For eleven years, HalfBrother Sid has been a primary fixture of the southeastern music scene, constantly touring and recording. The music is a distinctive blend of power rock, exceptional vocals and soaring guitars, instantly memorable, earthy and earnest.
It's precisely these elements that attracted the attention of Bobby Collins and Spectra Records in Charleston SC. HalfBrother Sid signed with the label at the end of May.
"We had been talking with Spectra Records for the past couple of months. Things worked out well, and we signed with them around the end of May. Turns out, MySpace is where they first took interest in the band." commented Scott Harritan in an interview last week. "The director of operations called us and started the dialog, asked us to send in more material and we went from there. Bobby Collins, the label's CEO called me a few weeks later and here we are, signed to Spectra."
Signing with Spectra allows HalfBrother Sid a reprieve from the day to day business of running the band. "It's taken some pressure off and allows us to focus on playing shows and writing new material." remarks Harritan. "The deal has gotten us several major endorsements (Marshall, Vox and Korg) which certainly helps."
How does a band stay together for eleven years? "I think for the most part the key to our longevity has been staying true to what it is we set out to do. Specifically, playing and writing our own material." Harritan says. "I cant tell you how nice it is to see a club fill up with people that are singing the words to your songs back to you. In addition to that, we have always been best friends and really enjoy each others company. That doesn't hurt."
As a signed band, does Harritan have advice for fledgling rockers? "Stick it out no matter what. Write songs with solid hooks and get your music out there anyway you can. Also, if the chemistry of the band isn't right, fix it."
Harritan says the next step in conjunction with the new label and endorsements is to release new HalfBrother Sid material. "Our release date has not been set yet, but is slated for later this year. So next on the list is radio play in the major markets and getting the product in the stores. We will be hitting the areas where the CD is spinning the hardest and go from there. As a band our main focus right now is writing and continuing to build the HBS fan base. We have some very loyal fans so we want to keep them happy."
HalfBrother Sid features Tony Jackson on vocals, Scott Harritan on guitars and backup vocals, Mike Schaum on guitar, Chris Moore on bass and Brian Kluender on drums. More information can be found at their website http://halfbrothersid.com.
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