Hey Champ Sign to Townie Records
Debut Album STAR Out July 13th 2010
Townie Records is proud to announce the July 13th release of Star, the debut album from Chicago trio, Hey Champ. Though they have recently gained notoriety as electro-pop producers, Hey Champ have consistently been recognized as one of Chicago’s premier rock bands. Since 2008 the band has toured nationally, opening for acts like Vampire Weekend, Lupe Fiasco, Justice, Jet, Kid Cudi, Sebastian Tellier, Raekwon, The Bloody Beetroots and Passion Pit. The diversity of these acts, and their fans, is a testament to the wide appeal of Hey Champ’s music. In 2009, the band played on main stages at major festivals including All Points West and Lollapalooza, where SPIN lauded them with praise, referring to them as both “Best Early Afternoon Dance Party” and “Best Discovery.”
Hey Champ‘s roots can be traced outside of Chicago in nearby Rockford, where band members Saam Hagshenas (Vocals, Guitar) and Jonathan Marks (Drums) discovered their love of music at a young age. After Saam’s graduation from law school, Jon’s fellow Princeton music major Pete Dougherty (Synths) moved to Chicago, cementing the lineup of the group. Together they strive to take electro-pop to a higher level, combining their pop-savvy with an eclectic series of influences, ranging from classical music and jazz to the power-pop of Rockford’s hometown heroes Cheap Trick and the synth-heavy productions of Giorgio Moroder and Trevor Horn. Their sound is infectious, energetic, and nostalgic for an imagined future.
Once they began recording, it wasn’t long before their first single “Cold Dust Girl”, began to gain steam as a club anthem. Since then, Hey Champ has been a Chicago mainstay, DJing and performing live in crowded local venues. The release of “Cold Dust Girl” won Hey Champ fans worldwide as well, even gaining radio play in Brazil where the band has toured on the strength of their fan base in the country. The video for the song has been a hit too (watch it here). Directed by Michael Thelin, it currently has over 250,000 views on YouTube. One of the early viewers, among those quarter-million-plus, was hip-hop star and fellow Chicagoan, Lupe Fiasco. Impressed by what he heard and saw, he invited Hey Champ on a nation wide tour with him. Soon after they entered the studio to record tracks for Star, their forthcoming debut.
The success of “Cold Dust Girl” not only put Hey Champ on the blog map as musicians, but also as producers. Their unique touch and ear for remixing led to official work for acts ranging from Passion Pit and The Sounds, to Mike Posner and Chicago Hip-Hop stars, The Cool Kids, among others. The group has been so successful at remixing that it’s hard to browse Hype Machine (take a look) without coming across their name, including numerous times when they have taken the top spot on the list. With the July 13th release of Star on the new Seattle-based Townie records, Hey Champ’s anthemic compositions and energetic live show will no longer be a Chicago secret.
Video for “Cold Dust Girl”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyxzO5e5-aM
To view and retrieve codes for the Hey Champ widget for the singles “Cold Dust Girl” and “Neverest” visit PRESS ONLY- heychamp.com
http://www.heychamp.com(Fans can download “Cold Dust Girl” and “Neverest”)
http://www.myspace.com/heychamp
http://www.facebook.com/heychamp
Upcoming 2010 Tour Dates:
APRIL
02 – Santa Monica, CA – V Lounge with the Juan Maclean
05 – Los Angeles, CA – Dragonfly with Nightwaves (Binary Presents)
16 – Madison, WI – Memorial Hall (University of Wisconsin)
30 – New York, NY – Mercury Lounge
More TBA
For Further Information on Hey Champ contact Big Hassle Media:
Chris Vinyard
212.619.1360
vinyard@bighassle.com
