Promise to Burn

Promise to Burn is defined by a distinctive sound born from combining extremely cohesive live performances with a vocalist who demands the listeners' immediate attention with his inimitable voice and presence. This unique cohesion is due to the fact that the band is comprised of two sets of brothers, Ben and Luke Sample and Derek and Damon Pearson who have matured musically with one another since first picking up instruments. In addition, members of the band also have a history of performing with vocalist, Heath Hartwell, since 2001 which has given them several years of experience performing in front of large live crowds. All five members also attended college together at Southeast Missouri State University earning seven different degrees ranging from Agricultural Business to Cell Molecular Biology.
The current incarnation of Promise to Burn as an original act began in 2004 when they shifted all their focus to songwriting for a period of nearly two years. Another local musician, Bob Glastetter, took an interest in the band and took their extensive catalog of original songs to his old friend, Malcolm Springer. Malcolm happened to be one of the most talented rock producers on the planet. Springer's credits are quite impressive having engineered and produced countless major acts such as: Matchbox Twenty, Collective Soul, Fear Factory, Faith Hill, and the multiplatinum Spiderman Soundtrack. Malcolm was also single-handedly responsible for discovering, producing, co-writing with two very successful bands: Full Devil Jacket, and the Grammy-nominated Greenwheel.



After an impromptu live tryout, Malcolm was quickly impressed with the band's songwriting, work ethic, and potential. Promise to Burn immediately began pre-production with Springer within two weeks of the tryout in early 2006. By the end of April, the songs were mixed at SoundStage Studios in Nashville. The debut EP, And Everything After, was released two months later.



After the release of the EP, Promise to Burn quickly developed a huge online following while becoming a regional favorite in the Midwest through their live performances. The group has experience performing in countless regional shows as well as headlining the world-famous Viper Room and the Plush Lounge in Los Angeles, as well as headlining 12th & Porter in Nashville. The group has gathered various media attention in the Midwest by regional newspapers, radio stations, and television news programs. The group has also warranted national attention when they had a rehearsal and interview filmed for Fox's American Idol program in 2006 after lead singer, Heath Hartwell, made it to the late rounds in his first attempt to be the next American Idol. Promise to Burn also shared the stage with Whitesnake and Ratt in June of 2009 at the Black River Colosseum.