Promotional image of The 8th Horcrux released on their website
The 8th Horcrux is a wizard rock band from Ottawa, Kansas. The group specializes in parodies of familiar songs, adding a Harry Potter twist. In 2009, the band released their debut album, Potterwatch!, selling all copies in less than three weeks. The band recently released 100 copies of their second album, Accio Awesome in November 2010. The band has received praise from the students of Ottawa High School and has been featured in the Ottawa Herald and the Ottawa Review newspapers.[1]
History
Origins
The 8th Horcrux, or, more specifically, the album Potterwatch!, began after Thomas happened to stumble upon the genre of 'Wizard Rock.' Inspired by this new found music style, and the then-recent Harry Potter movie, Thomas, and fellow friend and musician, Trina Sieg, began working on a wrock-themed album slated to be released by Thomas' older (and now defunct) band Famosiz. The idea of releasing the album under the Famosiz name was soon dropped, and the two took a new name. Dubbing themselves “The 8th Horcrux,” they became a parody band, much in the vein of “Weird Al” Yankovic, which devoted the entirety of its content to anything relating to the Harry Potter series.
"Potterwatch!" (2009)
The band immediately got to work planning. After a few months of writing and recording, the band whittled their ideas to several key parodies of The Lonely Island, Flobots, Meredith Brooks, My Chemical Romance, The Beatles, blink-182, Bowling for Soup, Alien Ant Farm, The Who, Green Day. In the final stages of recording, the Green Day parody ("The Chosen One" a parody of "Know Your Enemy") and the blink-182 parody ("The Yule Ball" a parody of "The Rock Show") were shelved for the bands sophomore album. Several other parodies were added, including a Gym Class Heroes parody and a Bloodhound Gang parody.
On 22 October, the band released their debut album, Potterwatch! The album was a surprise hit. The band had pressed 100 copies, and within three weeks, every copy was sold. The band received praise from many of the students of Ottawa High School and was even featured in the schools newspaper.[1] To promote the album, the band created a music video for their song "Witch."
"Accio Awesome" (2010)
In December of 2009, the band began working on their second album, titled Accio Awesome. Information leaked in August 2010 stated that the album would feature 15 song parodies, including the missing Green Day and blink-182 parodies and a re-recording of the older "1985" Bowling for Soup parody. On August 28th, the band released two songs, "In the Pensieve" and the new version of "Privet Drive" on their Myspace. In October, the band confirmed that the album would be available for purchase via the internet.
The album was released on November 3, 2010, selling dozens of copies on the first day of release. To promote the album, the band held a series of events, including a show at the local library. Eventually, the band was featured in Ottawa's newspaper.[2][3] In late November, the band released their entire discography onto Bandcamp and they also made their newest album available via PayPal.
Tour and Noize From the Cupboard (2010 - Present)
On March 11, the band co-headlined the Trifecta of Awesome tour in Ottawa. Later that month, the band participated in the Ottawa Spring Fling Battle of the Bands and finished in 5th Place. On April 16, The 8th Horcrux released two EPs, I Love Hogwarts and We R Death EateRs, for free to celebrate Record Store Day. The former is tangibly available at Kief's Records and the Love Garden (both in Lawrence, KS) and the latter is available on Bandcamp.
In the spring of 2011, the band once again regrouped to record their third album, titled Noize From the Cupboard and scheduled to be released on the first of July. Noize From the Cupboard is availible via Bandcamp and through PayPal. The band has also announced a summer tour, referred to as the "Mini-Summer Tour Extravaganza" on the band's Facebook page, which will hit various libraries and bookstores across Kansas.[4]
Discography
Albums
- 2009 - "Potterwatch!"
- 2010 - "Accio Awesome"
- 2011 - "Noize From the Cupboard"