Established music acts like Hoobastank can afford to be discerning when it comes to the types of performances they play and the ways in which they engage with fans. The American rock band, which formed in Agoura Hills, California in 1994, has so far chosen not to perform virtually during the pandemic, instead waiting for the right opportunity if not a sooner return to live, in-person events.
Despite Hoobastank’s pause on appearances over the past year, the group is engaging fans at record numbers on TikTok. The band was recently inspired to join the video app after their 2004 track “The Reason” (The Reason) began trending (#NotAPerfectPerson) at now more than 404 million views with the song used in more than 60,000 videos, signaling that the platform can be equally powerful for aspiring and big-name acts.
“We didn’t even have a TikTok account up until a few days ago,” says Doug Robb, lead vocalist and founding member of Hoobastank. “Friends and people we know just started hitting us up saying that our song was on there, and obviously the numbers caught our attention.”
The band quickly recorded and posted its first TikTok video, a humorous skit that makes fun of the group’s chosen name. Robb says that the post is successful, now attracting more than 2.1 million views, because it is authentic in that he and his bandmates always joke around with each other in real life.
Despite “The Reason” having been released 17 years ago, the band totaled more than 1.6 million views in less than 48 hours of launching their account. They also totaled more than 150 likes per minute during the first day, and now they have more than 69,500 followers.
Hoobastank this year is celebrating 20 years since the release of their self-titled debut album, Hoobastank. The overnight resurgence of “The Reason” on TikTok is garnering attention for the milestone. While the group was initially hesitant to use the platform, Robb says that the positive result has been “surprising and cool.”
“We’ve been around long enough to experience both the good and the bad of social media,” Robb says. “TikTok is an opportunity to reach a much younger demographic, and as a band, we’ve been looking for an outlet that isn’t so serious. We take our music seriously, but as a group, we’ve never taken ourselves too seriously…this might just be the opportunity to be ourselves.”
Robb says that, no matter the social platform, authenticity is key to enjoying both artistic and commercial success in music. For his group, TikTok is helping bridge the gap between longtime and new fans, especially those seeking out nostalgic tunes now during uncertain times.
“It is interesting to see people’s comments on how old they were when that song came out, or what it reminds them of, because it makes me think about bands that filled that slot in my life, and how important they were and are. To think that someone might hold us in the same light is really cool.”
TikTok is a powerful discovery tool for artists at all levels, according to Allie Gruensfelder, vice president of Trendsetter music entertainment marketing agency. Her company works with Hoobastank and also the Vitamin String Quartet, best known for its modern pop and rock string covers of Ariana Grande’s “thank u, next,” Billie Eilish’s “Bad Guy” and Maroon 5’s “Girls Like You” featured in the Netflix
Before Bridgerton, the Los Angeles-based quartet was established but working with Gruensfelder to promote its classical covers to a new audience through influencers on TikTok and Instagram. The group found success, and after the Bridgerton (Covers from the Netflix Original Series) – EP by Vitamin String Quartet, Kris Bowers and Duomo soundtrack release, the ensemble enjoyed a 350% increase in streams across demand-side platforms and grew monthly listeners more than 50% on Spotify and Amazon Music
“In almost every article about the Netflix show, there was mention of the music incorporated,” Gruensfelder said. “This opportunity really allowed us to further introduce Vitamin String Quartet as the concept group behind the soundtrack. Connecting these dots and sharing non-Bridgerton tracks to a new, captive audience is very powerful.”
Robb says that he and the other members of Hoobastank together have compiled and digitized footage of old tours that will be used to create some type of anniversary compilation this year. With TikTok success on its side, the band might just exceed expectations.
