(Artist report)

Written by: Ginny Gaines  

Some bands get one big hit and disappear. Others find a way to keep going, no matter what life throws at them. Hinder is one of those bands. The story of Hinder begins back in 2001 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A group of young musicians loved loud guitars, powerful vocals, and the kind of rock music that filled arenas during the 1970s, '80s, and '90s. They grew up listening to bands like Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Van Halen, and Mötley Crüe. They also liked newer rock bands that were becoming popular at the time, such as Nickelback and Creed. Those influences helped shape the sound that would eventually make Hinder famous.

The original members included singer Austin Winkler, drummer Cody Hanson, guitarist Joe "Blower" Garvey, and bassist Mike Rodden. Like thousands of other bands, they started at the bottom. They played in small bars, clubs, and anywhere someone would let them perform. Night after night, they loaded their own equipment, drove themselves from show to show, and hoped that someone important would notice. Eventually, all that hard work paid off. In 2005, Hinder released their first full-length album, Extreme Behavior. At first, things moved slowly. But then one song changed everything. That song was "Lips of an Angel."

Almost overnight, it seemed like you couldn't turn on a rock station without hearing it. The song climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, reached No. 1 in several other countries, and became one of the biggest rock songs of the 2000s. Its story about a man talking on the phone with an old girlfriend while his current girlfriend slept nearby struck a chord with listeners. Some people loved it, some hated it, but everyone seemed to be talking about it. The success of "Lips of an Angel" turned Hinder into rock stars.

Their debut album eventually sold more than three million copies in the United States alone. Suddenly, the band that had once struggled to fill local clubs was touring with some of the biggest names in rock music and performing in front of thousands of fans every night. Success also brought recognition close to home. In 2007, Hinder was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, a remarkable honor for a band that had only recently broken onto the national scene. Instead of trying to copy their first hit, Hinder kept making new music.

Their second album, Take It to the Limit, arrived in 2008 and featured songs like "Use Me" and "Without You." The album even included legendary Mötley Crüe guitarist Mick Mars as a guest performer, something that showed just how respected Hinder had become in the rock community. In 2010, they released All American Nightmare, a heavier, more aggressive record that proved they weren't afraid to change things up. Two years later came Welcome to the Freakshow, which explored darker emotions and showed another side of the band's songwriting. But behind the scenes, things weren't always easy.

Lead singer Austin Winkler struggled with personal and health issues for several years. In 2013, after more than a decade as the band's frontman, he officially left Hinder. For many fans, it felt like the end of the band. After all, Austin's voice had become closely connected with Hinder's biggest hits. The remaining members had a difficult decision to make. They could call it quits, or they could keep moving forward. They chose to keep going.

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Written By: Ginny Gaines

(Report)