The Finest Hour

The Finest Hour

The Finest Hour is a name used by more than one band, including a four-piece indie and ska influenced group from Grimsby in England and an American alt-pop punk band from Mansfield, Ohio.

Grimsby, England

The Grimsby band is a four-piece quartet with a sound shaped by indie and ska. It uses a twin frontman approach and is made up of Kav on vocals, acoustic guitar and harmonica, Rob Bywater on lead guitar and vocals, Craig Cox on bass guitar, and Luke Whotton on drums.

The group tours widely across England and is described as having played many gigs across the north, south, east and west of the country. In 2009 it performs alongside acts including Neville Staple, Orphan Boy, The Mystery Jets, The Brightlights, Harijan, Chris Helme, The Lights and Zane Lowe. Zane Lowe describes its set as “powerful stuff”.

In 2010 the band self-releases Battle Scars, a songwriting release with a theme of conformity and fear of individuality. Its B-side, Keep Your Chin Up Kid, is a ska track about friendship. The band also attracts support from a street team formed by fans in late 2009, and it receives endorsement from Dovetail Guitar Strings. Deuce Management and Promotion is also involved with the group.

Other comments associated with the band describe its live energy, crowd work and combination of melody, punk rawness and strong stage presence.

Mansfield, Ohio

The American version of The Finest Hour is an alt-pop punk band from Mansfield, Ohio. It is a four-piece group consisting of Alex Gabor, Aaron Bard, Nathan Osborne and Greg Bosko.

This lineup is described as working with duelling vocals and atmospheric guitar riffs, and as moving between experimental rock, emo, screamo and alternative. It is presented as a live band built around on-stage chemistry and energy.