Southern California Ska/Rock/Reggae/Pop-Punk Band HALF PAST TWO Debut New Music Video “Top Gun”Self-Titled Full-Length Out NowCheck out the BrooklynVegan Feature “Bright, sugary, all-caps POP. If you’ve ever wished No Doubt’s ska early days and the radio-friendly hits of their later careers would collide, Half Past Two just might be the perfect thing. Lead singer Tara Hahn has the clear, powerful pipes and the knack for welcoming melodies needed to write hit songs, and if ska was as popular today as it was in 1997, I wouldn’t be surprised if Half Past Two did indeed have a hit. If you like a little sugar in your ska, no other band this year made it this sweet.”- Brooklynvegan |
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“There’s a definite punk influence on their new self-titled LP but more often than not, this record is bright, sugary, all-caps POP. If you’ve ever wished No Doubt’s ska early days and the radio-friendly hits of their later careers would collide, Half Past Two just might be the perfect thing.” BrooklynVegan |
Half Past Two, have unveiled new music video for their track “Top Gun” off their latest self-titled album. Of the video, Brooklynvegan writes, “The song has a slithering, eerie, minor-key ska vibe, and the Rae Mystic-created video has an equally creepy atmosphere as it bounces between scenes of singer Tara Hahn and two dancing women.” Vocalist Tara Hahn says, “I was sick of the dribble that people were telling me about how mask mandates and vaccines were infringing on their personal freedoms when in my own home, their ignorance was a major concern to my loved ones’ health and well being. I really felt angry and glossed over, I was quickly learning that people I was close to weren’t going to even hear me out about why these things were so important. Half Past Two isn’t known for angry songs, so this one seemed out of pocket, but I was HAPPY to tell these people off in “Top Gun.” Even the music is different from the other songs on the record, feels more serious just like what we were saying with the lyrics. We really love the story Rae established in the video. The dancers really show how a deep relationship can be irreparable.” Guitarist/keyboardist/backing vocalist and song co-writer David Parris says, “We tried to hit two opposite ends of the musical spectrum while still exploring some sounds that were new and interesting in Half Past Two. What ended up happening is the hardest breakdown we’ve ever done, which is pretty cool.“ And video director Rae Mystic adds, “‘Top Gun’ demanded a dance number. I envisioned ‘turning an argument into a dance.’ While I wanted the video to be dark in the sense of the subject, I saw the dance taking place in a vivid living room. Once I landed on Danielle Adams to choreograph the dance, she knew exactly what I was requesting even though I have no previous dance experience.” Watch the “Top Gun” video here: https://youtu.be/RnAd5Ev_7skVideo by Rae Mystic with choreography and performance by Danielle Adams and Natalie Sepulveda Recorded, mixed, and mastered by David Irish with Meagan Dolce at Pot of Gold Recording in Orange, CA. Stream the band’s self-titled album here: https://halfpasttwoska.com/. |
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UPCOMING SHOW Wet Hot Skamerican Summer – July 23 at Hangar 24 Brewing in Irvine, CA w/ The Guilty Parties, Chris Murray, Hooray For Our Side, The B Sharps, and The Step Daughters. |
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Stream ‘Half Past Two’ HERE. Album Title: Half Past Two Label: Pay Attention Records / Jump Up Records Album Credits: Tara Hahn – Vocals Max Beckman – Guitar, Vocals David Parris – Keys, Guitar, Mandolin, Banjo, Vocals Cameron Hallenbeck – Lead Guitar Mark Anderson – Bass Dan Evans – Drums, Percussion Jordy Coutin – Trumpet Din Fernandes – Saxophones, Flute Jack Sneddon – Trombone, Guitar, Tortured Scream Produced by David Irish with Meagan Dolce Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered by David Irish at Pot of Gold Studios in Orange, CA Album Artwork and Layout by Jack Kelly (@ajaxkelly) Video and Photography by Rae Mystic (@raemystic) Track List: Big Energy Scratched CD All About You Mean Green Some Nights Day Goes Down LP Song N.B.T.S. Top Gun Blue Harvest Shine A Place We’ve Been +++++ Having formed in 2006 and gigged with the likes of Reel Big Fish, The Aquabats, Less Than Jake, The Skatalites, RX Bandits, The Selecter, The English Beat, Mustard Plug, The Toasters, and Pato Banton, Half Past Two are veterans of the ever-thriving Orange County ska scene, but their forward-thinking approach also aligns them with ska’s bold new generation. Their recent single “Shine” was a highlight of Asian Man Records, Bad Time Records, and Ska Punk Daily’s 2020 compilation ‘Ska Against Racism’ — a now-definitive document of the fast-growing New Tone ska movement — and it doubles as the lead single of Half Past Two’s upcoming self-titled album, due in October via Pay Attention Records, the new label from Ska Punk Daily and the venerable Jump Up Records. “I penned [‘Shine’] at the time my family found out that our daughter has Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a neuromuscular disease,” said singer Tara Hahn. “I didn’t write the words to share, but my bandmates really encouraged me to evolve the song.” It’s a powerful, vulnerable, and uplifting song, and a centerpiece of ‘Half Past Two,’ which has become one of the most anticipated albums of ska’s current resurgence. |
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Website: halfpasttwoska.com Facebook: facebook.com/halfpasttwoska Instagram: instagram.com/halfpasttwoska Youtube: youtube.com/user/ Spotify: spotify:artist: Twitter: twitter.com/halfpasttwoska Bandcamp: halfpasttwoska.bandcamp.com |