The Vancouver
punk-pop quartet
Hedley is led by frontman
Jacob Hoggard, who first rose to national prominence as a finalist during the 2004 season of the television talent contest Canadian Idol. Though voted off the series in its penultimate episode,
Hoggard proved a major fan favorite, guaranteeing significant media exposure for his subsequent pursuits. In 2005, he formed
Hedley with guitarist
Dave Rosin, bassist
Tommy Mac, and drummer
Chris Crippin, all of whom previously teamed in the Vancouver band
Everything After. The band generated a healthy buzz at the Canadian Music Week 2005 media showcase and, soon after, signed a demo deal with Universal Music Canada. After cutting three songs with producer
Brian Howes, the label extended an LP deal, and the band's self-titled debut followed that fall, generating the radio hits "Trip" and "On My Own." The album quickly went platinum as a third single ("321") entered heavy video rotation on Much Music, and
Hedley spent the summer of 2006 supporting
Yellowcard and
Matchbook Romance on a North American tour before their album hit U.S. stores in September. The band's popularity in Canada didn't translate into American success, however, and
Hedley returned home to work on a sophomore effort with several co-writers. Largely recorded in the beachfront community of White Rock, British Columbia, Famous Last Words arrived in October 2007. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
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