Hoobastank

For the band's self-titled debut album, seeHoobastank (album).

Hoobastank(sometimes stylized ash∞bastank,and originally known asHoobustank) is an Americanrockband formed in 1994 inAgoura Hills,California,by lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassist Markku Lappalainen. They were signed toIsland Recordsfrom 2001 to 2012 and have released six albums and oneextended playto date. Their most recent album,Push Pull,was released in May 2018. They have sold 10 million albums worldwide.

Hoobastank
Hoobastank in 2006
Background information
Also known as	Hoobustank (1994–2001)
Origin	Agoura Hills,California,U.S.
Genres	Alternative rock nu metal post-grunge funk metal(early) ska punk(early)
Years active	1994–present
Labels	Island Open E EMI Napalm
Members	Doug Robb Dan Estrin Chris Hesse Jesse Charland
Past members	Markku Lappalainen Jeremy Wasser Derek Kwan Matt McKenzie Josh Moreau David Amezcua
Website	hoobastank

History

Early career (1994–2000)

Vocalist Doug Robb had known guitarist Dan Estrin for some time before competing against him in a high school battle of the bands competition and subsequently, they decided to form a band.They then recruited Markku Lappalainen and Chris Hesse to form Hoobastank.

The band has provided a variety of explanations for the origin of the band's unusual name, and it is unclear where it originated from. Claims have included that it is a mispronunciation of a German street, slang for someone who owns many sneakers, or a word the band came up with while they were "joking around."

Hoobastank started playing gigs at the local venueCobalt Cafealong withIncubusandLinkin Park.They recorded their first full-length self-released album in 1998 calledThey Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To,which features a saxophone section headed by Jeremy Wasser, who executive produced the album and recorded the "Summer Romance" saxophone solo onIncubus'S.C.I.E.N.C.E.album. The Incubus connections continued with Fourth Street Recording's music producer Jim Wirt and logos and visual design by Brett Spivey.

By this stage, Hoobastank had developed a strong reputation inSouthern California.This attracted interest fromIsland Records,who subsequently signed the band in 2000. At the time of signing, the band had completed a second full-length album, titledForward,also featuring Jeremy Wasser. However, the band felt that the direction they were heading in would work best without a sax, so Wasser departed the band and the album was shelved. A few tracks were rerecorded for release on the band's self-titled 2001 release. The original recordings from theForwardsessions made their way to the Internet via peer to peer sites in late 2001.

Hoobastank(2001–2002)

Hoobastank released theirself-titled debut albumin November 2001. The first single was "Crawling in the Dark",which was a breakthrough hit, reaching No. 68 on theBillboardHot 100,No. 3 on theModern Rockchart, No. 7 on theMainstream Rockchartand No. 1 on anMP3download chart in early 2002. Also, the song was featured in the 2002 inline skating game,Aggressive Inline,appearing on theXbox,PlayStation 2andGameCubeconsoles. The second single "Running Away"was even more successful, reaching No. 44 on theBillboardHot 100, No. 2 on the Modern Rock chart, No. 9 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 3 on the MP3 download chart. TheHoobastankalbum went Platinum due to these hit singles and reached No. 25 on theBillboard200 album charts and No. 1 on theBillboardHeatseeker chart.

The album achieved recognition internationally with the band touring in Europe and Asia in support of the record. "Remember Me",the third single released from this album, was a moderate hit, reaching No. 23 on the Modern Rock charts. The band made a song titled" Losing My Grip "for the soundtrack of the movieThe Scorpion King.

The Reason(2003–2005)

In early 2003, the group contributed the song "Right Before Your Eyes" toDaredevil: The Album.The band then entered the studio with producerHoward Benson.Recording was disrupted for a month when Dan Estrin was seriously injured in a minibike accident in August. Estrin had recovered by October and the band headed off on aNokiaUnwired Tour withThe All-American RejectsandOzomatliin November.

Their second albumThe Reasonwas released in December 2003. The single "Out of Control"was made available for download on the band's website. Doug Robb said on the band's website:" A lot of it is about asking questions or questioning all that people see. It's not all about religion. "Out of Control" is about that and about opening your eyes after being blinded by being devoted to anything. ""Same Direction"would reach No. 9 on the US Modern Rock chart, No. 16 on the Mainstream Rock chart and No. 16 on a composite World Modern Rock chart (based on the US, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Canada, and Australia). A year later, theLet It OutDVD collected the band's videos. "The Reason"was put to a popular music video onTangle.

"The Reason" was released as a single in the first half of 2004. It became a hit, reaching No. 2 on theBillboardHot 100, No. 1 on the US and World Modern Rock charts, No. 10 in Australia, No. 12 in the United Kingdom and No. 15 in Germany. In Canada, it spent 21 weeks at the top, setting a new record for most weeks at No. 1. Meanwhile, in the United States, the album reached No. 3 on theBillboard200 album chart.

The band's international profile was increased by a support slot onLinkin Park'sMeteoraworld tour in early 2004.

Every Man for Himself(2006–2007)

Hoobastank signing autographs for fans in 2007

Their third albumEvery Man for Himselfwas released in May 2006 and debuted at No. 12 on theBillboardchart. Three singles, "If I Were You","Inside of You",and"Born to Lead",were released. Another single," If Only ", was planned to be released but was canceled for unknown reasons, possibly because of the low chart achievements of the first three singles. Despite this, the album has been certified Gold in the United States.

On a 2005 co-headlining tour withVelvet Revolver,the band received a chilly reception from some audiences and rumors of a feud between Robb and Velvet Revolver frontmanScott Weilandwere soon filling Internet message boards. "If I Were You" fromEvery Man for Himselfaddressed the whole affair.Robb later said in an interview with MTV News online that he has nothing against Scott Weiland or any other member of Velvet Revolver.

For(N)everandThe Greatest Hits(2008–2009)

In October 2007, Robb posted on the official Hoobastank message boards and said that they have "set the bar very very high for this next CD" and that they have "more ideas going into this CD than ever before". On June 2, 2008, Robb posted an update on their temporary website, announcing that the recording process of their upcoming album was almost done and to expect a release date within a couple of weeks.On September 19, Robb posted a Myspace bulletin announcing that the "new Hoobastank album is nearly done".

The first single from the album, "My Turn",premiered on radio October 13, 2008. The albumFor(N)everwas released on January 27, 2009, as announced by Doug Robb in a blog entry on the band's official website.The song was featured as the theme song forTNA Wrestling'sDestination X 2009Pay Per View.

On April 20, 2010, aVanessa Amorosifan website revealed details of a collaboration between Hoobastank and the Australian singer, a duet version of "The Letter".On August 5, it was confirmed that there was another version of the song onUniversal International.This one was a duet between Hoobastank and the American-Japanese singer, lyricist, actress and modelAnna Tsuchiya.The website, VanessaAmorosi.net, also provided the duet version to be streamed in full for the first time. The music video was shot in Los Angeles at Lacy Street Studio with director Paul Brown. The video and single was serviced to Australian media on May 4. While the single was released in Australia on June 19, 2009, featuring Vanessa Amorosi, the version of the song featuring Anna Tsuchiyaappears on the deluxe edition of Hoobastank's greatest hits albumThe Greatest Hits: Don't Touch My Moustache.

For(N)everhad its Australian release on June 26.

The best of albumThe Greatest Hits: Don't Touch My Moustachewas released on August 5, throughUniversal Recordsin Japan. The Deluxe Edition's tracks were selected from their first four albums by Hoobastank fans on the band's official record label website.

Hoobastank was a support band onCreed's 2009 reunion tour.

Is This the Day?(2009–2010)

Hoobastank announced onTwitterthat they were recording an acoustic album on September 2, 2009.

On October 30, Hoobastank covered the song "Ghostbusters"for Halloween and a music video was released on Hoobastank's officialYouTubechannel.

The band released the live albumLive from the Wilternin December 8, which was available exclusively throughiTunes.

Hoobastank released a new song entitled "We Are One"on January 19, 2010, as part of a compilation fromMusic for Reliefin support of theHaiti earthquake crisis.

On February 12, Hoobastank released a new song entitled "Never Be Here Again" as part of theAT&T Team USA Soundtrack.

In May, the band announced that they would be performing an acoustic live tour at several places in Japan. They released an acoustic album titledIs This the Day?on August 4, 2010, in Japan,but it has yet to be released in the United States.

Fight or Flight(2011–2015)

On April 5, 2012, the band announced on Twitter that their new album's name was to be titledFight or Flight.On May 3, the band revealed the first single "This Is Gonna Hurt". The album was released on September 11, 2012.

To promote the album, two more singles, "Can You Save Me?" and "Incomplete", accompanied by a touring music videoand a lyric videorespectively, were released.

On August 2, 2013, former member Jeremy Wasser made a one-off appearance onSunset Strip Music FestivalatWhisky a Go Goin West Hollywood, California. He played sax with the band in songs "Earthsick" and "Can I Buy You A Drink?" fromThey Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To.

Push Pull(2016–present)

Bassist Jesse Charland in 2023

In November 2016, the band began recording for their sixth studio album. They began working with producerMatt Wallaceas posted by members Doug Robb and Dan Estrin on Facebook and Instagram.On January 28, 2017, Doug Robb stated on Twitter that "Studio's done. New music coming".

Doug Robb provided the lyrics and vocals for "Fist Bump", the theme song of the 2017 video gameSonic Forces.On October 19, 2017, the band had signed withNapalm Records.They also announced that the sixth studio album is finished and expected to be released in the first half of 2018.

On March 29, 2018, Hoobastank announced their next albumPush Pull.It was released worldwide on May 25, along with the album's first single, "More Beautiful".

Throughout 2018, the band went on their tour to commemorate the 15th anniversary of their 2003 albumThe Reason,playing the album in its entirety.On August 16, 2019, Hoobastank announced that they would be re-releasing the album on October 4 with a vinyl release and a digital version with bonus tracks.

In September 2022, a documentary series about the making of their self-titled debut studio album was released, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the album. It was uploaded on their officialYouTubechannel.

Musical style and influences

Hoobastank has been categorized under genres such aspost-grunge,alternative rock,hard rock,andnu metal.On their early independent releases, the band used afunk metalandska punksoundand had a saxophonist in the band.On their major-label,self-titled, debut album,the band's sound changed; they removed their saxophonist and became a four-piece rock band, using an alternative rock sound.The band's sound matured in their second album,The Reason,and became more melodic.Doug Robb has citedFaith No MorevocalistMike Pattonas being one of his main influences.In a 2004Rolling Stoneinterview, Robb commented that, "Faith No More is my favorite band of all time. I listen to those records constantly."

Band members

Doug Robb and Dan Estrin performing live in 2023

Current members

• Doug Robb – lead vocals, rhythm guitar(1994–present)
• Dan Estrin – lead guitar, backing vocals(1994–present)
• Chris Hesse – drums, backing vocals(1994–present)
• Jesse Charland – bass, keyboards, backing vocals(2009–present)

Studio members

• Paul Bushnell – bass(2005–2006, 2008)
• Chris Chaney– bass(2005–2006)

Former members

• Jeremy Wasser – saxophone(1995–2000, one-off performance in 2013)
• Derek Kwan – saxophone(1997–1999)
• Markku Lappalainen – bass(1994–2005)
• Matt McKenzie – bass(2005)
• Josh Moreau – bass, backing vocals(2006–2008)
• David Amezcua – bass, backing vocals(2008–2009, 2023)

Timeline

Awards and nominations

BDS Spin Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2007	"The Reason"	800,000 Spins	Won

Billboard Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2002	Hoobastank	Modern Rock Artist of the Year	Nominated
2004	Hoobastank	Hot 100 Artist Duo/Group of the Year	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Mainstream Top 40 Single of the Year	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Top Digital Song	Nominated
2004	Hoobastank	Top Duo/Group	Nominated

California Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2003	Hoobastank	Outstanding Debut Album	Nominated

Grammy Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	"The Reason"	Best Rock Album	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal	Nominated

Groovevolt Music and Fashion Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	"The Reason"	Best Collaboration, Duo or Group	Nominated

Mike Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	"The Reason"	Video of the Year	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Record of the Year	Nominated

MTV Video Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	"The Reason"	Best Group Video	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Best Rock Video	Nominated

MTV Asia Video Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	Hoobastank	Favorite International Rock Act	Won

MTV Japan Video Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	"The Reason"	Best Rock Video	Won

MuchMusic Video Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	"The Reason"	International Video - Group	Nominated

NRJ Radio Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	Hoobastank	Best International Artist	Won

Radio Disney Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	Hoobastank	Funniest Band Name	Won

Teen Choice Music Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2004	Hoobastank	Choice Award - Rock Group	Nominated
2004	"The Reason"	Choice Award - Rock Song	Nominated
2006	Hoobastank	Choice Award - Rock Group	Nominated

Texas Buzz Awards

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result
2005	Hoobastank	Musicians Choice	Won

Discography

Main article:Hoobastank discography

Studio albums

• They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To(1998)
• Hoobastank(2001)
• The Reason(2003)
• Every Man for Himself(2006)
• Fornever(2009)
• Fight or Flight(2012)
• Push Pull(2018)

External links

• Official website
• HoobastankatAllMusic
• An interview with the band from 2009's Rock on the Range