Direct Hit!
Direct Hit! is a punk rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, formed in 2007 by singer and guitarist Nick Woods. Over the years, the band has gained recognition for their high-energy sound and creative approach to releasing music. The current lineup features Nick Woods, Devon Kay, Maura Weaver, Joram Zbichorski, and Logan Stang.
Starting Out
While playing with indie rock group The Box Social in 2007, Nick Woods envisioned a pop punk band that would release music like comic books, with fast and consistent drops of shorter EPs. Between 2008 and 2010, Direct Hit! released five EPs for free online, along with a split 7-inch with Mixtapes, before signing with Kind of Like Records. Their debut full-length, Domesplitter, arrived in 2011 and compiled re-recorded fan favorites from earlier releases.
Concept Records and Recognition
From 2011 to 2013, Direct Hit! released multiple splits before recording their second album, Brainless God, through Red Scare Industries. A concept record about the end of the world, the album followed a serial killer and his would-be victim as they fled a cult in search of redemption. The record earned strong reviews, landing on Punk News’s “Top 20 Records of the Year” list and receiving praise from Alternative Press. The band also collaborated with Red Scare Industries, Good Land Records, and Wall of Youth to create a short film released in chapters across outlets like Vice and The A.V. Club.
Media and Touring
In 2014, Direct Hit! was named one of the “Top Ten Wisconsin Bands To Watch” by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. That same year, Nick Woods appeared on Last Call with Carson Daly and wrote about the band’s touring strategies for Vice’s Noisey. Direct Hit! performed at venues including The Knitting Factory, Bottom of the Hill, and Webster Hall, and appeared at major festivals like Riot Fest, Pouzza Fest, The Fest, Summerfest, and D4th of July. They shared stages with bands such as Blink-182, NOFX, Rise Against, Dillinger Four, and The Suicide Machines.
Signing with Fat Wreck Chords
In 2016, the band signed with Fat Wreck Chords and released Wasted Mind. Their second Fat Wreck release, Crown of Nothing, came out in 2018. After lineup changes, including the departure of Steve Maury and Danny Walkowiak, drummer Logan Stang and bassist Joram Zbichorski became full-time members. Zbichorski had previously played in Devon Kay & The Solutions, further cementing ties within the lineup.
Members
Current
- Nick Woods – vocals, guitar (2007-present)
- Devon Kay – guitar, backing vocals (2011-present)
- Maura Weaver – guitar, backing vocals (2020-present)
- Logan Stang – drums (2019-present)
- Joram Zbichorski – bass, backing vocals (2019-present)
Former
- Danny Walkowiak – drums (2009-2019)
- Steve Maury – bass, backing vocals (2013-2019)
- Robbie Schroeder – bass (2010-2013)
- Mike Esser – guitar (2010-2011)
- Alex Hill – keyboards (2010)
- Jackson Fothergill
- Peter Woods
- Kyle Stembaugh
- Kyle Motor
- Layne Knutson
- Chris Gandolfo
- Jake Witter
- Andy Roemer
- Brian Peoplis
- Andrew Kloman
- Sarah Woods
Discography
Studio Albums
- Domesplitter (2011, re-released in 2017)
- Brainless God (2013)
- More of the Same (2015)
- Wasted Mind (2016)
- Crown of Nothing (2018)
EPs
- #1 (2008)
- #2 (2009)
- #3 (2009)
- #4 (2010)
- #5 (2010)
- Split with Mixtapes (2010)
- Split with Tit Patrol (2011)
- Split with Jetty Boys (2011)
- Split with Hold Tight (2012)
- Split with The Haverchucks (2012)
- Split with Braver (2012)
- Split with The Priceduifkes (2014)
- Making a Midwesterner (with The Brokedowns, 2016)
- Human Movement (with PEARS, 2017)
- Local Coverage 2K19 (2019)
- Christmas at Ground Zero (2021)
- Beacon 1 (with Decent Criminal, 2023)
- ONE ONE ZERO (Single b/w MxPx – ONE ZERO ZERO, 2024)
