About Nothing More
Nothing More is an American rock band from San Antonio, Texas. Formed in 2003, the band spent much of the 2000s recording independent albums and struggling to maintain a steady lineup or attract record label interest. Towards the end of the decade, the band's long-time drummer, Jonny Hawkins, decided to switch to being the band's frontman and lead vocalist, stabilizing the band's core lineup along with other long-time members Mark Vollelunga and Daniel Oliver . The band self-funded and recorded their fourth studio album, Nothing More, over the course of three years and used it to gain the attention of Eleven Seven Music record label, who signed the band to a five album record contract upon hearing it. The album became the band's breakthrough release in 2014, with multiple charting singles, including "This is the Time ", which hit number 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, and "Mr. MTV", "Jenny" and "Here's to the Heartache" all charting in the top 15 of both charts.
The band began working on a follow-up in 2016 while continuing to tour in support of their self-titled release, and in September 2017, released their fifth studio album - their second on a major record label - The Stories We Tell Ourselves. The lead single, "Go to War", outperformed the prior singles, topping the Mainstream Rock chart, and the release earned the band three Grammy Award nominations; Best Rock Album for the album, and Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance for "Go to War". The band continued to promote the release moving into 2018, releasing singles, "Do You Really Want It?" and "Just Say When", and embarking on multiple North American tours into 2019.
Their sixth studio album, Spirits, was released on October 14, 2022.
Band member Jonny Hawkins began playing drums as early as the seventh grade, which is around the time he met guitarist Mark Vollelunga, by hearing him play guitar at a church camp. The two became friends, and would hold informal jam sessions together with other students throughout their middle and high school years. In 2003, Hawkins and Vollelunga officially formed the band.
Around the end of high school, the band began recording music and touring locally, which they did for years, plagued by lineup changes and the inability to garner a contract from a record label. In 2004, the band released the more funk-influenced album Shelter with vocalist Josh Klaus, bassist Matt Reynolds, and second guitarist Josh Kercheville. Klaus, followed shortly by Reynolds, were replaced in 2004 by Travis Cox and Daniel Oliver, respectively; they recorded and released the EP Madhatter's Bliss in July 2005. A compilation album, Vandura, largely consisting of the tracks from the first two releases, was also released in May 2006. Cox was later replaced by singer Trey Graham, who had previously toured with Kelly Clarkson. The band found some form of success in the release, releasing the album Save You/Save Me in 2007 and touring with Thirty Seconds to Mars and getting on to The Warped Tour, but ultimately felt unhappy with the compromise of moving in a more pop, mainstream influence from Graham, and parted ways with the singer. Around the same time, Kercheville left the band as well, leaving the band as a trio.
By mid-2008, the band was at a crossroads. Hawkins began struggling with depression, due to a number of personal issues, ranging from his mother's diagnosis, and eventual death, from cancer, the end of a five-year romantic relationship, and stress from turnover in band membership. Additionally, the band had won a "battle of the bands" contest prior to losing Graham and Kercheville, but collecting the prize money and instruments they had won required them to perform a showcase in front of record label executives. Feeling a drastic change was in order, Hawkins decided, after over eight years as the band's drummer, to instead become the band's frontman and lead vocalist. While the performance, having Hawkins do drums and vocals concurrently, did not go over well, his instinct was that this was the correct direction for the band to pursue ultimately. Despite Hawkins' lack of formal experience in singing, and even general fear of public speaking, he garnered the support of remaining members Vollelunga and Oliver, and the band pushed forward, opting to use fill-in temporary drummers for live performances moving forward. The members saw this as a new beginning for the band, and later even removed all their previous recordings from any sort of retail space, feeling it no longer represented the band.
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