The Draft tours the West Coast

THE DRAFT ‘IN A MILLION PIECES’ ON THE WEST COAST

Former Hot Water Music Members Support Epitaph Debut With Live Dates

The Draft – the band formed from the ashes of Florida’s legendary post-punk band Hot Water Music – will hit the road on January 19th in continued support of its recent Epitaph debut. The ten day run of West Coast dates in support of the highly praised In A Million Pieces, released last September, will precede a joint U.K. tour next month with Bouncing Souls.

Called "a great accomplishment" by Punknews.org, the Brian McTernan-produced In A Million Pieces was touted by Hybrid Magazine as "one of those good rock albums that deserves a fist in the air, a group hug and a cold beer." Meanwhile, writing of the group’s "melody-driven, post-millennial punk," Aversion affirmed, "This is where Hot Water Music probably would have ended up in six or seven years, but thanks to a new band, a new name and a new lease on life, The Draft make a quantum jump into the act's future."

"There were definitely some confines in Hot Water Music that don’t exist anymore," bassist and spokesman Jason Black says. "We’re a whole new band. And even if our fans aren’t looking at it that way, we are – especially from the writing standpoint." Taking the next evolutionary step by focusing heavily on melody, The Draft – also counting former HWM members Chris Wollard (vocals/guitar) and George Rebelo (drums) as well as all new guitarist Todd Rockhill – have reinvented themselves with In A Million Pieces.

"There’s nothing that I want to bury," Black says enthusiastically of The Draft’s first album. "I love all twelve songs." With vibrant anthems like the captivating, incendiary "Alive Or Dead" and the irresistible, xylophone-touched chant-along "All We Can Count On" – plus the ska-inflected "Let It Go" – In A Million Pieces cuts a new path for the group.

With Wollard out in front full time, his bandmates are incredibly pleased with his overall efforts on In A Million Pieces and onstage. "I think Chris was born to do it," Black says, cheering on his longtime bandmate. "I’m glad that whatever we had to go through on this record, the end result is that this record is great. This is the best stuff Chris has ever written."

Summing up the new band, Black has a new outlook. "It’s kind of nice, because even though we’re using most of the same people, it’s like having a whole new set of tools," he says.

The Draft’s West Coast January dates are as follows:
1/19/2007 Hells Kitchen Tacoma WA
1/20/2007 Hawthorne Theater Portland OR
1/22/2007 Bottom Of The Hill San Francisco CA
1/23/2007 The Attic Santa Cruz CA
1/24/2007 Chain Reaction Anaheim CA
1/25/2007 Knitting Factory Los Angeles CA
1/26/2007 Casbah San Diego CA
1/27/2007 The Clubhouse Tempe AZ