Icon for Hire at the Studio at Webster Hall

Ariel Boomer was born in Sweden to an American father and a Swedish mother. When Boomer was six years old, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, then 10 years later to Decatur, Illinois. In her teenage years, Boomer asked every musician she met in Decatur about starting a band. She met guitarist Shawn Jump in 2007 and they began writing songs together. They became Icon for Hire, choosing their name as a satirical comment on the state of the music industry. Icon for Hire's third album, You Can't Kill Us, will be released independently on November 25, 2016.

Headlining at the Studio at Webster Hall tonight, Icon for Hire was joined by both a drummer, Shane Wise, and rhythm tracks programmed by Jump. Crunching guitar chords and crashing percussion were balanced by light, pop vocals and synth waves for an adventurous sound that echoed the likes of Paramore, Garbage, and No Doubt, and yet was distinctly its own beast. The songs demonstrated a wealth of modern inspiration, including alternative metal raps and riffs, such that each composition was armed with its own anthemic hooks. There must be a larger, undiscovered audience waiting to hear this bombastic pop-metal music.

Visit Icon for Hire at www.iconforhire.net.