Hostage Calm was an American punk rock band from Wallingford, Connecticut, United States, formed in 2007. Hostage Calm released two extended plays, four full-length albums, and a split with punk band Anti-Flag. The band announced their breakup on October 8, 2014 and played their last show on March 6, 2015.
History
2007-2011: ''Demo'', ''Lens'' and ''Hostage Calm''
Hostage Calm debuted in the summer of 2007 following the release of a Demo 7” on Headcount Records. Their first full-length, Lens, was originally released in 2008 on Redscroll Records. In February 2009, it was announced that the band would recorded their next album in April. In 2010, the band signed to Run for Cover Records and received national attention for their second full-length, Hostage Calm. The self-titled album was critically well-received, and widely praised for its ground-breaking, unique, angular sound. Hostage Calm displayed a marked musical and lyrical growth, incorporating elements of world music, Latin rhythms, power pop, post-hardcore, post-punk and other genres not typically associated with punk. A vocal advocate for LGBT equality, the band gave away its self-titled album for free in exchange of signing an online petition email to Senators opposing marriage equality in the eventually successful 2011 New York Senate vote. The record also featured the protest song, Ballots/Stones, which assailed the ongoing ban on same-sex marriage in much of America. Hostage Calm has played numerous LGBT benefits, charity releases, and continues to distribute its iconic “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” shirt. In 2011, guitarist Tom Chiari was hired as label manager of Run For Cover Records.
2012-2013: ''Please Remain Calm''
In 2012, the band released its seminal Please Remain Calm, to wide critical acclaim. Hailed as “generation-defining” and “the punk album of the Great Recession,” Please Remain Calm presents an emotional reflection on the social upheaval of the American recession. Caroline Vallejo describes Please Remain Calm as “the accumulation of everything Hostage Calm can do better than anyone else today…they’ve become a voice for their fans and taken back the purpose of American hardcore that so many bands have forgotten.” Drew Beringer praised the album as “the most honest, genuine, and important record you'll hear all year.” Musically, Please Remain Calm pushed the boundaries of modern punk by fusing orchestral and a cappella arrangements with the pop sensibility and punk edge of their prior material. The record was live-tracked in Baltimore, MD, where it was co-produced by indie producer, J. Robbins and Hostage Calm. Hostage Calm has toured the world extensively with such acts as Anti-Flag, Saves the Day, The Wonder Years, Streetlight Manifesto, Balance and Composure, Rival Schools and the 2011 Vans Warped Tour.
2014: ''Die On Stage'' and Disbandment
On July 22, 2014 the band announced their new album, "Die On Stage," would be released on September 16, 2014, and released a music video for the single, "Your Head/Your Heart." The record was produced by Will Yip of Studio 4. On October 7, 2014 it was announced that Hostage Calm had dropped off the remaining dates of their tour with Citizen. On October 8, 2014 Hostage Calm announced that they had broken up. All subsequent shows were cancelled. Final shows were played in Philadelphia on February 25th, New York on February 27th, Boston on February 28th, Chicago on March 4th, and their final show at Toad's Place in New Haven Connecticut on March 6th.
