Sister Hazel is an American musical group whose style blends elements of alternative pop, folk, and Southern rock.
The band came together in the vibrant college town of Gainesville, Florida, and while most local bands never got out of the small city, Sister Hazel's popularity grew in concentric circles until the band was recognized all over the country. The group prides itself on being down to earth, devoting much of their time to fans and charity events.
Sister Hazel released their first, self-titled debut album independently through their own label, Croakin Poets. Neither Ryan Newell nor Mark Trojanowski were in the band when the self-titled (otherwise known by fans as the "White Album") was originally released.
Their second album, ...Somewhere More Familiar, sold approximately 30,000 copies through its initial pressing, prompting Universal Records to sign the band.
Universal re-released "..Somewhere More Familiar" and, together with the band's second label release "Fortress," the two releases feature the band's most successful hit songs: All For You, Change Your Mind, and Champagne High.
The 2003 year was a busy one for the band. After an amicable split with Universal, they released their fourth studio album on the Sixthman label, "Chasing Daylight," and toured throughout the year in support. The band's internet presence emerged most prominently during this time period, and hardcore devotees dubbing themselves "Hazelnuts" meticulously studied setlists, shared bootleg concert recordings, and even initiated a cooperative promotion scheme with the band through their * official website. The year closed with the simultaneous double release of "Live LIVE," a two-disc concert album, and "A Life in the Day," a live DVD.
A pair of new studio releases followed: 2004's "Lift," a full-length studio CD, and 2005's "Lift: Acoustic Renditions," an EP of studio acoustic takes on five of the Lift songs, offered exclusively online through Apple's iTunes music service. There has been one re-release: in July 2005, the self-titled debut album was issued again by Sixthman, answering complaints that it had become difficult to find the out-of-print debut album in stores.