+44

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+44 (pronounced "Plus Forty Four" and also known as (+44) or (Plus-44) is a band formed by blink-182 members Mark Hoppus (bass and vocals) and Travis Barker (drum set and keyboards). Also playing in the band are former Transplants touring guitarist Craig Fairbaugh and the lead guitarist of The Nervous Return, Shane Gallagher. The band's debut album, When Your Heart Stops Beating, was released on November 14, 2006 in the United States.<ref name="mtvnews">Montgomery, James. Plus-44 Address Blink Breakup On LP, Want Fans To 'Hear The Truth'. MTV News. Retrieved on 23 August, 2006.</ref> According to Hoppus, the name +44 refers to the United Kingdom's international dialing code, where Hoppus and Barker first discussed the project.<ref name="b182.com">Mark Hoppus Tells All to B182.com. b182.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-14.</ref>

[edit] History

[edit] Formation

After blink-182 went on "indefinite hiatus" in February 2005, both Hoppus and Barker wished to keep working on music, and started writing and recording new songs together in Barker's basement. Originally, the two were using electronic drums, keyboards, samples and direct computer recording.<ref name="b182.com" />

While working on demos, the two invited punk rock vocalist Carol Heller to sing a song. Satisfied with her performance, the three kept working on other songs also. During the spring of 2005, guitarist Shane Gallagher joined the band. In October of 2005, Barker and Hoppus purchased a studio. According to Hoppus, this move marked a "turning point for (+44)",<ref name="b182.com" /> as the band started working in that studio exclusively, and was finally able to play live drums and loud guitars and vocals. The electronic element of the band became less prominent, but still a key element of the band's sound. By that time Heller found she did not fit well with the band's new direction, and coupled with her desire to start her family, she left the band. Heller's vocals remain, however, in the song "Make You Smile" and faintly in the background of the chorus in "Weatherman". Heller was also a back up voice in the "No, It Isn't" demo. Hoppus also insists that there are no hard feelings between +44 and Heller, and that the band was in full support of her decision

The band kept working on their first record, and about three-quarters of the way through recording, Craig Fairbaugh joined to play second guitar and backup vocals.

[edit] When Your Heart Stops Beating

As the projected release date started to draw in, speculation on the title of the band's debut album began to circle. At first, it was believed that the album would be called "Little Death".^{[citation needed]} This was later found out to be untrue, and the title revealed as When Your Heart Stops Beating. A song, titled "Lycanthrope" was released on the +44 website in early September 2006. This was only the second song that fans had heard, other than "No, It Isn't" and had more of a "punk" feel to it.

Later in September, 2006, KROQ radio played the title track of the forthcoming album after a message from Mark Hoppus through his MySpace blog, alerting fans to this fact. The band played their first gig on the 7 September 2006 at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood; Hoppus stated it was the first show he had performed in two years. The audience received free shirts that say "THE FIRST SHOW SEPTEMBER 7, 2006 LOS ANGELES, CA THE ROXY THEATRE." The band followed this up by their second ever gig and first ever UK gig in London at the Astoria. Both gigs were met with very encouraging reactions from fans, considering that at that time, only one completely recorded and mastered song, "When Your Heart Stops Beating" had been heard.

A music video for "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was shot in a factory in LA shortly after their first gig. Fans were invited along to feature in the video also. The video debuted in the US on TRL in late September 2006. During the shooting of the video, Travis Barker injured his arm, which was discovered weeks later after playing a whole European promo tour. This left the band with no option but to postpone part of its US tour, originally scheduled for October 2006, to December of the same year.

The release date for the album was confirmed to be November 14, 2006 for the US, November 13, 2006 for Europe, and November 11, 2006 for Australia. The band will be releasing two singles to support the album release. "When Your Heart Stops Beating" will be released in the US whereas in the UK, "Lycanthrope" will be released as a 7" vinyl on November 82006. On November 132006, a day before the release, during the show at the 9:30 Club, the album was sold early, with a free pink "Cliffdiving" 7".

Upon ordering a t-shirt from +44, fans were randomly chosen to receive a limited edition CD that contains the demo of the song "No, It Isn't". The packaging states that there are only 500 of these discs.

A brand new electronic remix of "When Your Heart Stops Beating" was added to the band's official website, as well as their MySpace on October 23, 2006. The song "Lycanthrope" is on the soundtrack of the video game Tony Hawk's Project 8, in which Travis Barker is an unlockable character.

Regarding the lyrical content of the album, Hoppus stated that "the (+44) album is by far the most lyrically personal music I have ever written. The words are everything I have inside me put on a CD. This is the most personal album any of us have ever written. You want to know who we are, what we think, or how we feel? Listen to the (+44) CD."<ref name="b182.com" /> The album refers to the break-up of blink-182, and "the ugly feelings that were left over afterwards,"<ref name="mtvnews" /> according to Hoppus. The song "No It Isn't", released on Tom Delonge's birthday, December 13, is primarily directed towards Delonge's departure from Blink-182.<ref name="noitisnt">'"Yeah, that one is absolutely about the end of Blink," Hoppus said.' regarding No It Isn't. Plus-44 Address Blink Breakup On LP, Want Fans To 'Hear The Truth'. MTV News. Retrieved on 23 August, 2006.</ref>

Yahoo! Music released a proshot live performance video of the song "Chapter XIII" on November 92006.

The band appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman on November 152006, playing "When Your Heart Stops Beating".

(+44) appeared on Much On Demand in Toronto on November 20th, performing "When Your Heart Stops Beating" and "Lycanthrope"

According to the band's Myspace page, they will be performing on Jimmy Kimmel Live on December 19th, 2006.

Apparently, (+44) will release When Your Heart Stops Beating as a single sometime in February 2007 in the UK.

(+44) did a cover of The Descendants Xmas Vacation for KROQ's Kevin & Bean's Christmas album.

[edit] Members

[edit] Current

• Mark Hoppus (formerly in blink-182) — vocals, bass guitar
• Travis Barker (Expensive Taste, Transplants; formerly in Aquabats, blink-182, Box Car Racer) — drum set, keyboards
• Craig Fairbaugh (The Mercy Killers; formerly in Transplants, The Forgotten and Lars Frederiksen and the Bastards) — rhythm guitar, vocals
• Shane Gallagher (The Nervous Return) — lead guitar

[edit] Former

• Carol Heller (formerly of Get the Girl) — vocals, guitar (2005-2006)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Singles

[edit] Promotional CDs / 7"

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official website
• +44's official MySpace
• Interscope Records
• Polydor Records UK

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