Hush Hush Commotion

Drawing comparison to Oklahoma's own All American Rejects, Hush Hush Commotion is Oklahoma's latest rising indie sensation. This fresh faced band gained powerful recognition after winning a contest put on by a local radio station, and has been the talk to the town ever since. With trademark stage presence and quick, upbeat lyrics Hush Hush Commotion dominates its ever so intent audience. - Oklahoma Creativity

Who?

Criminally unsigned indie-pop rockers from Oklahoma City who've made themselves a place in the scene by playing with large acts such as Shiny Toy Guns and The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

How is it?

Overall it's one of the most solid EP's I’ve heard in awhile. It Could Happen... shows a more mature, but fun, sound than some bands even achieve on their first full-length. The second song ("The Last Waltz") is the most forgettable of any of the five on the EP; it's sound doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the songs from the release. "The One That Got Away" has particularly catchy verses that will be stuck in your head for days. "Relapsing Habits" displays this band at their top form and its first verse, with its accompanying piano melody, is ridiculously catchy. "At Your Expense" is a sweet little indie-pop gem that reminds me of Shiny Toy Guns (minus the techno). The hidden track at the end is the only acoustic piece on the release.

Every song has at least above average lyrics. Out of "Relapsing Habits," for example: "I have become a mirror image of my former self / Relapsing habits of destruction are the story I tell / I need that feeling deep inside my veins / I need your face, I need your taste to take away my pain." Their melodies are immensely entertaining; the places where the keyboard and piano are present are even more memorable (but maybe that's just because I'm a fool for a good piano-based song).

All in all, Hush Hush, Commotion are anything but quiet. I wouldn't be surprised to see them take the pop scene by storm, and hey, It Could Happen... - AbsolutePunk.net

What started with a demo recording on MySpace barely a year ago has exponentially evolved into the metro indie-pop phenomenon that is Hush Hush, Commotion.
Infusing catchy hooks, garage band guitars and cutting synthesizer dance melodies, the OKC rock band is comprised of five musicians who come together to marry influences and engage area audiences.
Keyboard player Chris Lusk said rather than work toward a specific sound, the band's members fuse their tastes in collective jams and effortlessly roll out the upbeat alternative-pop songs for which the quintet is becoming known.
"People would probably be surprised at our individual likes," Lusk said. "It's really funny, because when we get together, this is just what we always seems to create."
The band's five-song EP, "It Could Happen," already has made shows opening for well-known acts like Sugarcult, AFI and Shiny Toy Guns happen, so keep your eyes and ears on Hush Hush, Commotion. - Oklahoma Gazette

Oklahoma City's Hush Hush Commotion are quite the quintet. The band's array of jangily indie rock tunes recalls such roots-like groups such as the Band. In fact, most groups will be hard pressed to find a group that has such a down-home sound without being convoluted in grandiose theatrical overindulgence like Drive-In Truckers or moody upswings like Counting Crowes.

With their recently released second album, "In Control," the band are raw and rugged yet have refined their approach with a sharp touch that pays off very well. With an extraordinary work ethic, Hush Hush Commotion have taken their latest batch of driving and rollicking tunes town after town, slowly gathering a firm following. - Spit In My Face E-Zine

Hush Hush Commotion sure does seem to have grown a lot for being such a young band. Already well known across the state for their bubbly, infectious rock tunes, HHC appears to be poised to make an even bigger splash across the country with their newest release, “In Control,” that has already charted on Smartpunk.com in pre-sale.

What makes me happy for the guys though, is how much “In Control” sounds like a product the band is truly proud of, and rightfully so.

HHC branches out farther from its debut album, “It Could Happen,” and has written some songs that sound beyond its years. It certainly is playing with its sound, dissatisfied with the idea of lingering in its same old sound — the mark of a good band.

Sometimes I find that a band of this sort ventures a little too far from that sound that garnered it fans in the first place, but I can happily state that Hush Hush balanced the perfect amount of the new and old with “In Control.”

With “War of Words” and “Dead Wrong,” that signature catchiness is left intact. The album literally creaks to a start with “War of Words” before launching into a retro, summery tune that feels nice and warm.

The beaming keyboards and nearly Southern rodeo bass groove in the chorus are brilliant touches, and the group vocals are a sort of testament to how impossible it is to not sing along to its songs. “Dead Wrong” is good ol’ HHC fun over a punchy, polished beat.

Even more exciting to me though are the sort of departures for Hush Hush. The boys seem to have been listening to a bit of Kings of Leon, because there is a sort of down-home, Southern element to the other tracks of “In Control.”

The biggest leap is “Make Me Shine,” and the payoff is huge. The shimmering acoustic guitar and twinkling tambourine add up to an extraordinarily gorgeous and fun song.

HHC really does seem to be in control of things with this new release. The band seems to shed any expectation of what it should sound like, and is instead simply playing on its own terms. With “In Control” as a strong indication, its terms are sounding pretty damn good in my ears.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars - The Oklahoma Daily

New bands are born every second, so every little step to set one apart helps. Recently, Hush Hush, Commotion got a big nudge in the right directions: Its brand of high energy modern rock coupled with cocky vocals and pounding percussions helped it climb above the gray in this year's KHBZ-FM 94.7 "The Buzz"'s March Bandness Battle of the Bands.
The Oklahoma City five-piece won first place and took the prize money staight into Norman's Bell Labs studio to cut an EP with Trent Bell.
"It was fun," said front man Scott Michael. "But at the same time, it was a stressful time."
"Things never go according to plan," keyboardist Chris Lusk added. "Just our nature, added to the extra money we had from the Buzz thing, we had more tiem to be picky. Even though it didn't go according to plan, we are very content with the final product."
They will be unveiling the finished EP at a CD release show Saturday at the Bricktown Ballroom. As part of the prize package, they also got a spot at this month's Dfest in Tulsa, which will put them in front of industry reps scouting out new talent. In the end, no contest or festival is a guaranteed path to stardom, so the band is preparing to hit the road this fall to win fans the old-fashioned way: one city at a time.
"The next step for the band is to get out on the road as much as possible following the CD release show, with more extensive touring in the fall and wintertime," said Michael. "Get mostly in the Midwest and brach out more toward East and West coasts just to get our name out there."
Hush Hush, Commotion is still a fresh project, having only officially formed earlier this year when three of the members left another band.
"In previous bands, we've been bound by genre, writing a whole bunch of stuff, then trying to write songs that sound different, and it didn't really mesh," said guitarist Andy Adamson. "With this band, we want to do what we want to do. We want to write whatever sounds best to us."
Bands like Led Zeppelin, the Smashing Pumpkins, Say Anything, and The Format were still in the guys' minds when writing songs, but they're committed to avoiding conventions or genres, instead writing music intuitively.
A common thread in the music, according to Michael, is its energy and a desire to connect with the audience. Because of that, the band chooses to keep Michael freed up on stage.
"A vocalist who has a guitar is bound to the guitar, whereas a vocalist who just has a microphone can get anywhere on stage and on top of that, interact with the crowd much more," Michael said. "As far as stage presence goes, it's just more beneficial for the energy level that we try to maintain and getting the audience involved." - Oklahoma Gazette

Things are going pretty well for Hush Hush, Commotion. In the span of four months, the band won 94.7 The Buzz’s March Bandness competition, played shows with bands such as AFI, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Sugarcult, Copeland and Sherwood and is set to release their first CD.
“We don’t feel like we’ve come out of nowhere,” said Scott Michael, 22, lead vocalist. “But from an outsider’s perspective, it would definitely seem that way.”
While the band is relatively new to the Oklahoma music scene, its members are not. Before the band made their official debut on February 20, 2007, drummer Dylan Depel, bassist Dan Adamson, guitarist Andy Adamson and lead singer Michael comprised the band Far From Perfect.
“A lot of the fans we have now don’t really know about Far From Perfect,” said Michael. “We don’t advertise it a lot.”
The band said they felt like they had done all they could as Far From Perfect and thought becoming a “new band” would be a welcomed breath of fresh air. Andy Adamson, 17, said it was a good trial and error experience.
“Being Far From Perfect for four years helped us learn what works and what didn’t,” Adamson said. “It helped us experience writing lyrics, playing shows and how to go about being in a band. It was like a rough draft.”
Michael agreed. “I think the amount of success we’ve had with Hush Hush, Commotion stems from what was learned as Far From Perfect to get us where we are,” Michael said.
With the addition of keyboardist Chris Lusk, 22, the band felt it was time for a new name to signify the evolution of a new band as well a new music style.
“We list it as ‘Rock/Indie/Pop,’” said Michael. “But I don’t really feel like we’re pinned to any specific genre.”
But the genres they’ve chosen can probably account for some of the band’s following since they are arguably the most popular genres currently. This could be considered a fortuitous coincidence, but it wasn’t the band’s initial goal.
“People are into that genre right now, but that’s not why we’re playing it,” said Adamson. “We didn’t set out saying ‘This is what we’re gonna sound like.’ It’s just the most natural-feeling thing to us.”
Lusk added that anytime the band tried to write something that sounded a certain way, they ended up scrapping it. They described their music as something that culminates from the interests of all five members as opposed to what they think will be popular.
“Our main goal is to just make music and enjoy it,” Lusk said. “And get that music out to as many people as we can. The whole ‘fame and success’ argument isn’t a factor. I would be perfectly happy just making music and having a few people listening to it.”
One of the biggest factors that helped HHC’s rise to sudden popularity was winning the title of House Band for radio station 94.7 The Buzz in April. By winning March Bandness, the band was able to get their first single, “Yours Till Niagara,” in regular rotation on the station as well as be the openers of Buzzfest at the Cox Convention Center. Because of this, they view their win not only as a noteworthy accomplishment but also a vital promotional tool.
“There have been financial rewards and show rewards,” Adamson said. “But name recognition is the biggest thing that’s come out of it.”
“March Bandness really helped us because from a promotional standpoint, it’s gold,” Lusk said. “Whether or not you’ve seen us live, heard our music or listen to the Buzz, if you’ve at least heard of us, that’s the most powerful thing. If you can say ‘Oh, I’ve heard that name before,’ the battle’s halfway won.”
It makes sense that the band values name recognition like they do because they were a promotion-savvy group even before winning March Bandness. Michael said they try to take full advantage of every opportunity presented to them, from interviews in every media form to distributing the majority of their concert flyers themselves. Michael also mentions that while winning March Bandness was quite an accomplishment, he believes they work too hard for all their success to be attributed to that one event.
“We have poured everything into not only this album, but the shows,” Michael said. “We’re extremely driven. I don’t think you could attribute that solely to winning a competition.”
Another popularity factor for HHC is the connection they maintain with their fans, not only through interaction at shows but also via the band’s official MySpace page as well as a street team MySpace.
“I believe the little things really count,” said Lusk. “All five of us check the MySpace and someone’s always online. We really pride ourselves on the fact that we say we talk to everybody that talks to us, and we do. We go out of our way to say ‘hi’ to the people we hear from everyday.”
Implying that the March Bandness victory is the only or main reason for Hush Hush, Commotion’s success seems not only oversimplified, but also an underestimation of the band, especially when issues like HHC’s steadfast determination to self-promotion, desire to personally interact with the fans and the drive to make music that they feel actually represents them are factored in.
“I don’t think we’re just reaping benefits from winning a competition,” Lusk said. “I really feel we’re doing the things necessary in this industry to gain a fan base and mild local success and I think we’re driven by the fact that we want to prove that we’re not some novelty battle of the bands winner. I know all of us share the same goal and are willing to do what it takes to get our name out there and achieve that goal.”
- NONzine

...Hush Hush, Commotion is anything but quiet when it fires up the maps and dishes out some infectious, high energy, indie noise-pop. - Urband Tulsa Weekly