US emo types Hawthorne Heights have agreed to drop their much previously reported lawsuit against Victory Records and release their new studio album through the US independent, which is two big pieces of news in one, really.
This has all been rolling along since August 2006, when Hawthorne Heights sued Victory for breach of contract, copyright and trademark infringement, fraud and abuse. The label countersued claiming the band were simply trying to get out of their record deal so they could sign to EMI's Virgin Records and subsequently sued Virgin, too, claiming that the major had paid the band an advance while they were still under contract and helped them to fight their legal battle. Both sides issued statements dissing the other, while courts made various rulings on the dispute, some favouring one side, some the other. In the middle of all this, of course, tragedy struck when, later last year, guitarist and vocalist Casey Calvert died suddenly of accidental 'combined drug intoxication' while the band were on tour.
In a final chapter, last week, Victory Records announced that they will release Hawthorne Heights' third studio album 'Fragile Future' on 5 Aug, and that, seemingly, the bitter dispute is over.
Victory Records owner Tony Brummel told CMU: "Everyone at Victory is ecstatic about the forthcoming album from Hawthorne Heights. It is by far their best material to date. When Victory and Hawthorne started our relationship in 2003 it was always about beating the odds. We have lived in a reality of petty disputes, unresolved misunderstandings, unhealthy friction and negative sensationalism for too long. Forgiveness and the ability to reunite are powerful gifts. They create a spirit. Couple that spirit with great music and you have something that is extraordinary and transcendental. You cannot change the past but you can affect the future. There is a bigger lesson and story here than just releasing a new album. Victory, and I know Hawthorne Heights, are thankful to be a part of that".
Speaking for the band, Hawthorne Heights' Drummer Eron Bucciarelli added: "We now regret having begun the lawsuit we filed in 2006. We should not have listened to those, who, for whatever reasons, were then advising us to pursue this strategy. We are sorry for having put Victory Records and Tony Brummel through this ordeal, and regret any negative publicity that may have resulted. Unfortunately, we cannot change the past, but we're now taking steps to heal the wounds and start fresh."