: Keep waiting! Someone asked us the other day, “I’m 15, and I’ve never kissed a guy. Am I doing something wrong?” NO! You’re doing something right! It’s important to wait for that guy God has planned for you. We need to heed His guidance and stay strong in what He has to say.
Daniel: It’s OK to wait! When I was 15, I didn’t have a girlfriend, and everything worked out, despite my personal fears. God doesn’t want us to get hurt unnecessarily along the way. Work on yourself and work on your relationships with close friends who are gonna last you throughout life. God’s going to introduce you to that guy—he’s out there! Sometimes it just takes guys a little longer to get there.
Jonathan: Don’t consider having a guy in your life as the prerequisite for all the other things you want to do. Don’t be afraid to move forward in your life and in your relationship with God.

What’s your favorite Bible verse?
Jason: Proverbs 3:5-6. That’s a keeper!
Daniel: Mark 12:30. If I ever need to go back to, “What do I need to do today?” that makes it really simple and helps me to refocus.
Jonathan: Galatians 2:20. As a teenager, I went through a rebellious period and found out that living for myself wasn’t very fulfilling. That verse has really impacted me since then.

What’s your favorite food?
Jason: A Canadian delicacy called poutine. It’s French fries with cheese curds and then gravy on top, and the gravy melts all the cheese.
Daniel: Something my mom makes: Yorkshire pudding. I don’t know why, I just love it!
Jonathan: I love Indian food and curry.

What do you wish people in the U.S. understood better about Canada?
Daniel: People need to know about Tim Horton’s coffee.
Jonathan: Canada is not the same as America socially and culturally. We say “Eh?” and call couches chesterfields. I also wish Americans understood the obsession with hockey. The way Americans are about football, that’s the way we are about hockey.

What advice would you give to this generation?
Jason: Become leaders and not followers. There are a lot of people trying to be the next American Idol or person on TV. If everyone would start standing up for what they believe in and be leaders, I think we would see a huge difference.
Daniel: If God can take us, some guys from Canada who aren’t that talented, and give us our dreams and more, then He can take a kid to the moon! Find your ultimate dream and believe and go for it! Despite what people say, God can grant you the desires of your heart.
Jonathan: Learn to consider your parents and the authority figures around you as assets instead of barriers. As I grew up, I realized that I didn’t have to completely shut out the older influences in my life to establish my own independence.

Change of Theme!!! Well......Sort Of!!

2008-07-16T15:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Hawk Nelson Fans!!! We just changed our blog from MUSIC to a HAWK NELSON FAN CLUB BLOG!!!! It is going to rock we will be givin' you the latest scoop on HN and occasionally some information on other bands (like Jeremy Camp and Coldplay)!!!! So lets work together to make Hawk Nelson and most importantly God BIG in this SMALL world!!!

Memorial Day!

2008-05-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

Hello, I am trying to find out Jason Dunn's address, but finding famous people's addresses is not easy! If you can help me in any way let me know! Otherwise HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! Let us remember all the men and woman who gave their lives to save and protect this country!

Autograph!!!

2008-05-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

Everyone who looks at this blog! I just found out that my friend got me Jason Dunn's autograph(lead singer of Hawk Nelson)!!!! I will post a picture of it soon!

Hawk Nelson Pics!!!

2008-05-24T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics. of one of my favorite bands!!! HAWK NELSON!

Jason Dunn with Aaron, Jonathan and Daniel

I think this is Daniel and as you can see Jason is singing his heart out!

Jason looking a little surprised as the picture is being taken!

Their new tour that is about to end!! I saw them in concert!

This has to be an old photo because Jason has long hair and I don't know who the other people are!

There is Jason Dunn giving it all he has!!!

Interview with Jason From Hawk Nelson

2008-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here is an Iterveiw with Hawk Nelson's Janson Dunn!!! I love this guy!! He is sooooooooo funny!

Q/ Tell us about yourself, what you do with the band and how you formed the band
A/ I sing. I like it. I’m 25, going on 26. Hawk Nelson started when I graduated high school. We basically, long story short, none of us could get jobs, so we started a band. All of our friends in high school got jobs, and we couldn’t, so we started Hawk Nelson. And here we are, six years later. It’s pretty crazy!
Q/ What made you want to form a faith-based band, or would you describe yourselves as that?A/ The thing is, in Canada where we grew up, there wasn’t like a Christian band and then a secular band. Bands were just bands. We just played music. I mean, our faith kind of set us apart from other bands, but it wasn’t like we were going around, “Hey we’re Hawk Nelson and we’re Christian. We’re a Christian band.” Instead we’re just like, “Yeah we're a band. We’re from Canada.” It’s still a weird transition for me getting used to that Christian music is kind of its own genre now. It doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me still. But the fact that we believe in God and we love Jesus, I think it’s great. And I’m glad that we get to impact kids' lives and make a difference for sure. People can label people whatever they want, you know? If you spend too much time labeling and not enough time doing your real job, it’s kind of missing the point.
Q/ How many of you are there?
A/ There’s four of us, only two original. Over the years everybody’s been kind of “Wow, this is a lot of work.” Everyone’s married and has kids now; everyone except me. I wonder what I’m doing wrong. I must be doing something wrong!
Q/ Tell us about your creative process. How do you write songs?
A/ It’s always different. I woke up this morning at four o’ clock in the morning singing this song, and I just started singing into my phone. I’m like, “Oh I gotta remember that. What if I didn’t save it?” So I ended up waking up and just going to my computer and typing out all the lyrics. Then I woke up this morning and had no idea what even happened. Was it even real? But it was. I checked and had it on my little voice recorder. It sounds terrible because it was four in the morning. It’s always different. Inspiration comes here and there, or you dream about it or something. For me a lot of times it comes on airplanes. I think I must be closer to heaven or something. That’s where I always get my inspiration it seems, so yeah, that’s kind of random.
Q/ So you’re the main composer, and you give the rest of the band your vision.
A/ Yeah, kind of like, “Hey, this is what I’m thinking." Also we have the opportunity to write with some other writers. You can always be better. I think learning from people who are better than you is a great way to be better. I always take my ideas to another writer and say, “Hey what do you think of this? How can we make this stronger?" It’s a lot of fun. I’m glad I get to do this every day, you know?
Q/ Well we just had a chance to talk with Will Graham …
A/ I love that guy! He’s so laid back. He's the coolest.
Q/ Will talked about how a main theme for him tonight is going to be "surrender." So as a young adult, what do you want to tell teens or young adults about how you surrender your life to the Lord?
A/ What I've noticed over the course of five years of doing this, is there are so many kids struggling to find a leader. Everyone's becoming followers all the time ... I always wanted to be the leader of my group of friends, you know, rather than like, "Hey, I wonder what Britney’s doing on MTV today?! I want to model after her!" There's not the greatest role models today, I've noticed. Too many people are trying to look like so-and-so or be like so-and-so on MTV or whatever, and there's not enough real leaders. … People need to realize that you kind of need to let God take control of the wheel, you know? Carrie Underwood said it best. Oh snap, I just went there. But you know what I'm saying. Sometimes you need to go, "I don’t want to take control of this," because ... there comes a time when you need to realize it should never be about us. It should never be about our plans, but about God's plan, and let Him just steer the ship. After that, I think all those things like leadership will just fall into place.
Q/ You think kids should take a stand more and be leaders?
A/ Yeah, absolutely. It's sad. Come on, kids! Be a leader.
Q/ So you like country music.
A/ I do like country music. There, I said it. Who would have thought?
Q/ How did you come up with the name Hawk Nelson?
A/ I was playing a video game when I was 14 years old. It was an extreme sports game with biking and roller blading, skateboarding and snowboarding. Before you could play you had to create a character, and my character was Hawk Nelson. Why it’s the band name, I could not tell you. But it's working, so were going to keep it.
Q/ So you just made that up out of nowhere.
A/ I can make one up right now: Riki Lakeshore. Jesse Nevell. Come on! I like having fun. If you don’t have fun it becomes work, and no one wants to work.
Q/ You live life to its fullest. Life is short.
A/ That's right, well, if you're a mosquito. They live like 24 hours; that’s a short life.

Later, Will Graham spoke to more than 3,250 young people gathered in the North Charleston Coliseum. He invited them to surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, and more than 300 kids made decisions for Christ. After the invitation and an intermission, Hawk Nelson performed a killer concert, playing original songs, as well as the 80s classic "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," which had thousands up on their feet dancing and singing.
Will Graham even joined the band, playing his signature instrument, the kazoo. And some good, clean fun was had by all.