Ellison

by Stewart MasonEllison are a young emo band from Cincinnati, OH, who first gained attention through their association with mid-'naughties scene stars Hawthorne Heights but feature an even more straightforward and pop-oriented sound akin to a mellow, partially acoustic cross between Jimmy Eat World and the Shins. Ellison began in 2002, when teenage singer/songwriter Josh Hill self-released a demo of solo acoustic songs in the manner of Dashboard Confessional. Wanting to expand the demo's sound with full-band arrangements, Hill and a schoolmate, drummer Mitch Wyatt, recorded another demo under the name the Josh Hill Band before adding bassist J.D. Carlson and changing their name to the punchier Ellison in 2004. The trio recorded its debut EP, Indecisive and Half Hearted, in its basement rehearsal space in the spring of 2005. A copy found its way to Hawthorne Heights frontman J.T. Woodruff, who not only offered the band an opening act slot, but also released the EP on his own fledgling indie label, Carbon Copy Media, in early 2006. In the meantime, the trio had added a fourth member, lead guitarist Ian Bolender, whose musical presence allowed Hill to expand the band's sound by focusing on acoustic guitar and keyboards. That positive change in Ellison's sound was showcased on their full-length debut, Say Goodnight, Sleep Alone, which included several improved re-recordings of songs from the EP and was released in the summer of 2006.