Hellogoodbye

Hellogoodbye, originating in 2001 from Huntington Beach, California, began as a recording project by Forrest Kline and Jesse Kurvink, influenced by pop culture and commercial radio. Initially focused on entertaining friends, the band gained traction by sharing songs on MP3.com. With growing interest, they started performing local shows in Orange County, including venues like the Chain Reaction and The Hub. Their early activities involved burning demos, screen printing merchandise, and promoting their music online, leading to a contract with Drive-Thru Records in 2003. In 2004, they released their self-titled EP, which sold over 400,000 copies. The single “Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn” received airplay on MTV, contributing to their rising popularity. Their live shows were noted for their playful nature, incorporating elements such as water guns, confetti, and costumes.

The band’s profile further increased with their appearance on MTV’s The Real World: Austin during the 2005 South by Southwest (SXSW) festival, where a documentary about them was produced. In November 2005, they released the DVD “OMG HGB DVD ROTFL,” featuring concert footage and music videos. Hellogoodbye won MTV2’s Dew Circuit Breakout competition in December 2005, securing an opening slot on MTV’s $2Bill concert tour with Yellowcard. In 2006, they released their first full-length album, “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!” The album included the electro-pop ballad “Here (In Your Arms),” which became a significant hit, reaching number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 9 on the Pop 100 charts. It achieved platinum certification in the United States and performed well internationally, peaking at number two on the Irish Singles Chart in May 2007.

Throughout their career, Hellogoodbye experienced line-up changes and musical evolution. Following the success of “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs!”, the band moved towards a more lush indie pop sound, exemplified by their 2010 album “Would It Kill You?,” which was largely a solo project by Kline. This album was re-released in 2012 after signing with Old Friends Records. Their third album, “Everything Is Debatable” (2013), incorporated 80s influences and was co-produced by Joe Chiccarelli. They continued their musical exploration with “S’Only Natural” (2018), which featured disco and R&B elements. Hellogoodbye’s journey reflects a consistent artistic growth while maintaining a distinctive and engaging musical style.