Hot Cross
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 2000 |
| Defunct | 2007 |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia , United States |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
Hot Cross was a post-hardcore ensemble originating from Philadelphia, affiliated with Hope Division Records and Equal Vision Records. The group included former members of notable acts like Saetia—with vocalist Billy Werner and drummer Greg Drudy, who also co-founded and originally played drums for Interpol—as well as Off Minor (bassist/guitarist Matt Smith), You and I (guitarist Casey Boland), Neil Perry, The Now, and Joshua Fit For Battle (bassist/guitarist Josh Jakubowski).
Style
Their sound was characterized by complex, frequently interweaving guitar parts reminiscent of the style popularized by Drive Like Jehu. Initially, they secured a contract with Level Plane in 2003.
History
Established in 2000, Hot Cross debuted with the EP A New Set of Lungs in 2001, followed by their first full album Cryonics in 2003. They released a second EP titled Fair Trades & Farewells in 2004, and their sophomore album Risk Revival appeared in 2007.
On May 2, 2006, the band revealed their signing to Hope Division/Equal Vision Records for their upcoming full-length project. By August 2006, they had re-recorded an album initially produced by Mike Hill, with former member Josh Jakubowski overseeing the recording process.
Hot Cross declared an indefinite hiatus on July 7, 2007 via their MySpace page, concluding a seven-year tenure and prematurely ending their tour that year.
Following the split, bassist Matt Smith engaged with Halo of Snakes, preparing a release under Harvcore. Meanwhile, guitarists Casey Boland and Josh Jakubowski formed Vista Rhymes, which launched its debut album VR:1 through streaming platforms in 2022.
Members
- Billy Werner – lead vocals
- Josh Jakubowski – guitar, vocals
- Casey Boland – guitar, vocals
- Matt Smith – bass
- Greg Drudy – drums
Studio albums
- Cryonics (2003)
- Risk Revival (2007)
EPs
- A New Set of Lungs (2001)
- Fair Trades & Farewells (2004)
Splits
- Split with Light the Fuse and Run (2003) ("The Eye Is A Tricky Machine", "In Memory Of Movern")
- Split with Lickgoldensky (2004) ("A Voice Turned Vacant", "Patience And Prudence")
- Split with The Holy Shroud (2005) ("Tacoma")
External links
- Official site
- [ Allmusic]
- Interview with Billy from 2011 about post-Hot Cross life
- Interview with Billy before Cryonics
- Interview with Billy from Under the Volcano issue 96
- Hot Cross lyrics
- Hot Cross Interview at REDEFINE Magazine, March 2007
- Billy Werner discusses Hot Cross, Risk Revival, Saetia with Punknews.org
- Articles with short description
- American screamo musical groups
- Post-hardcore musical groups from Pennsylvania
- Rock music groups from Philadelphia
- Equal Vision Records artists
- Musical groups established in 2000
- Musical groups disestablished in 2007
- Level Plane Records artists
- Emo musical groups from Pennsylvania