VIDEO
Where's The Sun Cause I Can't See It // Music Video
You Said It // Music Video
Baggage // Music Video
Gaslighter // Music Video
Back To Austin // Lyric Video
Drop Dead // Music Video
Phantom Pain // Music Video
Better Days // Music Video + Lyrics
MUSIC
(left to right)
Paul Greenamyer // Guitar
Matt Bise // Guitar
Matt Wolf // Vocals
Adam Hayman // Bass
Jake Rabin // Drums
Halfway Atlantic is a pop-punk / emo outfit based in Austin, Texas, founded by German singer/songwriter Matt Wolf.
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Their music is real, emotional, and honest, buoyed by strong pop sensibilities. Lyrically, their songs are a love letter to adolescence through the lens of adulthood—navigating the same challenges, but with higher stakes.
In concert, Halfway Atlantic separates itself from other bands with explosive energy and stage presence, built on the foundation of a charismatic lead singer. Their stripped-down, dynamic live performance—punctuated with leaps, spins, grand gestures and crowd interaction—embodies the polar opposite of shoegazing.
Halfway Atlantic has a significant touring resume, members having toured extensively with acts such as The Used, Anti-Flag, Plain White T's, Senses Fail, and Silverstein.
The Startover ...
Matt Wolf began playing music at the age of 14. He founded his first band, Kings are Better Queens, in his hometown of Wurzburg, Germany.
At the age of 18, living between the homes of divorced parents with his two sisters, Matt co-founded the pop punk band At The Farewell Party. They grew in popularity as Matt attended the University of Wurzburg, eventually opening for acts like The Used, Silverstein, and Plain White Ts, touring festivals across Europe.
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When At the Farewell Party broke up, Matt participated in exchange study programs in Mississippi, Vancouver, and Austin. Overwhelmed by schoolwork and a bad breakup, Matt wrote and self-released an EP featuring the songs “On the Edge,” “Hey,” “Remember,” and “Life in Disorder.”
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In Austin, Matt answered a Craigslist ad for a roommate and met Paul Greenamyer, singer of glam-punk band Trashy And The Kid. Born and raised in San Diego, Paul got straight As in school and was attended Brown University.
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While he was attending Brown, Paul’s mother died by suicide. In the wake of this tragedy, Paul realized that he didn’t care about academia or the corporate world. He graduated with an expensive degree that he had no interest in using, getting by as a freelance writer and starting bands in his spare time.
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Matt thought Paul was weird at first, but the two became unlikely friends. Paul visited Matt in Germany several times during school recess. Matt returned to UT Austin for grad school, in large part because of the program’s quality but also also because of his close friendships.
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He crashed in Paul’s apartment again for a few months and showed him demos for new songs “Shut Up,” “Let Me Go,” and “Even If I …” Once again in need of a creative outlet, Matt wanted to form a new band with these songs as the seed, along with his earlier self-releaded EP. He asked Paul if he would play guitar and sing background vocals.
Paul enthusiastically agreed. He regularly attended the monthly pop-punk dance party Jimmy Eat Wednesday and witnessed the demand and passion for this rock and roll niche, his own included.
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Matt put out a Craigslist ad looking for like-minded musicians and was contacted by guitarist Matt Bise.
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The second Matt to join Halfway Atlantic, Matt Bise first picked up a guitar in high school to satisfy his love for metal and metalcore. He spiced up his upbringing in the Bible Belt of Virginia by joining metalcore bands, playing as fast and heavy as possible.
At college in Tennessee, severe bouts of depression led Bise to seek solace in heavy music with deep, meaningful lyrics—which is how he discovered pop punk and emo. Writing, playing, and listening to fun, catchy, soulful music helped him emerge from the darkness.
When he and his wife relocated from rural Tennessee to Austin, TX, Bise aspired to form or join a pop punk band. He discovered Halfway Atlantic’s Craigslist ad at just the right moment.
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The band approached freelance photographer/videographer Jake Rabin to take promotional photos, only to discover that Jake had been nominated as Best Drummer in a 2019 Austin Chronicle poll.
Jake received his first drum kit as a gift from his grandmother when he was three years old. Born in LA, he relocated to DFW where he played in bands throughout middle and high school. After undergrad at UT Austin he considered going to law school to become an attorney, but ultimately decided that he couldn’t turn his back on his first passion of music.
As drummer and co-founder of Kicks & Khords, he opened for Three6Mafia, Lil White, Afroman, and members of the Wu Tang Klan. He continued to gig with hip hop and metal bands, but as the COVID-19 pandemic waned, Matt made Jake aware of the opportunity to join Halfway Atlantic.
Between periodic lineup changes, Halfway Atlantic played several gigs without a bass player. Video footage from the bassist-less gigs caught the eye of Adam Hayman, a recent LA transplant to Austin.
A veteran gigging musician and songwriter, Adam has over 3,000 TV and film placements for his music, including 90 Day Fiancé, America’s Next Top Model, and Hustlers starring Jennifer Lopez.
Adam reached out to the band on a lark, inquiring as to whether they were on the market for a bass player. He was in the band in a matter of weeks.
