HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS EMBROILED IN LAWSUIT

(VIDEO) Hawthorne Heights are embroiled in a lawsuit with their label over supporte and recouping costs. Find out the info, here.

When Hawthorne Heights released their latest album, If Only You Were Lonely, the band and label promoted it with a heavy dose of television commercials. The campaign worked, sort of. While Hawthorne Heights got exposure, notoriety and promotion, the commercial exposure didn’t push the album to platinum status, and all the money that was spent on the TV spots was charged back to the band.

When a label lays money out to promote the band it’s up to the band to recoup the costs, and now the band and Victory Records are embroiled in a suit over recoupables and other issues. The band explained:

“We’re in kind of in a little lawsuit right now with our label right now. Their accounting is definitely in question, but normally whenever an ad is run the label charges it back to the band’s record sales. Our label is no exception in that they definitely make us recouop the costs of the ads and everything. The manner in which they are having us recoup is questionable.”

So how has that affected their approach to music?

“We’re kind of where we are now since we’re not really with our label. We are but…kind of like back to, like, DIY. We did a photo shoot in our singer’s house. I mean we always kind of promoted ourselves pretty good (sic), so now it’s basically all on our shoulders. So anything that can be done we have to do ourselves. It’s nice to be put in your place like that, and not have to rely on anyone else to do it for you, but that’s pretty much where we stand right now, so…”

The band said the label problems and possibly a split could work to their benefit.

[Eron Bucciarelli] “Definitely, we had to sort of fend for ourselves in many ways, and it was a struggle for people to take us seriously because we’re on an independent label versus a major. As Matt said radio stations won’t play your song becuase it’s not on label XYZ or…” [Matt Ridenour]”…on another radio station.” [Eron Bucciarelli] “So, it’s sort of an uphill battle when you’re on an independent label.”

Hawthorne Heights is currently headlining the Nintendo Fusion Tour with openers Relient K and Plain White T’s. The band said that they’ll look to record another album that they’re looking to release in 2007.