Jake Haws

Declaration

Declaration began in Provo, Utah during fall of 2001 from a college bulletin board want ad. The original lineup was a trio consisting of Jake Haws, Jon Hall and Jon Thatcher. In their first year, the group played dozens of concerts and house parties around the Provo area and recorded the four song “Awakening” EP. The group then took a hiatus while Hall and Haws served 2-year missions (Jon Thatcher had already served a mission).

After returning from missions, Hall and Haws reformed the group in 2005, filling out the new lineup with Jake Cox on guitar and Dan Smock on drums (Jon Thatcher had since graduated and moved away). Their sound was influenced by indie rock bands such as Sunny Day Real Estate, Death Cab for Cutie, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, the Pixies, and Ben Folds.

In 2006, the band released their debut album, “Panic Button.” The group recorded the 11 tracks themselves at the Muse Recording Studio (owned by Haws) over the course of several months.

In 2008, they released their 7-song followed-up EP, “Technology,” which was also self recorded and released.

During their run, Declaration played around 50 shows, including opening for notable indie rock groups Menomena, the Appleseed Cast, 31knots, Neon Trees, and Half-handed Cloud. They played their last show April of 2008. Jon Hall and Jake Cox graduated college to took jobs out of state. Jake Haws and Dan Smock went on to form the folk rock/alt-country group, Adding Machines later that year.

Jake Haws: Vocals/Guitar/Keyboards
Jake Cox: Guitar
Jon Hall: Bass
Dan Smock: Drums

MUSIC


SHOW HISTORY

  • 11/8/01 – BYU Unplugged with Brian Rhodes, Electric Gravy (2 songs)
  • 12/8/01 – The Greenhouse with Player Piano and Indiana Speedway (house show)
  • 3/7/02 – Bamboo Restaurant
  • 3/14/02 – Bamboo Restaurant (acoustic show)
  • 3/20/02 – Muse Music (acoustic show – 2 songs)
  • 3/21/02 – BYU Unplugged RB (2 songs)
  • 3/22/02 – Provo Teen Center with Sugarland Run, St. Titmus and the Converts, Kickback
  • 4/17/02 – Muse Music with Superfly
  • 4/23/02 – Muse Music with Last Turkish Poet, Mose
  • 6/6/02 – Muse Music with Sugarland Run, Shimmey, Quiver
  • 6/29/02 – Muse Music with Day Waiting
  • 8/16/02 – Muse Music with Last Minute, Elemental Fury (“AWAKENING” EP RELEASE)
  • 1/13/05 – Muse Music – unplugged/keyboard set
  • 2/3/05 – Muse Music with The Dan Dunn Band
  • 2/18/05 – Muse Music with The Handsome (1st Record Store “Little Muse” Show
  • 2/26/05 – House Party with Mathematics Etc. and Micah Dahl (Jon’s House)
  • 3/11/05 – King Henry Battle of the Bands with The Handsome
  • 3/12/05 – Vermillion Skies Cafe with Mathematics Etc.
  • 3/15/05 – Kilby Court with Half-Handed Cloud and The Child Who Was A Keyhole
  • 4/5/05 – Urban Lounge with Broke and The Lift
  • 4/9/05 – Muse Music “Provostock” with Eden Express, Ellis, Mike Fjerstad + 9 more bands
  • 4/2/05 – Starry Night w/ The Eden Express, The New Jacks, Red Fish Blue Fish
  • 6/27/05 – Muse Music with The Stiletto Formal, Don Juan Triumphant, and Paris Green
  • 7/?/05 – Vermillion Skies Cafe with Gift Anon, The Eden Express
  • 8/10/05 – Muse Music with Another Statistic, The Valley Arena, Facing New York
  • 9/23/05 – Muse Music with Another Statistic, The Handsome, and Gift Anon
  • 10/22/05 – Rocktoberfest (Downtown Provo) with Another Statistic, The Black River Brethren, Declaration, Daniel Tengelsen
  • 11/5/05 – Kilby Court with 31 Knots, The Power Cords, Sons of Guns.
  • 11/18/05 – Muse Music with The Brobecks and St. Sebastian’s School For Wicked Girls
  • 12/9/05 – Muse Music with The Handsome and Mary Cox & The Pop Rocks (BOTB)
  • 12/10/05 – Muse Music with Another Statistic, Weak Men, Silver Eye (BOTB Finals)
  • 1/18/06 – Velour with A Film In The Ballroom, Spiral Diary, The Yearbook
  • 2/3/06 – Muse Music with 31 Knots, Weak Men and The Eden Express
  • 2/?/06 – Bleachers with Neon Trees
  • 2/28/06 – Kilby Court with The Appleseed Cast
  • 3/?/06 – Ozz Pool Hall in Provo
  • 4/11/06 – Muse Music with Neon Trees and 1090 Club
  • 4/13/06 – Giff’s Corner with The John Whites
  • 4/21/06 – Muse Music with Make Yours Like Mine and Handcart Company
  • 5/17/06 – Muse Music with Kind of Like Spitting and Pierrot Le Fou
  • 9/8/06 – Muse Music with Weak Men, Micah Dahl, Joe Reni, Eden Express
  • 10/6/06 – BYU Battle of the Bands with Truman, Metzener, Somewhat Sonorous, Zero To Nothing, Smoking Guns, 500 Dollar Fine, Forever Friday, The Curb and Billy Turbo
  • 10/?/06 – The Sperry House Party with NaNaNoir
  • 10/12/06 – Muse Music with Thousand Yard Stare and Until Further Notice
  • 11/1/06 – Muse Music with Microwaves, Another Statistic
  • 11/16/06 – Muse Music with Stop The Motorcade, The New Nervous, and Mary Cox & The Pop Rocks (BOTB)
  • 12/1/06 – Muse Music with Mathematics Et Cetera, St. Sebastian’s School For Wicked Girls (“PANIC BUTTON” CD RELEASE)
  • 1/20/07 – Muse Music with Seve Vs. Evan, The Handsome
  • 3/2/07 – Music Music with Another Statistic, Neon Trees, St. Sebastian, Jack Mergist, Lucy Moore (Invisible Children Benefit Concert)
  • 4/2/07 – Muse Music with Great Glass Elevator, The Handsome
  • 5/18/07 – Velour with Neon Trees, The Photo Atlas, The Heaters
  • 9/22/07 – Sego Music and Arts Festival in Provo
  • 10/27/07 – Kilby Court with Menomena
  • 11/?/07 – House Show with The Alligators
  • 12/7/07 – Muse Music with The Elizabethan Report, Chris Merritt, Declaration, St Sebastian’s School For Wicked Girls, The Kid You Nauts & Johan the Angel (Cafe Opening)
  • 1/19/08 – Muse Music with Maple Grove, The Handsome, and Pierre Le Fou
  • 2/8/08 – Kilby Court with Leslie and the Badgers, LoveRunner, and Gardensleeper
  • 2/22/08 – Muse Music with Shark Speed, Flashburnt Shapes, and Quatele
  • 2/?/08 – House Show at The Hollywood House
  • 3/22/08 – Muse Music with Shark Speed, Joe Reni, and Johan the Angel (“TECHNOLOGY” CD RELEASE)
  • 4/19/2008 – Muse Music with The Kid You Nauts, and Quatele (Farewell Show)
  • 4/25/2008 – Muse Music with After Midnight (acoustic show for family)
  • 5/8/2008 – Muse Music (as cover band “Donny & the Lumberjakes”) with Arice, Seamus, The Color Gypsy (BOTB)