Cornerstone (Austrian band)
Encyclopedia
Cornerstone is an Austria
n rock
band
formed in 1998 in Moedling, Lower Austria
. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest success came 2008, when they signed a record deal with US-label ATOM Records
and released their debut "Head Over Heels
” in the same year. ATOM is working with artists like Jon Butcher
and Barefoot Servants in the United States. In March 2008 the band has won the “Next Big Thing Contest,” sponsored by Alternative Addiction, and reached No. 1 on Chungardio (Scottsdale/AZ, U.S.A.) Statesides. In the same year the band toured Austria
and UK
, where they did a lot of interviews at radio stations, f.e. on ARFM-Radio/London with the legendary Steve Price
. In 2009 another UK
tour happened, the band appeared at the famous Z Rock Festival, together with Ted Poley
and John Waite
(Ex-Bad English
, Ex-The Babys
), and in summer 2009 they did a three weeks USA
-tour and appeared on several Radio- and TV-stations. In the spring of 2011, Cornerstone released their sophomore effort “Somewhere In America”, which first pressing sold out within three weeks and do several shows in Austria, the surrounding countries and in the UK.
, R.E.M.
and Soul Asylum
. During this period the band started writing their first originals, but a few internal difficulties arose - new band members came and went again - and after many personnel changes, some moderately successful gigs and a disastrous recording-session, which has never been finished, the band teetered on the brink of collapse in summer 2004. But after Hannah Wachter and Rock-Shouter Anja Schirmer joined the band per accident, the band decided to go forward.
In 2007 the band played on several Open-Air Festivals in Europe, f.e. in Italy at the "Spirit of Woodstock Festival". In accordance to this, the band started to record their debut "Head Over Heels", which was released in 2008 and received very positive reviews from the European and American press and radios. The worldwide promotion tour for the album was done with Carina Sethaler (voc, g) and Martin Key (dr, perc), the optimum Line-Up was found after the tour with Mike Pawlowitsch on drums, who has already played in some local bands before, and the talent Patricia Hillinger. Hillinger: "The people, the music they make, everything was great from the very beginning. I knew one thing right away: If I want to play in a band, then in this one".
Although the band registered their bandname as international trademark
, there is another band used this name, too, so they have mostly added an ® or an (AT) to their bandname.
Reviews, Interviews, etc.:
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
formed in 1998 in Moedling, Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. The band has gone through several phases, but its strongest success came 2008, when they signed a record deal with US-label ATOM Records
ATOM Records
ATOM Records is an independent record label, based in Dayton, United States. It was started in 1999 by Scott Kinnison. ATOM did a lot of releases, mainly in the United States, for example Jon Butcher and Barefoot Servants but also some international albums like Head Over Heels from Austrian...
and released their debut "Head Over Heels
Head Over Heels (Cornerstone album)
Head Over Heels is the debut studio album released by the Album Oriented Rock band Cornerstone from Austria. It got more than hundred very positive reviews of magazines and radios all over the world.-Track listing:...
” in the same year. ATOM is working with artists like Jon Butcher
Jon Butcher
Jon Butcher is an American rock, blues songwriter, guitarist & freelance multimedia producer.-Early life:Born Jon A. Toombs to Joan Butts and John A Toombs Sr., Jon picked up his new last name and his first guitar simultaneously at the age of six, through inspirations of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and...
and Barefoot Servants in the United States. In March 2008 the band has won the “Next Big Thing Contest,” sponsored by Alternative Addiction, and reached No. 1 on Chungardio (Scottsdale/AZ, U.S.A.) Statesides. In the same year the band toured Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, where they did a lot of interviews at radio stations, f.e. on ARFM-Radio/London with the legendary Steve Price
Steve Price
Steve Price is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played for the New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury Bulldogs in the National Rugby League...
. In 2009 another UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
tour happened, the band appeared at the famous Z Rock Festival, together with Ted Poley
Ted Poley
Ted Harris Poley is a rock singer and drummer most famous for being in the band Danger Danger.-Biography:...
and John Waite
John Waite
John Charles Waite is an English rock singer and musician. He was lead vocalist for The Babys and Bad English. As a solo artist, he scored several international hits, including 1984's "Missing You", a top ten hit on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart, reaching #1 in the...
(Ex-Bad English
Bad English
Bad English was an American/British hard rock supergroup formed in 1988, reuniting keyboardist Jonathan Cain with singer John Waite and bassist Ricky Phillips, his former bandmates in The Babys.- History :...
, Ex-The Babys
The Babys
The Babys were a British rock/pop group best known for their songs "Isn't It Time," and "Every Time I Think of You." Both songs were composed by Jack Conrad and Ray Kennedy, and reached #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in the late 1970s...
), and in summer 2009 they did a three weeks USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-tour and appeared on several Radio- and TV-stations. In the spring of 2011, Cornerstone released their sophomore effort “Somewhere In America”, which first pressing sold out within three weeks and do several shows in Austria, the surrounding countries and in the UK.
History
The band started in summer 1998, when Steve and Michael Wachelhofer began to play bass/guitar and formed a band, together with drummer Markus Bousska, interpreting cover songs, originally played by The CureThe Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum
Soul Asylum is an American alternative rock band that formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1983.The band originally formed in 1981 under the name Loud Fast Rules, with the original line-up consisting of Dan Murphy, Dave Pirner, Karl Mueller and Pat Morley. The latter was replaced by Grant Young in...
. During this period the band started writing their first originals, but a few internal difficulties arose - new band members came and went again - and after many personnel changes, some moderately successful gigs and a disastrous recording-session, which has never been finished, the band teetered on the brink of collapse in summer 2004. But after Hannah Wachter and Rock-Shouter Anja Schirmer joined the band per accident, the band decided to go forward.
In 2007 the band played on several Open-Air Festivals in Europe, f.e. in Italy at the "Spirit of Woodstock Festival". In accordance to this, the band started to record their debut "Head Over Heels", which was released in 2008 and received very positive reviews from the European and American press and radios. The worldwide promotion tour for the album was done with Carina Sethaler (voc, g) and Martin Key (dr, perc), the optimum Line-Up was found after the tour with Mike Pawlowitsch on drums, who has already played in some local bands before, and the talent Patricia Hillinger. Hillinger: "The people, the music they make, everything was great from the very beginning. I knew one thing right away: If I want to play in a band, then in this one".
Although the band registered their bandname as international trademark
Trademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
, there is another band used this name, too, so they have mostly added an ® or an (AT) to their bandname.
Current members
- Patricia Hillinger - vocals, guitars
- Michael Wachelhofer - bass, keyboards, vocals
- Steve Wachelhofer - guitars, vocals
- Mike Pawlowitsch - drums, percussion
Former members
- Markus Bousska - drums, percussion
- Hannah Wachter - drums, percussion
- Martin Key - drums, percussion
- Anja Schirmer - vocals
- Carina Sethaler - vocals
Film
- In the 2009 Austrian-movie Little AlienLittle AlienLittle Alien is a documentary by Bosnian-born, Austrian director and producer Nina Kusturica dealing with unaccompanied minor refugees.- Synopsis :...
, filmmaker Nina KusturicaNina KusturicaNina Kusturica is a Bosnian-born, Austrian film director, film editor und film producer.-Biography:She studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna to become a film director and editor and earned her degree with the film Auswege which had its permiere at the Berlin International...
used two Cornerstone songs, "Regret" and "I Can't Even Say No" for the soundtrack.
Music television
- "Something In The Way" was used several times in the TV-show Mulatschag on Austrian television station OKTOOktoMediaCorp okto is a television channel in Bestway Building, Singapore, managed by MediaCorp TV12, which was officially launched on 20 October 2008 hence replacing the SPH MediaWorks Channel i, Kids Central and Arts Central brands as oktoDAY and oktoNITE respectively...
.
Other Appearances
- Michael Wachelhofer and Roadie Karl Ernsthofer make brief appearances in some commercials, aired on several TV-stations, Michael Wachelhofer also work as a model for several advertisements.
Discography
- Head Over HeelsHead Over Heels (Cornerstone album)Head Over Heels is the debut studio album released by the Album Oriented Rock band Cornerstone from Austria. It got more than hundred very positive reviews of magazines and radios all over the world.-Track listing:...
(2008, Re-Release 2010) - Fade Away- 2010 Remix (2010)
- Somewhere In America (2011)
External links
Official Sites:- Official Website of the band
- MySpace-Site of the band
- Last.fm-Site of the band
- Facebook-Site of the band
- Reverbnation-Site of the band
- Twitter-Site of the band
Reviews, Interviews, etc.: