Artist Bio
Austria may be known as the classical music capital of the world, but make no mistake, Cornerstone is here to rock. Carina Sethaler (Vocals, Guitar), Michael Wachelhofer (Bass, Keyboards, Vocals), Steve Wachelhofer (Guitar, Vocals) and Martin Key (Drums, Percussion) signed a record deal with US-label ATOM Records and have released their debut "Head Over Heels" in the same year. Following the release, the band was introduced of more than one hundred magazines and radio stations worldwide. Beautiful melodies, big guitars, a melodic bass and sad-aggressive lyrics about the small and big topics of this world quickly inspired the public, particularly in the U.S.A. and the United Kingdom.
Some of the songs from the new CD are included in the motion-picture soundtrack for the film "Little Alien," which will be shown in all Austrian cinemas and on television in spring 2009. The band's focus is nevertheless on the Anglo-American market. Cornerstone has won the "Next Big Thing Contest," sponsored by Alternative Addiction, in March 2008 and had a No. 1 hit on Chungardio Statesides. In the United Kingdom the band had a very successful tour in the fall of 2008, followed by reviews and interviews in the most important rock'zines (Powerplay, Fireworks, Classic Rock, etc.) and appearances on UK-Radio (f.e. in the Steve Price show/Radio ARFM). Cornerstone will be embarking on a follow-up tour through the UK in the spring (including the Z Rock Festival in Dudley, together with Ted Poley and John Waite/Ex-Bad English, Ex-Babys), and a longer series of concerts stateside is in the works for summer 2009.
The Past
Everything started in summer 1998, when Steve and Michael Wachelhofer began to play bass/guitar and decided to form a band. The group was joined by Markus Bousska, a drummer, and so they have started to interpret cover songs, originally played by The Cure, R.E.M. or Soul Asylum. Although the band started writing their first originals during this time, a few internal difficulties arose - new band members came and went again - and after many personnel changes, some moderately successful gigs and a disastrous recording-session, which has never been finished, the band teetered on the brink of collapse in summer 2004. But then Hannah Wachter and Rock-Shouter Anja Schirmer joined the band per accident, which has kicked the bands career straight upwards.
Indeed, the optimum Line-Up was found after the release of the first album "Head Over Heels" with the great talents Carina Sethaler on vocals and Martin Key on drums. It was pure coincidence that brought these four different people, who complement each other musically as well as humanely in a perfect way, together. "The people, the music they made, everything was great from the very beginning. I knew one thing right away: If I want to play in a band, then in this one", says Carina Sethaler. The band identity, which Cornerstone developped, is well summarized in a statement by Thomas Magyar, the sound engineer of the band: "If you mix a recording, it usually happens that the singer wants his voice louder, the guitarplayer wants the guitar in the foreground and the bassplayer his bass more powerful. In the case of Cornerstone everyone wanted to be mixed in the background".
The Future
What the stars have ready for the band is a hidden mystery but one thing is clear: The four Cornerstones have a visionary look into the future and regardless of the road they will follow, they will choose and conquer it together. Through the record deal with ATOM records and the attendant possibilities, the curve is pointing to the top. Whatever is going to happen, the band is convinced they'll always find the best way for themselves. "If we will fail, it won't be the fault of others but our own. It has already happened that we messed thigs up, but it was an acceptable mess. There's always something new to learn.", says Michael Wachelhofer. But what would Cornerstone be, without messing with existing conventions?
"We have", says Steve Wachelhofer, "absolutely democratical rules within the band. We often sit around a table and discuss how to write songs, where we are going to perform, who is going to produce an album, etc. Everybody has the same right to vote and everything is a total compromise within the band. Besides this, we have the 'No-Rule'. If we fail to make a decision together because one of us doesn't want to do, we let go of the idea. All band members have to pull together and if just one of us thinks that something is wrong, we'll leave the decision to him even if the others don't agree with it".
