Hawthorne Heights Sue Victory Records

Hawthorne Heights Sue Victory Records

Alleging “overly aggressive, unethical, and illegal schemes and tactics” enacted on the band’s unwitting behalf, rock band Hawthorne Heights are suing Chicago punk label Victory Records and owner Tony Brummel to terminate their contract and collect unspecified damages.

According to a lengthy “Real Manifesto” on the band’s Web site, “after selling more than 1.2 million copies of *The Silence In Black & White and If Only You Were Lonely we have never seen a single dollar in artist royalties from Victory Records,” accusing Brummel of questionable accounting practices and invoking disputes the label had with disgruntled former clients Taking Back Sunday and Thursday.

When contacted by the Chicago Tribune, Brummel stated he had not yet seen the lawsuit.

Hawthorne Heights have been Victory’s most successful band in the past three years and have been banked on heavily. In February, a memo leaked to the press telling Victory street team members — unofficial interns who do promotional work — to displace copies of Ne-Yo’s In My Own Words, which was being released the same week as If Only You Were Lonely, in record stores and put Lonely in places of more visible prominence. The label called the memo a joke, but the band have included the incident in their charges against Brummel and Victory. Also among the allegations: Brummel composed a band manifesto pitting them in a battle against hip-hop and R&B, which earned the band accusations of racism; Brummel physically threatened a Q101 (101.1 FM) radio programmer for playing Taking Back Sunday, leading to the pulling of HH’s “Saying Sorry” from airplay; a mass of resignations and firings at Victory including the former street team head. Illinois Entertainer has also learned Victory’s publicity head now works elsewhere.

Hawthorne Heights play Assembly Hall in Champaign on November 10th and Congress Theatre in Chicago on November 11th.

— Steve Forstneger

Category: News, Weekly