Chico, CA · rock · post-hardcore · swancore

Hail The Sun

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A drummer-vocalist fronting frantic, jazz-inflected post-hardcore that changes direction every eight bars — Chico's contribution to the Swancore canon.

Hail the Sun formed in Chico, California in 2009, while its members were still in college. Alongside drummer-vocalist Donovan Melero, the founding lineup included guitarists Shane Gann and Aric Garcia and bassist John Stirrat, with Allen Casillas later joining as touring and studio drummer.

Their music sits in the post-hardcore strain sometimes labelled swancore: clean, high vocals over angular guitar lines, frequent time-signature changes, and jazz- and math-rock phrasing layered onto conventional screamo dynamics.

The band released its debut album, POW! Right in the Kisser!, in 2010, followed by the EP Elephantitis in 2012, both put out independently before they signed to Blue Swan Records.

Their second album, Wake, appeared on Blue Swan in 2014. After moving to Equal Vision Records in 2016, they released Culture Scars, which reached number 38 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart, followed by the heavier, more technical EP Secret Wars in 2017 and the album Mental Knife in 2018.

Hail the Sun has toured with Dance Gavin Dance, I the Mighty, Circa Survive and Silverstein, among others, building its following largely through steady touring within that scene. Melero's drumming-and-singing setup remains central to how the group is presented live, with arrangements favouring abrupt shifts over sustained grooves.

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rockpost-hardcoreswancore