Hinder

About Hinder

Hinder emerged from Oklahoma City in the mid-2000s as post-grunge was morphing into something slicker and more radio-friendly. The band formed in 2001 when guitarist Joe Garvey and drummer Curt Fabb met singer Austin Winkler, eventually adding guitarist Mark King and bassist Mike Rodden. They spent a few years grinding through the Oklahoma bar scene before relocating to Los Angeles in 2005, which turned out to be decent timing.

Their 2005 debut "Extreme Behavior" hit right when rock radio was hungry for bands that could split the difference between hard rock riffs and power ballad melodrama. "Lips of an Angel" became their calling card, a song about drunk-dialing an ex that somehow managed to soundtrack both high school parking lots and adult contemporary playlists. The track went to number three on the Billboard Hot 100, which is the kind of crossover success most rock bands could only imagine by the late 2000s. The album also spawned "Get Stoned" and "How Long," both solid radio performers that kept Hinder in rotation.

They followed up in 2008 with "Take It to the Limit," which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The album leaned harder into arena rock territory with tracks like "Use Me" and "Without You," proving they weren't just the "Lips of an Angel" band. "All American Nightmare" arrived in 2010, continuing their streak of competent hard rock records that knew exactly what they were.

The wheels came off in 2013 when Austin Winkler left the band. The official line involved personal issues and the need for rehab, but the details were messy enough that it became clear the split wasn't amicable. Most bands would have called it quits, but Hinder regrouped with new vocalist Marshal Dutton, formerly of the band Faktion.

The Dutton era started with 2015's "When the Smoke Clears," which was a harder sell to fans who associated Winkler's voice with the band's identity. They've continued releasing albums with Dutton, including "The Reign" in 2017 and "Stripped" in 2022, an acoustic reimagining of their catalog that acknowledged where their melodic strengths really lived.

These days Hinder exists in that middle tier of 2000s rock bands still touring and making records for a dedicated fanbase. They're not filling arenas, but they're working, which is more than plenty of their contemporaries can say. Winkler has pursued solo work with mixed results. The current lineup keeps the catalog alive on tour and occasionally reminds people that for a brief moment in 2006, they had one of the biggest rock songs in America.

Hinder shows are built around their catalog of radio hits. Crowds know every word to 'Lips of an Angel' and the band feeds off that recognition. Energy is steady rather than explosive—lots of singing along, standard rock setlist pacing. They're reliable, unpretentious, and exactly what you'd expect.

Known for Lips of an Angel, Better Than Me, Use Me, Catch Me When I Fall, Without You

See Hinder Live