Hostage Calm
Hostage Calm was an American punk rock band from Wallingford, Connecticut, United States, formed in 2007. Hostage Calm released two extended plays, four full-length albums, and a split with punk band Anti-Flag. The band announced their breakup on October 8, 2014 and played their last show on March 6, 2015.
History
2007-2011: Demo, Lens and Hostage Calm
Hostage Calm debuted in the summer of 2007 following the release of a Demo 7” on Headcount Records. Their first full-length, Lens, was originally released in 2008 on Redscroll Records. In 2010, the band signed to Run for Cover Records and received national attention for their second full-length, Hostage Calm. The self-titled album was critically well-received, and widely praised for its ground-breaking, unique, angular sound. Hostage Calm displayed a marked musical and lyrical growth, incorporating elements of world music, Latin rhythms, power pop, post-hardcore, post-punk and other genres not typically associated with punk.
A vocal advocate for LGBT equality, the band gave away its self-titled album for free in exchange of signing an online petition email to Senators opposing marriage equality in the eventually successful 2011 New York Senate vote. The record also featured the protest song, Ballots/Stones, which assailed the ongoing ban on same-sex marriage in much of America. Hostage Calm has played numerous LGBT benefits, charity releases, and continues to distribute its iconic “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” shirt. In 2011, guitarist Tom Chiari was hired as label manager of Run For Cover Records.