Tooth & Nail Records’ The Classic Crime left their hearts in Haiti last November on their first trip to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Months before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake, The Classic Crime visited Bon Repos, a collection of villages in rural Haiti, with JesusInHaitiMinistries (JiHM, a non-profit) experiencing first-hand the poverty-stricken country. Upon returning from Haiti, the band set their hearts and minds to using their musical platform to do good for others. Two months later the country was devastated by the largest earthquake in 200 years, amplifying the band’s passion to give back to Haiti.
The Classic Crime is set to release their third studio album, “Vagabonds” on Tooth & Nail Records April 6, 2010. The band will begin a pre-sale of their album this week, donating all profits from the pre-sale to JiHM in Haiti. Link below for pre-sale purchase.
“All profits generated from our pre-sale will go to JiHM for earthquake relief in the rural areas of Haiti,” explains Matt MacDonald, vocalist. “JiHM leader Tom is the only lifeline to thousands of Haitians in Bon Repos and surrounding villages, as food and water haven’t left Port-Au-Prince in two weeks. He spends 18 hours a day with his staff of over twenty delivering water, food, and medical supplies to hundreds of people who would otherwise starve. This pre-order is designed to provide specifically for his relief efforts. It will save lives.”
In addition to raising funds for Haiti through their album pre-sale, the band will be releasing a series of videos from their time in Haiti to show others the condition of this country prior to the earthquake, which will be a reminder that this country was already in rough condition. Beginning February 1st and leading up to the release of the album, each video will be posted on The Classic Crime’s Facebook, MySpace and YouTube pages.
“JiHM is a small yet effective non-profit, made up of individuals obsessed with helping Haiti in all the right ways,” shares MacDonald. “After experiencing the mission first hand I can say that not only do I truly believe in the effectiveness of their brand of servanthood, I am blown away by the conviction of their love for the people they serve. Now with the earthquake, putting a face to the devastation, it really hits home.”
This third studio album, “Vagabonds,” recorded in just three weeks time, is pared down with the most basic elements mirroring The Classic Crime’s live sound. A band that doesn’t follow musical trends that fade quickly, The Classic Crime makes music for their dedicated fanbase. The band also hopes that their fans see what they are concerned with and that they are trying to make the world a better place.
“Summing up the theme of this album, is it’s not about needing money or material things to be happy, it’s about playing music as this is what we were place on earth to do,” MacDonald states. “After our trip to Haiti, we have a much better perspective on what we value and what we want to do with our platform.”
About The Classic Crime:
The Classic Crime isn’t limited to scenes, trends or even genres. They hail from the rich music scene of Seattle, WA. After their debut album “Albatross,” (the largest first week sales for a new band in the label’s history) they released their sophomore album “The Silver Cord” in 2008. Touring history for the band includes Warped Tour (twice), Owl City, Relient K, MxPx, Anberlin and Emery. The Classic Crime is Matt MacDonald (vocals), Justin DuQue (guitar), Robbie Negrin (guitar), Paul “Skip” Erickson (drums) and Alan Clark (bass).
Connect with The Classic Crime:
www.twitter.com/theclassiccrime
www.facebook.com/theclassiccrime
www.myspace.com/theclassiccrime
Pre-Order:
http://bit.ly/tccpreorder
Haiti Video Series Part 1:
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