Hedley

Vancouver punk-pop quartet Hedley revolves around frontman Jacob Hoggard, who first captured nationwide attention as a finalist on the 2004 edition of Canadian Idol. Although eliminated one episode before the finale, Hoggard emerged as a clear viewer favorite, which opened doors to widespread coverage once he resumed his musical career. In 2005 he reassembled Hedley alongside guitarist Dave Rosin, bassist Tommy Mac, and drummer Chris Crippin—musicians who had previously worked together in the Vancouver group Everything After. Early momentum built after a strong showing at the Canadian Music Week 2005 industry showcase, prompting Universal Music Canada to offer a deal. Produced by Brian Howes, the band’s self-titled debut appeared that autumn and quickly spawned the radio singles “Trip” and “On My Own.” The record achieved platinum status, leading Hedley to spend summer 2006 opening for Yellowcard and Matchbook Romance across North America before the album reached American listeners in September.

Much of the follow-up, Famous Last Words, took shape in the coastal town of White Rock, British Columbia; issued in October 2007, it attained platinum certification within ten days. The dance-punk-infused The Show Must Go arrived in 2009, highlighted by the Top Ten single “Cha-Ching.” After parting ways with Capitol in the United States, the band aligned with Island Records the next year. A singles collection titled Never Too Late surfaced stateside in 2010, followed later that year by the Canadian live package Go with the Show. Their fourth studio effort, 2011’s Storms, marked their strongest commercial performance to date, climbing to number two on the Canadian pop charts, earning gold certification, and securing a Juno Award for Best Pop Album in 2012. The 2013 successor Wild Life nearly matched that success, also landing inside Canada’s Top Ten. Hello, the group’s sixth album, debuted at number one on the Canadian charts upon its November 2015 release—the first time Hedley had accomplished that feat—and produced two Top 40 tracks, “Hello” and “Lose Control.” After an extensive world tour throughout 2016, the band returned to the studio; ahead of their seventh album they issued the single “Love Again” in summer 2017.