โHydrogyn is going to be big, very big...โ โ Michael Wagener, Producer (Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Alice Cooper)
IN THE BEGINNINGโฆ
In September 2003, West Virginia guitarists Jeff Boggs and Jeff Westlake began work on a new experiment โ a compelling modern heavy rock tour de force like no other on the scene โ an outfit designed to destroy musical and industry barriers.
Jeff Westlake on the blueprints behind HYDROGYN, โWe wanted something a broad audience could love but also be something special. Something that stood out."
Fortified with cutting edge riffs, intelligent lyrics and massive hooks delivered by Julie (just โJulieโ), a stunning front lady with a multi-octave range, the result is a formula set to conquer everything from Alternative Rock to Modern Hard Rock to Timeless Metal without sacrificing credibility.
HYDROGYN is built to explode.
RUMBLESโฆ
By the time the bandโs self-produced debut hit the scene, the industry was already putting their ears to the ground, picking up on the rumble that is HYDROGYN. Best Served With Volume found the band in favor with soft drink giant Pepsi, who not only sponsored the fledgling outfit but hoisted them in front of tens of thousands strong at NASCAR (Chevy Rocking 400 May 2005). The audience response was nothing short of inspiring. It was clear, even without prior exposure to the band, onlookers fell into the hands of the fivesomeโs massive, genre leaping sound and mesmerizing front lady, making the case that Jeff Boggs, Jeff Westlake, Julie, bassist Jason Fields and drummer Jerry Lawson were onto something.
The audience affect was verified when HYDROGYN began packing clubs in the Midwest and New England areas, selling out venues that seated up to 1500 people. Smaller venues had them booked for multiple nights. HYDROGYN was rapidly becoming a live band to be reckoned with.
LIFT OFF
โIn 7 years of editing a major hard rock webzine, I have never seen an indie act with such a complete package โ broad appeal, great musicianship, a dynamic front lady and most important, they are smart AND determined. They understand the big picture and are quickly becoming part of it. โ โ Brian Coles, Editor - Electricbasement.com
Hot off the heals of Volumeโs release, HYDROGYN issued a professional video clip for the single โThe Sand,โ which was featured at the world renowned Electricbasement.com. The response to the bombastic music and sensual video was immediate, yielding the band radio guest spots across the country including www.Dailynoise.com and several Clear Channel stations including WAMX 106.3. Dark Vission TV jumped to put it in rotation, providing the band with massive exposure in Mexico and Latin America. Traffic to the bandโs website soared, with visits eclipsing 25,000 per month, an astounding total for a new, unsigned band.
Top-level affiliations began to pour in. Sponsorships with Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper, Off The Rim, Eagle Distributing, Pearl Drums, Vic Firth Sticks and Loud City.net followed in rapid succession. More recent sponsorships include Randall Amps and Modules, Eden Bass and Custom Gemstones.
But it did not stop there. NOW Comics featured a HYDROGYN track, โVesperโs Songโ, as a CD single included with their acclaimed graphic novel release VESPERSยฎ by veteran author/illustrator Tony Caputo. The novel and band are currently nominated for an IPPY Award, which is a top honor in the independent publishing industry. Caputo also assisted in making the bandโs new, curvaceous logo, perfect for hot selling T-shirts and other merchandise. Taking advantage of this, the band signed a licensing deal with Crave Trendware, with custom HYDROGYN watches to see store shelves in early 2006.
Julieโs visual and vocal appeal helped her gain notoriety with her very own column at Electricbasement.com called Julieโs Jolts, where visitors voted on which pics to include in her forthcoming calendar. The idea was a no-brainer after the brisk internet sales of Volume as well as a Julie poster that sold out a mere weeks after being posted in the bandโs online store. The bandโs ability to sell merchandise was another strong asset.
SOARING HIGH
In the Spring of 2005 the band received yet another jaw dropping accolade. Legendary producer Michael Wagener (Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Alice Cooper) heard the band and was impressed to say the least, deeming them the best band he has heard in years. He also understood something else โ the band could go over not just in North America, but also in Asia, Europe and South America. Once again, an indicator for the bands potential to cross borders, not just in genre, but geographical as well. So optimistic about their prospects, he agreed to produce the bandโs next record.
(Wagener discography can be viewed here: http://www.michaelwagener.com/html/discography.html)
In June bassist Dave Moody replaced Fields. Moodyโs talents and experience are huge contributions to the band going forward.
The buzz was not in effect, having landed the band in MIX Magazine (print), Metal Maniacs Online (net), This Is Rock (Spain, print), Blabbermouth.net (net), Prosound News (print), Blistering.com (net), Bravewords.com (net), New Herald Dispatch (print, net) and the nationally syndicated Tour Bus Radio Show official site (net) among others.
After leaving the studio In August, the band headlined the second stage at the popular Xfest in West Virginia, put on by Clear Channel station WAMX. Other bands on the bill include the Gold selling Seether. Regional Clear Channel General Manager Judy Jennings has backed the band by putting them in rotation on WAMX (106.3) and WKEE (100.5). Jennings is notable for helping to discover Billy Ray Cyrus and recent major label sign American Minor.
The fall also saw the band finalize another piece of the puzzle, with legendary photographer JOHN SCARPATI (Rolling Stones, Dixie Chicks), handling their photo shoot and album cover.
EXPLOSION!
As of this writing, HYDROGYNโs first major CD, Bombshell, made its official release on October 31st of 2006 through the bands own DA RECORDS. The CD hit Billboard charts in 3 different areas in November of 2006. Right on the heels of that Success the band scheduled a 28 date tour to take them through the UK and France. In July due to fan demand the band released Stripโem Blind Live again on their DA Label. Again it was off to France, Belgium and Italy for yet another tour in Europe in November of 2007.
During the European Tour in November the band was contacted and signed by Indie Label out of the UK Demolition. In January of 2008 Hydrogyn entered the studio to record DEADLY PASSIONS. This is the first of a three CD deal with Demolition that is due to hit the streets In June 2008.
2008 is the year of the explosion.
2010- lots of changes going on. Julie and Jeff brought in Jeff Young formerly of megadeth into the band. They had got to know him thru Michael Wagener . They were also without a drummer or a bass player at the time. After Young was in with his connections they brought in James LoMenzo for bass duties and Joe Migz on drums for what was to become 2010 Judgement release. Just before the release Jeff young was let go for differences in musical vision for the band. With a release date set the band went back into the studio taking 3 tracks off the release that were penned or co penned with Young and added new material. With Jeff Boggs help the cd was done and out on time. Again the band hit the billboard charts at number 16 in the heatseeker charts.... 3 to be exact. Again Jeff Westlake at the helm.
Front woman Julie Westlake came down with serious health issues that cancelled all touring
plans.
2011- the band finally got a clearance from Julie's doctors to get back to normal. The band brought in Patrick Liotatd and Anthony Dura along with mike Jublin from France to produce and co write along with Jeff and Julie .
2012- Private Sessions came out in may to high critical review and praise. The band did a few dates but nothing major.
In 2015, halfway through recording a new album, Julie left the band.
Enter Erica Parrott.
In 2016 Hydrogyn went back into the studio for their most ambitious album yet, โRedemption.โ Like the element after which they take their name, Hydrogyn went back to basics, taking the process down to its most elemental level โ high energy, high creativity, positive vibes, and raw power. โI knew this was where I belonged,โ Parrott said after meeting with Westlake. Her aggressive vocal talent and positive energy were the spark that reignited the flame for the entire band. Collaboration has never been stronger and the energy has never been higher.
โEverything from music to melody and lyrics just seemed to fall right into place,โ Parrott said. Bassist Chris Sammons agreed, attesting that the new energy allowed every member to be themselves musically. As proof, he points to the first day the band met in the studio. โWe pumped out an incredibly heavy in-your- face tune in a matter of minutes.โ
The result is Redemption, an electric, hard as nails, tour de force album that is hitting the broadest audience for the band in over a decade. Guitarist Jeff Boggs said it best. โThere are no limitations.โ Hydrogyn is on fire.
http://hydrogyn.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HYDROGYN-OFFICIAL/354840808946
https://twitter.com/HYDROGYN
http://www.youtube.com/hydrogyntv
Discography
Best Served With Volume (2004, self produced)
Bombshell (2006, DA Records)
Strip 'em Blind Live! (2007, DA Records)
Deadly Passions (2008, Demolition Records)
No Borders SVCD (2009, Rapid Fire Entertainment)
Judgement (2010, Bad Reputation)
Phase 1 (2010, Rapid Fire Entertainment)
Private Sessions (2012, Rapid Fire Entertainment)
Particles Box Set (2013, Rapid Fire Entertainment)
Break the Chains (2014, Rapid Fire Entertainment)
Redemption (2017, RFL Records)
Boiling Point (2020, RFL Records)
Current lineup
Holly Hines Freed (vocals)
Jeff Westlake (guitar)
Jacob Freed (bass)
Scot Clayton II (drums)
Ryan Stepp (guitar)
Whisper
Hydrogyn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As they whisper to me
Familiar stranger in the dark
Completely blind
To a love that comes so free
Pulling at the strings of my heart
Your words they breathe
With a fire all their own
My truth has found me
In a world of disbelief
Through this love from the start
Here we are two worlds apart
Reaching through the darkness
Just to, just to be apart
I can feel your love
As you whisper to me
Just to be apart
I can feel your love
You're all I see - Oh whisper
Through my life
I've had visions of you
And all the hope from the start
Let down by deceptions of the truth
I need the love of your heart
Here we are, no dream to far
Push away the darkness
Just to, just to be apart
I can feel your love
As you whisper to me
Just to be apart
I can feel your love
You're all I see - Oh whisper
Here we are in each others arms
Never to surrender
Always, always to be apart
I can feel your love
As you whisper to me
Just to be apart
I can feel your love
You're all I see - Oh whisper
The song "Whisper" by Hydrogyn is a love song that explores the idea of two individuals who are separated by distance and hardship, yet still yearn for each other. The lyrics suggest a kind of spiritual and emotional connection that transcends physical barriers. The singer describes feeling the eyes of their beloved "whispering" to them, even in the darkness. This whispering represents the ways in which love can communicate itself, through subtle gestures and unspoken emotions. The singer speaks of feeling the other person's love and being pulled towards them, like strings on a heart. The lyrics express a desire to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of their love and to be united with the person they care for.
The song's chorus repeats the phrase "just to be apart" several times, creating a sense of longing and sadness. This repetition suggests that the separation between the two lovers is a constant source of pain and that they are constantly struggling to find a way to be together. Despite this, there is a sense of hopefulness in the lyrics. The singer expresses a belief that their love is real and that they will find a way to be together, even if it means pushing away the darkness.
Overall, "Whisper" is a heartfelt and romantic song that speaks to the idea of love overcoming distance and hardship. The lyrics suggest that even when we are separated from those we care for, our love remains a powerful and guiding force in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I feel your eyes
I sense your stare upon me
As they whisper to me
As if theyโre murmuring something to me silently
Familiar stranger in the dark
I know youโre a stranger but somehow we feel close
Completely blind
Iโm unaware and ignorant
To a love that comes so free
To love thatโs easy to attain
Pulling at the strings of my heart
Stirring up my emotions
Your words they breathe
Your speech has a pronounced effect on me
With a fire all their own
With an essence of passion that emanates from them
Right through my mind to my heart
Straight through my thoughts to my feelings
My truth has found me
Iโve discovered the honesty within myself
In a world of disbelief
In a world where belief is scarce
Through this love from the start
Because of this love from the beginning
Here we are two worlds apart
Here we are, with different lifestyles
Reaching through the darkness
Extending beyond obscurity
Just to, just to be apart
Knowing that weโre not meant to be together
I can feel your love
I can sense that you love me
As you whisper to me
As you talk quietly to me
Through my life
Throughout the duration of my existence
I've had visions of you
Iโve had mental images of you
And all the hope from the start
And all the aspirations from the outset
Let down by deceptions of the truth
Betrayed by falsehoods within reality
I need the love of your heart
I crave the affection from your soul
Here we are, no dream too far
Here we are, thereโs no unattainable goal
Push away the darkness
Defeat ignorance and obscurity
Just to, just to be apart
Even though we know we canโt be together
Here we are in each others arms
Here we are, embracing one another
Never to surrender
Never to give up or abandon each other
Always, always to be apart
Regardless, weโll never be together
You're all I see - Oh whisper
Youโre the only one I care about - Oh speak softly
Contributed by Harper P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Returning Shadow
There is a reason Q-Tips exist and these kind of videos are that reason. To PREVENT ear wax build up. Like I said in another reply comment, you don't simply JAM the damn thing in your ear. Sure that can assist in pushing the wax in but by twisting AS you are inserting then you are NOT simply pushing it in. Also inserting the Q-Tip a little at a time as you twist and insert also prevents the wax compacting.
As for scraping the wax out, how the hell do you think the doctors do it? They use that tool shaped like a bobby pin or head of a needle, and scrape that shit out.
Of course the doctors PREFER you to come in to get an ear cleaning. They can charge you for a service, like I said in my other reply to you.
If you produce THAT MUCH ear wax regularly and have all those other problems on top of it, then the only thing I can recommend is scraping with a bobby pin on a daily basis.
Yes a thin layer of wax is beneficial but when that thin layer gets neglected and becomes a plug, then that's on the person who simply didn't feel like cleaning their ears.
I have been using Q-Tips for over 40 years and NEVER compacted wax further into my ear nor had an ear infection as a result of cleaning my ears out of excess wax. People also forget that the ear skin, like ALL skin, naturally flakes off and can get into the canal. That is another reason to clean your ears regularly as that can build up too.
Annika Voss
I feel bad for both the patient AND the doctor :( you can tell how awful that must feel, and you can see how careful the doctor is trying to be. Poor guy, hopefully everything improved
joanna lee
Why feel bad when he is getting it fixed?
Lyric Davis
@joanna lee because how much it mustโve hurt to get it fixed ๐
Queen Ender_Zushi
Possible it might feel good to finally get all that out
ToTheMoonAndBack
@Queen Ender_Zushi that was my thought alsoโฆIโm sure it was uncomfortable but Iโm sure have all that cleaned out help tremendously
GrannyLaLa 1960
As a person with chronic ear problems I feel this ๐ฏ. It was discovered that I had NO eardrum when I was 12. Guess how many GPโs, MDโs & ER doctors missed that? Imagine about 24 trips per year to all of above for almost 7 years. I lived on antibiotics and had pus running from my ear all of the time.
What doctors thought was a swollen eardrum turned out to be a large piece of scar tissue connected by a small stalk. My eardrum had ruptured when I was 5 during a severe bout of Scarlet fever and didnโt reattach , only a small tiny strip of it stayed attached for years.
When the specialist removed it while sitting in his office, it turned out to be the shape & size of a small pea. Then I had surgery to clean around the mastoid bone and inner ear, replaced the mastoid bone then a new eardrum. I had some hearing in the ear finally but I still suffer from infections sometimes in that ear and have lost almost all of the hearing again. But it served me well for almost 50 years.
Execute Beadledom
Holy moly, what a narrative! My heart goes out to you, and bless the MD who finally couldn't see the absent tree for the forest and realized this folk has no ear drum. Replaced bone and eardrum?! How? Wow! Modern medicine is amazing. Coilovers Michael Jackson his nose tip back, but could reinvent your hearing devices. Bless you and your health.
Lane Atkinson
Thank you for sharing your fascinating story, this really highlights the importance of proper ear care for children!
ThisAccountName
Goodness.
SwirlyOrange
I feel you dude. When I was three I had tiny itty bitty tubes surgically placed into my eardrums to prevent that exact scenario. As I grew older they were supposed to fall out on their own but when I was like 13 they realized my ear canals have a strange curve to them and had to surgically remove one of them since it had been stuck for so long.