Alex and Phillip Hicks met Levi Stugelmeyer as children in southwest Minnesota. Their separate musical paths all convened in Nashville, but it wasn't their scene, so they ended up back in Minnesota as quickly as they'd left. Minneapolis welcomed them home with a grueling winter. Broke and cold, they started writing songs. Motivated by familiar sounds of the Jayhawks, Wilco, Nirvana and Kent, but finding a musical direction all their own, the trio started playing shows as CHARN. They quickly developed a tight, aggressive live show, but it wasn't until they added guitarist Steve Bosmans that they had their sound. Soon after, they released their debut album These Sins of Mine in August 2008.
Recorded in Omaha, NE with producer Jason Burkum, These Sins of Mine was done quickly, and captures the raw urgency of a band brimming with new songs and ideas. Heavy lyrics, chiming guitars and a driving rhythm section push these songs. The album swings from blistering rockers like "Satellites" and "A Love That's True" to slow-burning ballads "Do You Believe?" and "Wake Up Dear" to midwestern jangle in "Happier Than Me" and "Holding Hands" naturally. Each song is a story tied to the next, with no fillers and no fallbacks. While the band has been developing a large following in the Twin Cities since their album debut, they've gained national attention recently through a series of song placements on the hit MTV show Jersey Shore, as well as an international advert for House M.D. The band is currently finishing songs for their next album while taking in the continued success of These Sins of Mine.
