About Jon Hainstock

The plan was to get away. To start over. "When I was picking colleges, I just wanted to get away from my past and start fresh. Ball State was 6 hours away. Based on distance alone, I figured it would be the best place to relocate.”

Indiana became home to Hainstock as he became involved in music at his church and with Campus Crusade for Christ. He attributes these experiences to his passion and desire to communicate through music.

The Living Room, a venue in Muncie, was where Hainstock was introduced to a number of singer/songwriters who inspired him to pursue a career in music.

During his years at Ball State, Hainstock had the privilege of sharing the stage and receiving guidance from some of the artists who had inspired him such as Jon McLaughlin, Micah Dalton, Rob Blackledge, Cliff Ritchey, Josh Garrels, Dave Barnes, and Matt Wertz.

Hainstock released his first full length album as a sophomore in 2006. He produced the self-titled album with Jeff Abei at Gaither's studios nearby Alexandria. "Grace's Song" became an instant fan favorite and the single "Now or Never" played in regular rotation at 89.1 WBSD in Wisconsin. Jon McLaughlin contributed on the album by adding piano, rhodes, and organ parts to "I'll Get Over Myself" and "I'm Convinced You Know."

In 2007, Hainstock released Tell The Truth, a five song EP. He worked with McLaughlin on "Horror Story" and produced the album with his close friend Caleb Crockett. "The entire project was recorded with a limited budget in a basement where we had to fight off spiders and wait for the water pump to turn off before we could proceed." Without question, Hainstock understands the meaning of paying his dues.

After graduating, Hainstock returned to Wisconsin and found chemistry with local musicians Jon Thorngate, Dominic Rome, and Josh Harper. This relationship helped shape the sound of Hainstock's latest release "A Pale Blue Dot."

A Pale Blue Dot was recorded at home by Hainstock and shows a variety of his musical tastes and influences. "I'd Do Anything" starts the album off strong with an upbeat, driving rhythm, backed by a dominate lead guitar part, Ben Fold's inspired piano playing, and a melodious spirit that inspires fans to sing-along.

"Tear Me Apart" gives off a Switchfoot feel with counter melodies and background vocals in the vein of Dashboard Confessional. Hainstock sings "Tear me apart, cause' this is the start of a new beginning," referring to his struggle with fear and pride.

"Never Alone" extends a hand to those who are depressed and hurting. Hainstock wrote the song for a friend of his who committed suicide while he was in college. The song is driven by the piano and is majestic in feel and motion. He sings "This is for the ones who I didn't reach in time," in respect to the friend he lost.

"I Don't Understand" is the first single off the record. The song builds slowly from beginning to end and is crafted around a flowing melody. With hints of Coldplay and The Killers, the song is furnished with tasteful background vocals, organ, synth, and strings parts. Hainstock recorded a music video to this song in his hometown with his friend Dru Korab, and released it prior to "A Pale Blue Dot." He says, "Doing the music video was an amazing experience. It was a lot of work and it was completely worth it." Based on the reception online, fans have agreed.

"Looking For Redemption" is as close as Hainstock gets to folk/country. The slow bluegrass backbeat and rich blend of acoustic guitar parts and harmonies make this song a pleasure to listen to. Hainstock's wife Grace sings on this song and adds an Allison Krauss feel.

"Never Made To Fit" is an upbeat pop rock song that delivers a spacious feel accompanied by a smooth piano line and a candy chorus. Hainstock sings, "Are we fooling ourselves, did we ever really have a chance?"

"Show Me How" is powerful rock song with an unforgettable chorus. Hainstock sings, "Show me how I'm going to make it through when there's no where to go, and show me how to find you in the dark." The richness of Hainstock’s words are never spoken more truly.

"Empty Glass" shows Hainstock's ability to switch things up. With ambient elements similar to early Radiohead and Coldplay recordings this song gives listeners a glance at where Hainstock's music might go in the future.

"Record Machine" is a tongue in cheek take on materialism and how it has shaped our culture. Hainstock compares old, outdated technology to a record machine. The song's meaning was derived from walking on campus with a portable CD player while the rest of the world was busy listening to their iPods and other forms of modern technology. "Yeah, for the longest time I was that guy with a Discman and the large plastic headphones. CDs sound better anyway," Hainstock says.

"Holding Love" almost has a western feel. The eerie, whining slide guitar sets the stage for a showdown of some sort.

"Move So Fast" sends you back to the 80s with guitar solos and synth galore. The catchy chorus is backed with 60s sounding "ooo's and aah's."

"We Should Know" closes out the album with a bang. This punk pop rock tune is reminiscent of early Jimmy Eat World material.

a pale blue dotWhat exactly is A Pale Blue Dot? Jon explains, "As I was finishing mixing the record I heard an intriguing story about a photograph taken by The Voyager 1 Spacecraft. After The Voyager had completed it’s primary mission, NASA had it turn around when it reached the edge of our solar system to take a picture of Earth. At 3.7 billion miles away, The Voyager took a picture of earth that eventually became known as “A Pale Blue Dot.” The pale blue dot was earth caught in a single ray of sunlight. That’s when I realized how small I really am in the grand scheme of things and how big God is. I want to make an impact in this world, and I want to leave a mark even if it is as small as we look to the rest of the universe. This album is a constant reminder to me of the bigger picture and I hope it points people towards faith in Jesus Christ.

Hainstock claims he is far from arriving, but he is thankful for the ride so far. "I appreciate all of the experiences I have had, and I'm looking forward to what comes next. I have learned a lot about who I am and who I'm not. I am so thankful for the people who have helped me along the way. I would not be doing music at all if it weren't for them."

Upcoming Shows

Date Time Venue/Details Location
Mar 7 7:00P Elkhorn Church of Christ  Elkhorn, WI
May 30 7:00P ChocolateFest Burlington, WI