There have been no shortage of bands composed of family members, but in the case of The Real Hooks, the band’s chemistry and talent are obvious even without the familial connection. Led by their charismatic brother Kyle, who provides lead vocals and guitar, the Real Hooks also feature his brother Nick on vocals, his sisters Maggie on keys and vocals and Raleigh on drums and vocals, with Dad Nicky rounding out the lineup on bass.
Hailing from Pensacola, the band began back in 2009 with Dad and Kyle writing all of the group’s material. since then, they have begun branching out and co-writing with other artists, including Peter Zizzo (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez), Dream Theatre drummer Mike Mangini, Rob McCurdy and Chris Petrosino from the production house Noise Club, and Max Wagner. They also collaborated with Jo Jo Gator (New Kids on the Block), Jared Cotter (Jay Sean and Kyle Kelso (Parachute).
For their latest single, “Damn You,” which debuted last Friday, they hooked up with hit songwriter Mark Spiro, whose total sales on tracks with the likes of Cheap Trick, John Waite, Heart, Luis Miguel, Lila McCann, REO Speedwagon, Lita Ford, Anne Murray and others have topped 100 million units.
“Damn You” is an upbeat, radio-friendly tune that is the perfect song for summer fun. It has a sound like The Lumineers hooked up with Mumford & Sons on a pop song, and will have you singing the chorus in no time flat. It gets the blood flowing and makes your feet want to dance across the floor, kinda like the feeling when the streaming morning sunlight hits your eyelids and wakes you up from a beautiful dream. This song belongs on the radio and should be an easy placement in a myriad of television shows and movies. Thanks to odandiee for the amazing artwork.
Kyle attributes The Real Hooks’ incredible success at winning over crowds of all ages to the unique personalities each member of the band brings to the moment. “I’m the quiet one who simply enjoys seeing girls happy and instilling a sense of confidence in them – but that’s just the start,” he says. “Nick’s the wild man, Raleigh is the brainiac and Maggie’s got her own offbeat style. We think of her as the soul of the group. Even though I’m the lead singer, my favorite moment during our shows is seeing the crowd react when Maggie and Raleigh sing their spotlight song ‘So Long Sammy.’ It almost brings me to tears every time. Something special happens when we get onstage. We give it all we’ve got, sing songs that lift people up and make everyone feel at home.”
We think you’ll be delighted to add The Real Hooks to your summer (or even year-round) musical playlist. Check out their website for more info, or follow them on Twitter, SoundCloud and YouTube.