ROSE HILL DRIVE
Jake Sproul - Vox/Bass
Daniel Sproul - Guitars/Vox
Nathan Barnes -- Drums
Rose Hill Drive grew up worshipping guitar-shredding groups like The Who and Van Halen. They never imagined the band they formed in high school would open up for both groups before even releasing an album.
In 2003, guitarist Daniel Sproul, his bassist brother Jacob and drummer friend Nathan Barnes began practicing in the basement of the house on Rose Hill Drive in Boulder, CO, that the Sproul brothers grew up in. The house had been taken over by the boys and their friends, the band was loud, and it was not long before the neighbors took up a petition to kick them out of the neighborhood.
The band headed out on the road, where they quickly built an underground fan base with thrilling live shows, lyrics that connect and a completely earnest approach. This organic and grass roots process has let the fans and then the music business come to them. It's very important to the band that it happened in that order - music first, business later.
Early on the band attracted major label interest, but the band was reluctant to go that route. "I just thought we weren't ripe for the picking," says Jake. The band went into the studio to record an album they planned to sell to the major labels, but when the recording was finished they found that the finished product just didn't reflect their true identities.
Choosing to sign with Megaforce Records, the band went back into the studio in January 2006 to record their self-titled debut album -- written by all three band members, produced by Rose Hill Drive and Nick DiDia and recorded at Southern Tracks in Atlanta, Georgia. The album was released in August 2006.
After generating great reviews and building an even bigger fan base around the world, 2007 proved to be a major step forward for Rose Hill Drive. They were honored to play with some of their biggest idols. The boys did a string of dates opening for The Who in 2007 and they were even joined on stage in Chicago by none other thanPete Townshend,who jammed on The Who classic "Young Man Blues" and Rose Hill Drive's very own "Raise Your Hands." Rolling Stonenamed them one of the "Top 10 Artists to Watch" in 2007.
After months of relentless touring, hard work and travel around the Universe, Rose Hill Drive returned home to Boulder, CO to write and record their second album, Moon is the new Earth . The new album represents the intense "live" feeling of their show and showcases some the band's finest songwriting. 12 songs run the gamut of emotions from the head-spinning "Sneak Out" to the muscle-bound "Trans Am" to the tongue-in-cheek "Do You Wanna Get High?" It's an album that is shaped by an organic nature and is a clear record of their maturity, life experiences and musical explorations. Moon is the new Earth unveils the sound that is Rose Hill Drive.
" Recorded in ourhometown in our favorite studio with our favorite people, this musicbears our most authentic signature of anything we have created so far.To have made an album like this with my brother and my best friendhas been a dream come true," says Jake.
"To me, this album is who we are creatively as a group. With a littlehelp from our friends, we wrote, produced, recorded, and mixed itourselves. These songs are mementos of our memories experiencing lifeas musical gypsies, and were born on the road in sweat and blood andthe search for a deeper love while constantly moving. They give methat one of a kind feeling of keeping it together."
Rose Hill Drive's raw, emotive rock has earned the group high praises from both critics and fellow musicians alike. The band have done dates with Wilco, The Black Crowes, Queens Of The Stone Age, Van Halen, Aerosmith and The Who; and also performed at Bonnaroo, Red Rocks, Bumbershoot, Austin City Limits, Azkena Festival, Hyde Park Calling and the Warped Tour.
ROSE HILL DRIVE CRITICAL QUOTES:
"The songwriting is fierce and sharp." -- David Fricke of Rolling Stone
"This band deserves every bit of hyperbole that's been spewed its way." - Westword
"If this doesn't make you want to pick up a Les Paul, you have no soul." -- Guitarist
"Youth be damned, these three guys are already composing some impressive music. Earning praise from rock luminaries such as Pete Townshend, Rose Hill Drive have a promising future ahead of them." -- Relix
"Rose Hill Drive left my jaw on the skeezy floor of Emo's front room." -- Raoul Hernandez ofAustin Chronicle