Jonny Hawkins experienced a major career turning point when Nothing More earned an unexpected second performance at the 2013 Aftershock Festival. After playing a smaller stage, the band returned the following day to face a much larger audience. However, the most revealing detail comes from Hawkins’s account of the record-label interest surrounding that weekend: the first encouraging approach had already happened before the festival. Reading his interviews together gives this breakthrough a more precise timeline.
Before the Breakthrough, Jonny Hawkins Had to Become a Singer
Hawkins originally played drums for Nothing More, and moving to the microphone challenged his confidence. In a May 2014 interview with Punktastic, he recalled missing out on a childhood choir place and carrying the belief that singing did not suit him. However, after several singers failed to fit the band’s direction, he decided to try the role himself. He described the first year or two as a difficult learning period because standing in front of an audience removed the security he associated with his drum kit. By the time Aftershock arrived, therefore, he had already spent years learning to do something he once doubted he could do.
For broader background, Wikipedia’s overview of Nothing More covers the band’s history and Hawkins’s transition from drummer to vocalist.
The Evidence That Their Live Show Already Stood Out
A useful piece of evidence predates the breakthrough weekend. On September 10, 2013, Music Junkie Press published an Aftershock preview featuring Hawkins and bassist Daniel Oliver. The writer highlighted the group’s shared percussion performances and described their concert presentation enthusiastically. Because this coverage appeared before the festival, it shows that their unusual live approach already attracted attention. The larger stage would give that existing performance a bigger audience.
How One Aftershock Appearance Became Two
In a September 2024 Metal Hammer interview, Hawkins revisited the weekend that accelerated Nothing More’s career. The band initially played a small stage on the first day. However, their performance impressed organizers, and cancellations created an opening on the second day. Nothing More then returned to perform on a larger stage before approximately 13,000 people. Hawkins remembered the change as surreal after so much work without a clear turning point. The opportunity came suddenly, but the musicians who accepted it already had a show ready to deliver.
The Record-Label Detail That Changes the Timeline
Hawkins supplied an important distinction in his December 2014 interview with OOTB Publications. He said Eleven Seven had expressed interest before Aftershock, and the band learned about that interest while visiting California’s redwoods. After the festival, however, other labels contacted them too. He explained that they eventually chose Eleven Seven because its enthusiasm remained stronger than the alternatives. Consequently, describing Aftershock as the moment when any label first noticed them would flatten the sequence. His account identifies an initial approach, a public breakthrough, and a subsequent choice between interested labels.
| Stage | What happened |
|---|---|
| Before Aftershock | Eleven Seven showed interest, according to Hawkins’s 2014 account. |
| First festival performance | Nothing More impressed organizers on a smaller stage. |
| Unexpected second performance | Cancellations opened a larger-stage opportunity. |
| After the festival | More labels approached; the band ultimately chose Eleven Seven. |
Together, the 2014 interview and 2024 retrospective support this sequence.
FAQs
Which band does Jonny Hawkins sing for?
Jonny Hawkins is the vocalist of Nothing More, the American rock band. He previously played drums in the group before moving into the frontman role.
Was the self-titled Nothing More album their first album?
No. Earlier releases preceded it, including The Few Not Fleeting in 2009. Therefore, the self-titled album’s wider exposure should not obscure the band’s earlier independent work.
Did the festival organizers also remember the breakthrough?
Yes. A Danny Wimmer Presents Q&A announcement from August 2020 specifically recalled Nothing More moving from a side stage to a main stage overnight. It also identified 2013 as a pivotal moment in their development.
Hawkins’s Aftershock story becomes more meaningful when the steps remain clear: he learned to front the band, the group developed its live performance, and an unexpected second invitation expanded its reach. That sequence explains why one festival weekend mattered so much.
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