The Hawthorne Effect
Chicago, Illinois, United States | SELF
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We recently sat down for an insightful and in-depth interview with John Jauch, lead singer/songwriter behind The Hawthorne Effect.
In that interview Mr. Jauch goes into great detail about how his job(s) as a psychotherapist and pharmaceutical researcher influence his music.
Just by reading the interview, it is very clear that John is passionate about his work as well as his craft.
A veteran of the Chicago music scene, The Hawthorne Effect delivers a brew of classic rock foundation infused with blues and the more modern elements of alternative rock.
This blend is guaranteed to make you rock and the blues inspired guitar tones will grab your soul and leave you no choice but to listen.
Whether mellow or energetic, John’s voice serenades you with his soulful delivery. This is the type of album you can listen to over and over and continue finding something new…whether in the lyrics or in the music.
John’s career obviously gives him plenty of inspiration and stories to express musically. His songwriting is layers deep leaving listeners open to interpret the songs as they will.
But these are more than great songs…this is a great album.
So go grab a copy and show your support for great music.
You can connect with the band on Facebook or Twitter.
Read more at http://www.midtnmusic.com/an-awakefulsleep-with-the-hawthorne-effect/#elPKR1gbKtCDeMTp.99 - Joshua Smotherman - Middle Tennessee Music
"Girl I hate to leave you but I gotta go,
Goodbye Blackwell Texas hello Mexico,
Drivin’ 85 all night but it’s still too slow…”
Viva is every rock song…well - ever…all mashed together into the ultimate ‘on the road’ anthem. It could have been gimmicky, but the pounding drums and the cool guitar echo effect raise it to epic levels of awesome.
Yes, there are some slower tracks on Awakefulsleep but my favorites are definitely Viva and the other rock numbers Devil Don’t Care and Drunk Mistake.
The tracklist ends with Goodbye, a quiet little tune that slowly builds and flows into a nice rock number. Goodbye never gets quite as hard as I wanted (hey, the heart wants what it wants) but it does remake the power ballad formula in some innovative ways.
This is a solid effort for a debut album and I really like the layers, both instrumental and vocal in the songs. Not only am I enjoying the album, but I’m also looking forward to hearing where they take their music in the future.
You all can download the track Drunk Mistake for free from soundcloud (link above in the demo track) and can preview three more songs from the album over on The Hawthorne Effect bandcamp page. Catch up with the band on their Reverbnation page or on Facebook.
You can also preview and/or purchase the entire album over on CD Baby.
Awakefulsleep releases today, July 10, 2012. Snag a copy and rock your summer.
- Kit Brown - Words, Music, Baseball
Kicking off with ‘All Wars Start This Way‘, the album progresses into a radio-friendly, feel good, clean rock sound that wouldn’t look out-of-place in a Top 40 countdown.
‘Viva‘ is undoubtedly the band at its best – demonstrating a mid-to-late 80s classic rock vibe that drums up images of early Bon Jovi, or to a lesser extent, AC/DC. The change in tempo and delivery, showcase the bands versatility, and offer the listener a closer look into the band persona.
It’s by fourth track, ‘Run‘ however, that the album starts to feel a little flat and safe sounding. The melody and kick are still there, but an overall ‘watered-down rock’ feeling is impossible to miss.
Proceeding track, ‘Anything‘ – the bands attempt at a ballad – is well-played, with frontman John Jauch’s vocals reaching gracious heights and depths – creating a whimsical yet haunting melody.
The mid-record lull seems to be over by the time the band reaches ‘Drunken Mistake‘ – while the safe sounding rock is still imminent, the flashes of potential for this band are certainly evident.
‘Devil Don’t Care‘ has all the promise of a great band with a promising future, while closer ‘Goodbye‘ wraps up the album with acoustic-based simplicity.
Overall, The Hawthorne Effect’s debut album will be hit or miss for most listeners. While there are plenty of tracks to keep you interested, there are also a few that leave a lot to be desired. Hopefully, with a bit more time under their belts, the band will come out of their shells a little bit more and show us what they’re made of. - Push To Fire
The band are John Jauch (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar); Scott Fritz (Lead Guitar/Vocals); Will Sprawls (Bass/Keys/Vocals) and Joe Babiak (Drums).
The album is a roller coaster of emotion and reflects the differing sides of the human experience not only through lyrics, but also in sound. Addiction, oppression, and mortality are just a few of the topics touched upon in this ten song soundtrack of lives that is unclassifiable as a whole, yet somehow hauntingly familiar.
The lyrics have rich layers of meaning wrapped in memorable melodies. Soulful classic rock songs.
This is a good start for this band and it will be interesting to see how they develop.
Lee Edwards - Electric Ghost
The band are John Jauch (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar); Scott Fritz (Lead Guitar/Vocals); Will Sprawls (Bass/Keys/Vocals) and Joe Babiak (Drums).
The album is a roller coaster of emotion and reflects the differing sides of the human experience not only through lyrics, but also in sound. Addiction, oppression, and mortality are just a few of the topics touched upon in this ten song soundtrack of lives that is unclassifiable as a whole, yet somehow hauntingly familiar.
The lyrics have rich layers of meaning wrapped in memorable melodies. Soulful classic rock songs.
This is a good start for this band and it will be interesting to see how they develop.
Lee Edwards - Electric Ghost
There’s certainly a heady lyrical bent behind The Hawthorne Effect’s full-length debut Awakefulsleep, which addresses everything from oppression to addiction and mortality under an umbrella of power pop, punk, and hard rock. Fans of The White Stripes, Butch Walker and T. Rex are sure to relate, alongside anyone seeking out intensely introspective lyrics, which come courtesy of frontman John Jauch (Smoke Off Vinyl, Killing The Enemy). (reverbnation.com/thehawthorneeffect)
-Andy Argyrakis - Illinois Entertainer
"The music that fills out The Hawthorne Effect's full-length debut Awakefulsleep is, at its core, an engaging collection of indie-singer/songwriter fare that showcases frontman John Jauch's moving lyrics, soulful voice and strong sense of songcraft. But what sets Jauch and his Chicago-based band apart from this well-traversed genre more than anything else is not only the power and dynamics that these musicians bring to forefront, but also the many subtle sonic shadings that give these numbers even more depth. A sublime echoing guitar-line adds a ghostly air to the introspective title track, while the band fans the flames on the pounding rockers "Drunk Mistake" and "Viva," before transforming the yearning acoustic balladry of "Goodbye" into a gripping exercise of early '90s alt-rock dynamics by song's end. A very promising debut from a very promising new band." - ConcertLivewire - ConcertLivewire
Discography
Awakefulsleep July 2012
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Bio
The Hawthorne Effect is a studio musician grade four piece rock band hailing from Chicago.
Members:
John Jauch (Smoke Off Vinyl, Killing the Enemy) - Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar
Scott Fritz - (Dirty-White Fashion, The Morning Stares, Martha Berner) Lead Guitar/Vocals
Will Sprawls - (Dirty-White Fashion, The Morning Stares, Martha Berner)Bass or Keys (Never both ;)) / Vocals
Joe Babiak - (Kill Hanah, Michael Angelo Battio, Cage 9) Drums/Vocals
The Hawthorne Effect is the phenomenon by which knowing one is being observed affects ones behavior.
Every day we are watched by eyes in the sky, by computers and cell phones, by others around us, and by estranged parts hidden deep within, alternate identities within our very selves. This knowing is part of our reality and this reality is now.
The name implies depth and the songs reflect the name. Each song has been carefully crafted from beginning to end, not only to be rich with layers of meaning, but with layers of melody, and musical sensibility. Its where simplicity meets the source. What we know and dont speak of; what we see and often forget. The songs are about the general and the specific, serving as projective tests that allow the listener to generate multiple meanings, while packaged neatly inside a well straightforward simple message as well.
The songs were written by John Jauch (Smoke Off Vinyl/Killing the Enemy), who has been an active member of the Chicago music scene for the past ten years and has had music featured on television and radio programs around the world.
All songs were tracked, arranged, mixed, and mastered at Stranded On A Planet recording studio in Chicago, under the technical and musical prowess of producer Scott Fritz (Nadia Ali, Martha Berner, Cavalier King) and features the talents of several studio musicians: William Sprawls, Bethany Fritz, Tyson Ellert, and of course, Scott Fritz.
The album is a roller coaster of emotion and reflects the differing sides of the human experience not only through lyrics, but also in sound. Addiction, oppression, and mortality are just a few of the topics touched upon in this ten song soundtrack of lives that is unclassifiable as a whole, but familiar as well.
Thanks for listening
Band Members
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