Detroit area band, Half Light Music, got to enjoy the International Pop Overthrow when that long-running festival hit Detroit last month. They had a great view from the stage as headliners on the first night of the four day event. Now they can enjoy a little break before they take the stage again for a performance at The Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit, MI, on May 30th.
Despite the gig at a major Pop Festival, HLM don’t just play pop music. While they certainly do incorporate the hooks and dynamics of great pop songs, their music is broader and reaches across genres, which is exactly what they’re aiming for. HLM are Cheyenne Goff who handles vocals as well as rhythm guitar duties; Marty Yount, lead guitar; Bob Cook on drums and Mike Glaser on keys and programming. As a band, HLM want to appeal to a large audience who may not necessarily lean towards any one style of music. They want to get their sound to everybody and anybody who appreciates rock, rhythm and blue-eyed soul. They want to get people banging their heads, shuffling their feet, even slow dancing to their slow jams.
From the Motor City, birthplace of the auto industry and Motown, not to mention a few hard rockers and rhymers (Nugent, Seger, Kid Rock, Eminem), HLM want to continue that long tradition. They’re intent on playing larger regional shows and making their music available to fans everywhere, like Matchbox 20 and Maroon 5, who they’ve been compared to. Their musical heros knew how to reach people. Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles, Oasis and Coldplay—those groups delivered on a grand scale, as do more recent acts like The Fray, Our Lady Peace and Train who HLM also admire.
Forming just three years ago, HLM may be fairly new to the scene, but it’s band members have been seasoned in both the regional and national music scene. Vocalist Cheyenne Goff , bassist Don Patty and drummer Bob Cook, were all members of the Detroit rock band, Bliss 66. That band was fortunate enough (if hard work makes you fortunate) to sign to Epic Records in the early 00s. The Bliss 66 album Trip to the 13th was nominated for an Outstanding National Album award in 2002 at the Detroit Music Awards. After the split with Bliss 66, Cheyenne and Patty formed the Paper Street Saints with Charlie Grover from fellow Michigan band, Sponge. Paper Street Saints would not only be nominated for a Detroit Music Award in 2007 for their full-length record, Pride and Punishment, they would take that prize home.
It was from this musical past that Half Light Music presented itself in 2009, when they started writing, recording and performing gigs around Detroit. They released their self-titled debut in 2010. The nine tracks on this record showcases the bands musical chops and Cheyenne’s lyrical and vocal agility. It proved that they were capable of playing rousing rockers, but also able to bring it down with a ballad. Partial Illumination followed in 2011. The sophomore album features six new tunes, and remixes of their single “Find My Way” and “The Gambler” from their first album. Since coming together just three short years ago, the band has played commanding performances to eager crowds, opening for national touring acts like Buckcherry, Gin Blossoms and Nelly Furtado – a trend they’ll surely continue with their upcoming release, “Creative Differences” due out in September. Look for their past and future releases on iTunes, Amazon and other digital outlets.
Half Light Music has recently signed with (Wifi PR Group) as a client. Company Info: WiFi PR Group, Los Angeles, CA. http://www.wifiprgroup.com
About Half Light Music Music:
Half Light Music Released: Summer 2010 (Independent)
Partial Illumination, Released: Fall 2011 (Independent)
Official Website: https://www.facebook.com/halflightmusic
https://www.facebook.com/halflightmusic
Official Twitter Page: @CheyenneHLM
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