Formed in Dayton, Ohio in 2001. Playing from the start on self-booked tours across the country gave them some initial national exposure, but they weren't signed to Victory Records until late 2003. Hawthorne Heights developed a huge MySpace following that became a catalyst that would launch them from underground to international awareness. The band became regulars on MTV, their signature hit Ohio Is For Lovers the anthem for the new wave of “emo”.