The songs on When the Smoke Clears run the gamut from rowdy rock to subtle country influence to memorable pop hooks, all of which retain the DNA-distinct spirit of Hinder. That ability to walk the tightrope between genres, without a net, is something Hanson is proud of. “We can cross genres whenever we want,” he said. “We don’t want to be a band that can only do that one thing. We have something for everyone. We’ve always been that way. Having the ability to do our own production, having our own studio, gives us a chance to experiment and try new things.”
“Hit the Ground” is a key song on the album, since the lyrical content is so genuine. “Through the years, we’ve been known as a party band,” Hanson acknowledged. “That is still our thing, but we’ve lived every lyric in this song. We know what it feels like to have our entire world crash down around us. The song shows fans where we were mentally. And we know how true the last line of the chorus really is.” The line he is referencing – the powerful statement that “Falling feels like flying ’til you hit the ground.”
It was during the album cycle for their fourth album, 2012’s Welcome to the Freak Show, when Hinder made the decision to part ways with longtime vocalist Austin Winkler. The band also left its longtime label digs at Republic Records and settled in at powerhouse indie label, The End Records.
What might seem like a time of uncertainty on paper was actually fueling the band’s forward progress in reality.
Dutton, a part of the Hinder family since 2009, began co-writing/producing on the All American Nightmare album and has been a co-producer on every Hinder release since. He fell right in line, making the transition seamless without requiring any sort of learning curve or adjustment period, since Dutton was joining forces with a well-oiled machine, the members of which trust each other implicitly.
“Marshal has been helping mold the Hinder sound for several years,” says Hanson. “Whenever we’re working together, everything just feels right and it clicks. We couldn’t be happier to finally announce him as an official member.”
Despite the period of change, it was actually the Hinder faithful that inspired the band to continue on – Hinder’s direct, personal connection to their fans that Hanson, Garvey, King, and Rodden worked diligently through the years to forge.
Hanson admitted, “We knew a change had to be made or we couldn’t continue. We had fans reach out to us, asking us to figure out a way to keep going forward. That meant a lot to us. So we did what we had to do. The four of us have been playing music together for over a decade now. It’s crazy to think we have spent as much time together as we have over the years and we’re still such great friends. That’s what sets this band apart. It’s an amazing support system.”
Hinder 2015 Tour Dates:
Apr 10 Capones w/ Full Devil Jacket Johnson City, TN
Apr 11 Ziggys by the Sea w/ Full Devil Jacket Wilmington, NC
Apr 12 Ziggys w/ Full Devil Jacket Winston Salem, NC
Apr 14 The International w/ Full Devil Jacket Knoxville, TN
Apr 16 Rhythm & Brews w/ Full Devil Jacket Chattanooga, TN
Apr 17 Zydeco w/ Full Devil Jacket Birmingham, AL
Apr 18 Crawfish Music Festival 2015 w/ Theory of a Deadman Biloxi, MS
Apr 21 Taylor County Coliseum Abilene, TX
May 07 Vanguard Tulsa, OK
May 09 Sugar Creek Casino- Event Center Hinton, OK
May 23 WKRL’s ‘DYSFUNCIONAL FAMILY BBQ’ Chevy Court NYS Fair Syracuse, NY
Jun 06 Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino Mescalero, NM
Jun 14 St. Joseph Country 4H Fairgrounds South Bend, IN
Jun 28 Loudwire Music Festival Grand Junction, CO
Jul 18 Rock Fest Cadott, WI
Jul 24 Halfway Jam Festival Grounds Royalton, MN
Jul 25 Werner Park Papillion, NE
Aug 02 Easyriders Saloon Sturgis, SD
Aug 14 Umatilla County Fair Hermiston, OR