3 Years Hollow Ready To Rip Into Rock Island
It’s taken over a decade for 3 Years Hollow to become an “overnight sensation,” and they’re hoping the years in the trenches have prepped them for a long run of success.
After forming in 2001 and slogging through various roster changes and dingy club gigs, the act began to take off in 2008, after solidifying its line-up with Jose Urquiza on lead vocals, Tony Reeves on guitar, Neil Kuhlman on guitar and vocals, Dex Digga on bass and Chris Cushman on drums. Since then, 3 Years Hollow has steadily grown its fan base, touring regionally and opening for acts from Buckcherry to Papa Roach. And in 2012, after winning the national Rockstar Energy Uproar Battle of the Bands competition, they were signed to Imagen Records. Their breakout independent single “Remember” charted at #1 on Octane and their latest album, “The Cracks” has hit the top 20 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, fueled by the single “Hungry,” which has cracked the top 40 on Mediabase.
It’s been a long, cool trip since the days of playing to a dozen people in local pubs, and the band, who return to the Q-C this weekend to play the Future of Rock festival, is enjoying and appreciating the ride.
“It’s been really awesome to finally get to this point after working hard at it for 14 years now,” Urquiza said. “It’s really a lesson in perseverance. That’s really the best way to win, because you really appreciate it after all the hard work you’ve put in.
“It’s been tough, there have been a lot of difficult times when you think it might end, or you have to say goodbye to members in the group and you’re not sure where you’re going next, or when things look like they’re going to happen and they don’t work out the way you think they are,” Urquiza said. “But it’s been worth it.”
That said, this is far from the end of the line, it’s merely the beginning of a new path that’s going to require a lot more work, Urquiza said.
“It’s pretty crazy, in a lot of ways it’s like starting over,” Urquiza said. “When you go national you hit the reset button because to many people you’re a new band. So you’ve got to go out and continue to work hard to keep your old fans and to win over new ones. But we’re up to the challenge.”
Judging by the reception to the new album, it seems they certainly are. “The Cracks,” produced by Sevendust lead guitarist Clint Lowery, has impressed critics and fans with its honest lyrics, irresistible intensity and magnetic melodies. It’s also gained the group fans in the industry as well, as they were just tabbed to join the nationwide Rockstar Uproar Festival tour featuring Godsmack, Buckcherry and Skillet, among others, kicking off in August.
“It’s incredible for a new band to get an offer like this, we’re really excited,” Urquiza said. “Right now we’re just kind of prepping, practicing, writing songs, rehearsing. We want to go out and really impress people.”
The act is also getting ready to release a new single, “For Life,” off “The Cracks,” and is hoping for the same rush of seeing it climb the charts.
“When the record came out and we saw it on the Billboard charts, we were like ‘Man, I can’t believe it!’ It was amazing,” Urquiza said.
But most importantly, the band wants to remain grounded and maintain a long and steady career in the business.
“We get a lot of fans who tell us that we’re really humble and cool to meet, and we love that,” Urquiza said. “We spent a lot of time in the trenches so we know it takes a lot of work. I’ve seen bands rise and fall quickly because there’s no foundation below them. But the bands that stay humble, keep working and stay on track are the ones that are around for 20 years or more still playing. For me, that’s what I want, I want to write music people enjoy and to keep playing it live for them. We know it’s going to be hard, but we know we can do it, we just want to make it a career.”
For more info on the band, check out http://www.3yearshollow.com/.
Future of Rock Fest featuring Red Sun Rising, 3 Years Hollow, Another Lost Year, Remember My Name and Bigger On The Inside
7 p.m. Saturday, July 23
The District, Rock Island
all-ages show
Tickets are available at www.ribco.com , at RIBCO, the Daquiri Factory and through ticketweb at www.ticketweb.com and (866) 468-3401.
