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Hop Along

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Hop Along
Hop Along performing in 2019
Hop Along performing in 2019
Background information
OriginPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Years active2005–present
LabelsSaddle Creek, Hot Green, Salinas, Big Scary Monsters
MembersFrances Quinlan
Mark Quinlan
Tyler Long
Joe Reinhart
Past membersJacki Sulley[1]
Dominic Angelella[2]
Peter Helmis
Websitewww.hopalongtheband.com

Hop Along is an American indie rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, formerly known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis.[3]

History

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Hop Along began as an acoustic freak folk solo project known as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis in 2004, during Frances Quinlan's senior year in high school.[4][5] The name "Hop Along" is derived from a nickname Quinlan received in high school for being a slow walker,[6] and "Queen Ansleis" was derived from the name of a wild flower, which Quinlan intentionally misspelled so it could be the name of a character.[7]

Quinlan released their debut album Freshman Year in the summer of 2005.[8]

Quinlan performed an acoustic solo act for several years as they honed their style, stating "I would envy [full ensembles] because I thought that a band inherently carries more energy than a person does solo. I suppose you could argue that point, but when I was playing by myself it was just out of necessity. I wanted to play and I just couldn’t seem to get a band together. I wanted to write and I didn’t want to wait for anybody."[9]

Three years after Quinlan's first album, their brother Mark joined the project as drummer, followed by bassist Tyler Long in 2009. As a trio, the band's name was shortened to Hop Along.[4] The group's first release was an EP titled Wretches in 2009, followed by their second full-length album Get Disowned on May 5, 2012.[10] The album was a critical success in the independent music press.[11][12][13] Quinlan said they wanted the album to be produced by a friend rather than a stranger. The band approached Joe Reinhart of Algernon Cadwallader, who Quinlan had met through the Philadelphia basement show scene, to produce the album.[14] Reinhart was later added to the band's lineup on lead guitar.[4]

In October 2014, Hop Along signed to indie rock label Saddle Creek Records,[15] which released the band's third full-length record, Painted Shut, on May 4, 2015.

The band toured with Modest Mouse and The War On Drugs in 2015.[16]

On January 22, 2018, the title and tracklisting of the band's fourth full-length record was revealed.[17] The lead single "How Simple" appeared on streaming sites the next day after a postcard vinyl was sent in the mail.[18] The nine-track Bark Your Head Off, Dog was released on April 6, 2018. It was recorded by Joe Reinhart and Kyle Pulley at Headroom Studios.[19]

Hop Along embarked on a US tour of the Midwest and East Cost in the fall of 2021, their first tour since before the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] The tour included a performance with Dr. Dog at the Shelbourne Museum in Vermont.[21]

On September 23, 2023, the band announced on X the cancellation of a planned Halloween show with Japanese Breakfast due to "unforeseen circumstances beyond [the band's] control".[22]

Style

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Pitchfork said "Hop Along's energy comes from punk but their style is indebted to the romantic, middle-American indie of Bright Eyes and Rilo Kiley."[23] Office magazine said frontperson Frances Quinlan's voice "wields a power that alludes to the strong women preceding her—the raspiness of Janis, the honesty of Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette—yet is still impossible to define."[7]

Hop Along's songwriting process is a collaborative effort[24] that involves Quinlan conceiving rough ideas for songs that are later developed and fleshed out by the rest of the band.[25]

Members

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Current Members

  • Frances Quinlan - vocals, guitar (2005–present)
  • Mark Quinlan - drums (2009–present)
  • Tyler Long - bass (2009–present)
  • Joe Reinhart - guitar (2012–present)

Former members

  • Dominic Angelella - guitar (2012)
  • Peter Helmis - album layout (2012)
  • Jacki Sulley - guitar, keyboard

Timeline

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Discography

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Albums

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EPs

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  • Songs of The Sea (as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis) (2004)[2]
  • Is Something Wrong? (as Hop Along, Queen Ansleis) (2009)
  • Wretches (2009)

References

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  1. ^ "Cargo". Jackisullivan.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  2. ^ a b "A Graceful Scream - Features - Impose Magazine". Imposemagazine.com. June 10, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  3. ^ Andrew Sacher (September 4, 2020). "Hop Along, Queen Ansleis LP finally streaming, bonus EP on Bandcamp, Frances doing livestream". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved May 5, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c Fox, Jesse David (May 8, 2015). "Is This the Best Voice in Rock Music Today?". Vulture. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Backstage Broadcast (May 31, 2013). "Hop Along // Interview". YouTube. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  6. ^ Cohen, Ian. "Hop Along: Get Disowned". Pitchfork. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b https://officemagazine.net/hop-along
  8. ^ "Hop Along Queen Ansleis - Freshman Year (album review )". Sputnikmusic. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  9. ^ McQueen, Greg (December 9, 2015). "An Interview with Hop Along: With Eyes Painted Shut". The Aquarian Weekly. Arts Weekly Inc. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  10. ^ "Hop Along". Hopalong.bandcamp.com. May 5, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  11. ^ "Hop Along - Get Disowned". Punknews.org. June 19, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  12. ^ "Hop Along - Get Disowned (album review 2)". Sputnikmusic. May 28, 2012. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  13. ^ "Album Review: Hop Along - Get Disowned". Already Heard. April 9, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  14. ^ "Hop Along // Interview - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  15. ^ "Hop Along signs to Saddle Creek Records; new album due in spring 2015 - The Key". Thekey.xpn.org. October 30, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  16. ^ "Hop Along's Frances Quinlan is coming through loud and clear". The Denver Post. February 4, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  17. ^ "Hop Along Tease New Album Bark Your Head Off, Dog". Stereogum.com. January 22, 2018. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  18. ^ "Daniel Cohen on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  19. ^ "Bark Your Head Off, Dog, by Hop Along". Hop Along. Retrieved February 15, 2021.
  20. ^ https://www.punknews.org/article/75052/tours-hop-along-announce-2021-tour
  21. ^ https://consequence.net/2021/07/hop-along-2021-tour/
  22. ^ "Hop Along Have (Maybe) Broken Up, According to the Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon │ Exclaim!". Hop Along Have (Maybe) Broken Up, According to the Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon │ Exclaim!. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  23. ^ https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20398-painted-shut/
  24. ^ "Hop Along: 'It's Fun To Freak Out' | Soundcheck". WNYC Studios. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
  25. ^ "Hop Along's Frances Quinlan's favourite songs". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved October 6, 2024.
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