We Are Harlot

Last updated

We Are Harlot
We Are Harlot Live.png
We Are Harlot performing live in 2015. From left to right: Brian Weaver, Bruno Agra, Danny Worsnop and Jeff George.
Background information
Also known asHarlot
Origin Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Genres Hard rock
Years active2011–2017 (hiatus)
Labels Roadrunner
Members Danny Worsnop
Jeff George
Brian Weaver
Past members Bruno Agra
Website weareharlot.com

We Are Harlot, often shortened to just Harlot, by their passionate fan base is a hard rock supergroup organized by singer Danny Worsnop, of Asking Alexandria, and guitarist Jeff George, who was formerly Eminem's and Sebastian Bach's guitarist. The lineup also includes bassist Brian Weaver from Silvertide and drummer Bruno Agra formerly of Revolution Renaissance. Formed in 2011, they released their first single titled "Denial" in 2014 and released their self-titled debut album in 2015, which debuted the both the US and UK charts, as well as many other countries and sold over 15,000 copies in the US alone in its first week. The group reached staggering heights of success almost immediately, performing in over 33 countries in their first year alone. The charismatic nature of the four distinct personalities of the band members made them an instant hit in magazines and interviews.

Contents

History

2010–2013: Formation

In multiple interviews Danny Worsnop mentioned this band and referred to it as 'Harlot', which he has explained that after touring with Asking Alexandria in 2013, he would be touring with this band and release an album, along with his solo album in the near future. [1] The band was formed 3 years prior to the events of 2014 after Worsnop and Jeff George whom was playing guitar for Sebastian Bach, who shared the same lawyer Eric German, had met in Los Angeles on New Year's Eve of 2010, and within two days the pair bonded and moved in together as roommates at Worsnop's Beverly Hills home. [2]

After discussing their musical endeavours Worsnop invited Bruno Agra, formerly of Revolution Renaissance, and the three started to make demos based on Agra's former band. [3] [4] This was initially going to be used as material for Worsnop's solo album, but once they met Brian Weaver from Silvertide, who became part of the band after they advertised the role for a full-time bassist, it grew into the band. [3] [5] Before the band's first live show announcement the band was considered to be a side project due to Worsnop's commitment to Asking Alexandria, of which he was the full-time lead singer at the time and expressed that he couldn't have spent as much time with this project as he wanted to. [6]

2014–2015: Signing to Atlantic Records/Roadrunner and self-titled album

The band was announced as one of the acts of the annual rock festival Rock on the Range off 2014 under the name "We Are Harlot", making this their first time they ever performed together in front of a live audience of over 40,000 people. [7] During this time the band announced that their album will be released in the summer the same year. [8] The band was initially named as simply 'Harlot' but Jeff George explains that due to copyright and legal issues, they remodelled as 'We Are Harlot'. [8] [9] It was later revealed by the band that they would release their first single off their album on May 14 titled "Denial". [10] On signing to Roadrunner Records, the band said that:

"...Roadrunner has been there championing us from the beginning. When it came time to sign a deal all the labels came calling, but only one got the call back. Roadrunner Records' foundations were built on great rock 'n' roll bands, bands that we love, and we are here to continue carrying that torch and shaking those foundations." [11]
The band's logo We Are Harlot Logo.png
The band's logo

After the band performed at Rock on the Range, they later played at various different festivals and tours, including; Rocklahoma in May, replacing the metal group Trivium due to the singer damaging his voice, [12] they were the support act for The Pretty Reckless on May 28 at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, [13] performed "Denial" as new bumper music at WWE Raw on August 18, [14] and also performed at 2014's Aftershock festival in September. [15]

In early January 2015 the band issued a statement via Rocksound Magazine that they will be releasing their debut album in March that same year. [9] The band officially announced their self-titled debut album in January after releasing their second single, "Dancing on Nails", and made it available to pre-order for March 30 in the US. [16] Worsnop also announced his departure from Asking Alexandria, stating that he wanted to focus on this band more and also felt that Asking Alexandria would do better without him, also admitting that he no longer wanted to create heavy music anymore. [2] [17] The album was successfully released and peaked in the US at 165 and in the UK at 58. [18] [19] The album also sold 15,000 copies in the US alone within its debut week with the band reaching #1 on the Billboard Charts. [20]

The band was announced to perform at South Florida's 'Fort Rock' festival and North Florida's 'Rockville' festival in April 2015, and was set to perform at Rock on the Range for the second time along with a new festival named 'Northern Invasion' based in Somerset, both of which took place in May. [21] [22] [23] [24] They also performed at both Download Festival, which served as their debut performance in the UK, and at Sonisphere Festival in Milan, Italy, which served as their debut performance in Italy in June. [25] [26]

2016–present: Upcoming second album

In 2016 the band performed at Shiprocked on January 25 along with other bands such as Halestorm and Hellyeah, the band also performed at the Rock USA Festival on July 16. [27] [28] In October, along with Worsnop re-joining his former band Asking Alexandria, the band teased new music by releasing a snippet of a song titled 'Holding On Is Worse', and also made a public comment on social media that despite Worsnop making a return to his former act, the band will not be sidelined in any way, and that a new album would be released in February 2017. [29] While the album was not released during that month, Worsnop confirmed in March that he has been working on the record and will be getting the band in the studio during summer the same year. [30] In an interview, Worsnop has stated that the band's second album has been delayed indefinitely until the band's members are back on speaking terms, choosing to focus his energy on solo material and Asking Alexandria in the interim. As of mid-2023, there is no evidence the band will release a second album nor play live as a band again.

Musical style and influences

From a live review based at their performance in Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, it was stated that they had a "...real rock attitude, from a real rock band." and complimented on Worsnop's vocal performance as he uses a mixture of hardcore growls and melodic vocals, Georges laid down classic and well-defined solos and called Weaver and Agras performances warm, stable, and uncompromising, overall calling the band a modern rock and roll act. [31] Worsnop and George have also expressed that while they do intend to introduce 80's style rock music to new generations, they also imply that they are not "...reinventing the wheel. Just pushing it forward." and compare their efforts to resurrect the genre with the likes of Halestorm, Rival Sons and the recent efforts of Black Veil Brides. [32] Rocksound magazine reported that the band sounds like the "offspring" of Mötley Crüe and Skid Row with influences from Airbourne and Heaven's Basement. [33]

In multiple interviews, the band has stated that they intend to be a rock and roll band, referring the likes of Aerosmith and Van Halen as their main inspirations and frequently states their intention to bring rock 'n' roll to a new generation. [2] [3] [8] Once they released their self-titled debut album reviews compared them to hard rock acts such as AC/DC, Aerosmith, Meat Loaf, Queen and Van Halen, once compared to metal act Mötley Crüe. All reviews praised Worsnop's new vocal technique suited for the rock and roll theme along with Jeff George's skills on the guitar, and gained overall positive critical acclaim for their range in sound and a revival of 80's rock and hard rock. [34] [35] [36]

Lyrical style

When Worsnop was asked about the lyrical theme of their debut album, he stated that "The whole album is basically about sex!", explaining that it was a challenge since there is "...very fine line between sexy and cheesy." and went on to say he was fuelled by his love and lust when he entered a new relationship. [9] The band has also declared that they wanted to be happy and joyful with their music as a lot of rock music now is often focused around sadness, George himself explains that if you're going to play rock music "You should be bouncing off the walls!" [6]

Members

Former members

Discography

We Are Harlot discography
Studio albums1
Singles3
Music videos2

Studio albums

TitleDetailsPeak Chart PositionsSales
US
[38] 		UK
[19]
We Are Harlot
  • Released: March 27, 2015
  • Label: Roadrunner Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
16558US: 5,000 in the first week [20]

Singles

TitleYearChart peaksAlbum
US
Main.
[39]
"Denial" [10] 2014
—
We Are Harlot
"Dancing on Nails"201510
"Never Turn Back" [40]
—

Other charted tracks

TitleYearChart peaksAlbum
US
Main.
[39]
"Someday"201523We Are Harlot

Music videos

TitleYearAlbumDirector
"Dancing on Nails" [16] 2015We Are HarlotUnknown
"The One" [41]

Accolades

Nominated workYearAwardResultref
We Are Harlot2015 Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards – Best New BandWon [42]
We Are Harlot Kerrang! Awards – Best AlbumNominated [43] [44]
We Are Harlot Classic Rock's Roll Of Honour Awards – Best New BandWon [45]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slipknot (band)</span> American heavy metal band

Slipknot is an American heavy metal band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995 by percussionist Shawn Crahan, former vocalist Anders Colsefni, and bassist Paul Gray. After several lineup changes in its early years, the band settled on nine members for more than a decade: Crahan, Gray, Joey Jordison, Craig Jones, Mick Thomson, Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson, Chris Fehn, and Jim Root. Slipknot is well known for its attention-grabbing image, aggressive style of music, and energetic and chaotic live shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corey Taylor</span> American musician (born 1973)

Corey Todd Taylor is an American musician, songwriter, author and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Slipknot, in which he is designated #8, as well as the lead vocalist, guitarist, lyricist, and sole continuous member of the rock band Stone Sour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asking Alexandria</span> English rock band

Asking Alexandria are an English rock band formed in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and now based in York, North Yorkshire, consisting of guitarist Cameron Liddell, drummer James Cassells, vocalist Danny Worsnop, and bassist Sam Bettley.

<i>Reckless & Relentless</i> 2011 studio album by Asking Alexandria

Reckless & Relentless is the second studio album by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 5 April 2011 through Sumerian Records and was produced by Joey Sturgis. Announced on 22 December 2009, recording for the album began in June 2010 at the Foundation Recording Studios in Connersville, Indiana and ended in the fall of that year. The songs "Welcome", "Reckless & Relentless", "To the Stage", "Dear Insanity", and "A Lesson Never Learned" make up the short film Through Sin + Self-Destruction, which features the band's "party hard" lifestyle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Worsnop</span> English singer

Danny Robert Worsnop is an English singer most prominently known as the lead vocalist of rock bands Asking Alexandria and We Are Harlot. He has worked with several artists including I See Stars, With One Last Breath, Breathe Carolina, Memphis May Fire, The Word Alive, All That Remains, The Funeral Portrait and Testarossa, providing guest vocals on several songs.

Hyro the Hero, formerly Hyro Da Hero, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He lives in Nantes (France) since 2022.

<i>From Death to Destiny</i> 2013 studio album by Asking Alexandria

From Death to Destiny is the third studio album by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 6 August 2013 through Sumerian Records and was produced by Joey Sturgis. The band released the first single titled "Run Free" on 13 August 2012. The second single titled "The Death of Me", and a third track "Killing You", were released in March 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Bruce</span> British guitarist

Benjamin Paul Bruce is an English musician. He was the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of rock band Asking Alexandria until his departure in January 2024 and has also performed as a solo artist. Bruce founded the band while he was living in Dubai but the band split and he moved back to the United Kingdom, where he then started the band again under the same name with Danny Worsnop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King 810</span> American nu metal band

King 810 is an American nu metal band from Flint, Michigan, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of David Gunn, Eugene Gill, Johnpaul Vega and Bryce Ballinger. The band's first release was their independent EP titled Midwest Monsters in 2012, which earned them a signing with Roadrunner Records; they released their second EP titled Proem in 2014, and their debut studio album Memoirs of a Murderer that same year.

"The Death of Me" is a song by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It is the band's third single from their third studio album, From Death to Destiny. The single was released on 28 March 2013 via the Sumerian Records YouTube page.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killpop</span> 2015 single by Slipknot

"Killpop" is a single by American heavy metal band Slipknot for their fifth major label studio album .5: The Gray Chapter.

<i>Memoirs of a Murderer</i> (album) 2014 studio album by King 810

Memoirs of a Murderer is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band King 810 which was released on August 18, 2014, via Roadrunner Records. The album contains four tracks that were originally featured on both of the band's previous EPs along with 12 original songs, making a total of 16 songs. The album is the first of the band's efforts to chart, peaking at 18 on the Top Hard Rock Albums and eight on the Top Heatseekers, making this their most successful release to date.

"Dancing On Nails" is the second single released by the American rock band We Are Harlot from their self-titled debut album.

<i>We Are Harlot</i> (album) 2015 studio album by We Are Harlot

We Are Harlot is the self-titled debut album by the American rock band We Are Harlot and was released on March 30, 2015 in the US. Two singles have been released, "Denial" and "Dancing On Nails," which peaked at 14 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. The album successfully charted the UK and US charts, peaking at 58 in the UK and 165 in the US. And their song "Denial" was the bumper song for WWE Raw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Agra</span> Musical artist

Bruno Agra is formerly drummer of the American rock band We Are Harlot and also Aquaria and Revolution Renaissance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Stoff</span> Ukrainian singer and guitarist

Denis Olexandrovych Shaforostov, also known by his stage name Denis Stoff, is a Ukrainian musician, best known for his work as a guitarist and singer of the metalcore group Make Me Famous. He also replaced Danny Worsnop as lead singer of the English rock band Asking Alexandria, during Worsnop's 18-month hiatus from the band.

"I Won't Give In" is a song by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 27 May 2015 as the first single from their fourth studio album The Black. It marks the first song featuring new frontman Denis Stoff after the departure of former vocalist Danny Worsnop in January 2015.

<i>The Black</i> (Asking Alexandria album) 2016 studio album by Asking Alexandria

The Black is the fourth studio album by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It was released on 25 March 2016 through Sumerian Records and was produced by Joey Sturgis. It is their only album to feature second lead vocalist Denis Stoff, who replaced original lead vocalist Danny Worsnop. Worsnop returned to the band in October 2016. The album was preceded by the singles "I Won't Give In" released on 26 May 2015, "Undivided" released on 25 September 2015, and the album's eponymous track "The Black" released on 2 February 2016. The first song on the album, "Let It Sleep", was released on 3 March 2016, with a music video for the track being released the following day.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Into the Fire (Asking Alexandria song)</span> 2017 single by Asking Alexandria

"Into the Fire" is a song by English rock band Asking Alexandria. It is the band's first single off of their self-titled fifth studio album, and to feature lead vocalist Danny Worsnop since his departure in 2015. He returned in October 2016, after the departure of former vocalist Denis Stoff. The single was released on 21 September 2017 by the label, Sumerian Records. The song was used in a trailer for the racing game "MX vs. ATV All Out", which was released on 27 March 2018.

<i>We Are Not Your Kind</i> 2019 studio album by Slipknot

We Are Not Your Kind is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Slipknot. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Hollywood, California with co-producer Greg Fidelman, it was released on August 9, 2019, by Roadrunner Records. The title is taken from a lyric in the song "All Out Life", which was released as a standalone single in 2018 and features as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of the album. We Are Not Your Kind is the only Slipknot album to be recorded as an eight-member band, as their former percussionist Chris Fehn was fired from the band in March 2019 after suing the group for alleged unpaid royalties.

References

  1. ↑ "Asking Alexandria Frontman To "Take A Few Months Off" To Focus On Other Projects" (News Feed). Musicfeeds.com.au. MusicFeeds. October 17, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2015. I'm gonna take a few months off from Asking and tour Harlot. It's gonna be a weird transitional period where I'm trying to figure out the right balance for the schedules.
  2. 1 2 3 Bird, Ryan (May 2015). "Not Without A Fight". Rock Sound. No. 199. Rock Sound. Retrieved March 30, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 Bienstock, Richard (March 17, 2014). "Guitarist Jeff George Talks Gear and Harlot, His New Band with Members of Asking Alexandria and Silvertide" (Interview). Guitarworld.com. Guitarworld. Retrieved March 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ Jackie, Full Metal (March 5, 2015). "Danny Worsnop talks the state of rock n roll + We Are Harlot's debut album". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ Travers, Paul (May 17, 2014). "The Great British Riff Off!". Kerrang! (1517): 21.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. 1 2 Everley, Dave (May 2015). "We Are Harlot: Born To Rock". Metal Hammer. No. May 2015. Team Rock. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "We Are Harlot (Danny Worsnop's Other Band) Stream First Track". Rocksound.com. Rocksound. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Geist, Kelly (March 4, 2014). "Interview: Harlot Guitarist Jeff George" (Interview). Nationalrockreview.com. National Rock Review. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 McLaughlin, David (February 2015). "The Sounds Of 2015: We Are Harlot" (Magazine Article). Rocksound (196): 42 and 44. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  10. 1 2 "We Are Harlot (Asking Alexandria) Sign With Roadrunner Records, First Single Due This Week". Theprp.com. The PRP. May 13, 2014. Retrieved May 13, 2014.
  11. ↑ Carter, Emily. "We Are Harlot stream brand new tune, denial, and sign to roadrunner records". Kerrang.com. Kerrang!. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  12. ↑ Bowar, Chad. "Trivium Cancel Handful of U.S. Shows After Frontman Matt Heafy Blows Out Voice". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  13. ↑ "The Pretty Reckless Wednesday May 28". Hardrockhotel.com. Hard Rock Hotel. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  14. ↑ Paglino, Nick (August 19, 2014). "John Cena's Raw Return Announced, Footage of Lesnar Receiving New WWE Title, New Raw Music". Wrestlezone.com. Wrestle Zone. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  15. ↑ Kaufman, Spencer. "Aftershock 2014 Lineup: Rob Zombie, Offspring, Godsmack, Limp Bizkit, Weezer, FFDP + More". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
  16. 1 2 Sharp, Tyler (January 20, 2015). "We Are Harlot (fronted by Asking Alexandria's Danny Worsnop) release video for single from debut LP". Altpress.com. AltPress. Retrieved January 20, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Asking Alexandria frontman, Danny Worsnop, quits band". Kerrang.com. Kerrang!. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  18. ↑ "Billboard top 200". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 12, 2015.
  19. 1 2 "We Are Harlot". Officialcharts.com. Official Charts. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  20. 1 2 C, K. "We Are Harlot Hits No. 1". Billboard.com. No. April 18, 2015. Billboard. Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2015.
  21. ↑ Childers, Chad. "Slipknot, Godsmack, Breaking Benjamin + More Head Up 2015 Fort Rock Festival". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
  22. ↑ Crane, Matt (December 8, 2014). "Slipknot, Motionless In White, Of Mice & Men, more announced for Welcome To Rockville". Altpress.com. Alternative Press. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  23. ↑ Pasbani, Robert (December 2014). "Are SLIPKNOT & MARILYN MANSON Touring Together This Spring? Rock on the Range 2015 Lineup Hints at Upcoming Tours". Metalinjection.net. Metal Injection. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  24. ↑ Childers, Chad. "Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch + Volbeat Lead 2015 Northern Invasion". Loudwire.com. Loudwire. Retrieved December 9, 2014.
  25. ↑ Carter, Emily. "Download add 23 more bands to line-up". Kerrang.com. Kerrang!. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  26. ↑ Del Prete, Cynthia (March 11, 2015). "Line up of Sonisphere 2015 leading Metallica in Italy". Optimaitalia.com. Optimagazine. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
  27. ↑ "ShipRocked 2016 – Day 2: Seether, Hellyeah, Avatar + More". Loudwire. Retrieved January 26, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Rock USA Lineup Boasts Slipknot, Alice in Chains + More". Loudwire. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  29. ↑ "Danny Worsnop's We Are Harlot Have Unveiled New Music – News – Rock Sound Magazine". Rock Sound Magazine. Retrieved January 20, 2017.
  30. ↑ "Danny Worsnop on Asking Alexandria: "I Don't Have Any Interest In Becoming A Legal Member Again" – News – Rock Sound Magazine". Rock Sound Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
  31. ↑ Geist, Kelly (June 4, 2014). "We Are Harlot At Vinyl/Hard Rock Hotel In Las Vegas, NV On 28-May-2014". NationalRockReview.com. NationalRockReview. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  32. ↑ Hagen, Paul (April 2015). "We Are Harlot". Big Cheese. No. April–May 2015. Big Cheese. Retrieved April 11, 2015.
  33. ↑ "New Noise: We Are Harlot". Rocksound. No. 198. Rocksound. April 2015. p. 63. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  34. ↑ McMahon, James (March 21, 2015). "We Are Harlot". Kerrang!. No. 1560. Kerrang!. Retrieved April 3, 2015.
  35. ↑ Bird, Ryan (April 2015). "We Are Harlot 'We Are Harlot'". Rocksound. No. 198. Rocksound. Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  36. ↑ Ruskell, Nick. "We Are Harlot – We Are Harlot". Rollingstoneaus.com. Rolling Stone Australia. Retrieved March 25, 2015.
  37. ↑ Childers, Chad. "Danny Worsnop Is Bringing Back We Are Harlot This Summer". Loudwire. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
  38. ↑ "We Are Harlot". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  39. 1 2 "We Are Harlot Top Mainstream Rock songs". Billboard.com. Billboard. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  40. ↑ "We Are Harlot (fronted by Danny Worsnop) soar on "Never Turn Back" single – News – Alternative Press". Alternative Press. March 17, 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  41. ↑ Biddulph, Andy. "Danny Worsnop and co. Judge a beauty contest in the new We Are Harlot video. What could go wrong?". Rocksound.tv. Rocksound. Retrieved February 18, 2015.
  42. ↑ "Metallhammer 2015 Best New Band". goldengods.metalhammer.com. Metalhammer. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
  43. ↑ Carter, Emily. "Relentless Kerrang! Awards 2015 Nominees". Kerrang.com. Kerrang!. Retrieved May 7, 2015.
  44. ↑ Carter, Emily. "The Relentless Kerrang! Awards 2015 Winners List". Kerrang.com. Kerrang!. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  45. ↑ Lewry, Fraser (November 11, 2015). "Classic Rock Roll of Honour: Live Blog". Teamrock.com. TeamRock. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.