Ax and the Hatchetmen
Ax and the Hatchetmen | |
|---|---|
 Ax and the Hatchetmen in 2025 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Label | Arista Records |
| Members | Axel Ellis Salvatore Defilippis Quinn Dolan Hunter Olshefke Phil Pistone Chaandmon Croft |
| Past members | Kenny Olzewski Nick Deputy |
| Website | axandthehatchetmen.com |
Ax and the Hatchetmen are an American alternative/indie rock band formed in Chicago in 2018. Members of the group include Axel Ellis (lead vocals and guitar), Salvatore Defilippis (vocals/guitar), Hunter Olshefke (vocals/bass), Phil Pistone (trumpet), Quinn Dolan (saxophone), and Chaandmon Croft (drums). They are signed with Arista Records and their first album, So Much to Tell You, was released October 24, 2025 with a tour of the same name. [1]
History
The band had its start when Defilippis posted a fingerstyle acoustic guitar video and Ellis messaged him on Instagram.[2] Ellis, Defilippis, Olshefke, Dolan, Deputy, and Kenny Olzewski (who left the band in October 2023) were members of the Midwest Young Artists in Fort Sheridan jazz band, and Pistone was a student at a nearby jazz conservatory.[2] Ellis, who is from Lake Villa, a northern suburb of Chicago,[3] plays a Gretsch White Falcon guitar given to him by his father.[3] Ellis' father coined the band's name, and Ellis writes the song lyrics that all members then revise and set to music collaboratively. "Having fun is the basis of the songs," Ellis says.[3] The band won the Evanston Battle of the Bands in 2019, which earned them ten free studio hours to record their first EP at Gremlin Recording Studios.[4]
In their early years, the band members alternated between weekend gigs and weekdays at college. Ellis attended music school at Columbia College Chicago, Olshefke studied business at the College of Lake County, and Pistone studied music at Northern Illinois University.[2]
The band's popularity grew as they capitalized on the rise of TikTok, posting frequently and amassing 150,000 TikTok followers and 15.7 thousand Instagram followers by early 2022.[4] The band's grueling commitment to posting on social media is chronicled in their song, Existential Crisis Pt. 1. They signed an initial licensing deal with Frty Fve, a streaming and social media independent label, and in 2022 completed two headlining tours and released four singles.[5]
In April of 2026, the band announced that Nick Deputy had parted ways with them in an Instagram post. [6]
Early releases (2019–2024)
Bear on the Roof EP (2019)
The EP included the songs Peach Trees, Silhouette, Sleeping in my Jeans, Goofy, and What's New. Silhouette garnered one million streams within its first year, and their first breakout hit, Peach Trees, reached two million streams in 2021.[7]
Ax and the Hatchetmen Live on Audiotree (2023)
With this live EP recording, the band released the songs Goofy, Victim, Utah, Drive-In Movie, Existential Crisis Pt 1, and MAKO/OK:AM.
Love Songs EP (2024)
This EP included Love Songs, with its "sunny and summery" sound, and Where the f Did I Park My Car?,[8] both recorded live on tape and released on August 16, 2024, accompanied by their first music video.[3]
The song Sunscreen, cowritten with Ellis, Defilippis, Kacey Smith and the band's producer Jake Sinclair, was released as a single in July 2024.[3]
Constant Change EP (2024)
Described as "a dizzy swirl of gritty garage-rock, psychedelic jangle, and jammy dynamism" that "beams good vibes," the EP released via Arista records includes the previously unreleased 7 x 9 that had its start as a Rivers Cuomo demo that was sourced in part by the band's producer Jake Sinclair (Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, Avril Lavigne). Ellis and Defilippis acknowledged the collaboration with Rivers Cuomo from Weezer that took place via an app called RiverTunes that Cuomo had created.[9] The music video for 7 x 9 was released on July 17, 2025.
The EP also includes the songs Victim, Hotel Room, Blurry Lights, and Stay//Honestly.[10]
Blurry Lights, released as a music video on April 3, 2025, features a collaboration with Albert Hammond of The Strokes. Ellis noted that their producer Jake Sinclair and Hammond have children that attend the same school in the Los Angeles, which led Hammond to listen to and then provide a distorted guitar track on the song.[9]
The band released their Jam in the Van full set session on February 17, 2025, including the songs Flagstaff, Love Songs, and Sunscreen.[11]
So Much to Tell You (2025) and other releases
So Much to Tell You (2025)
The album was named Album of the Week when it was released on October 24, 2025 and includes the songs Red Carpet, Flagstaff, Love Songs, 7 x 9, Lucy, Oasis, Blurry Lights, Hotel Room, Model Citizen, Sunscreen, Stay//Honestly, and New Years.[12] Some of the songs on the album had been in development for a long time. Ellis noted that Flagstaff's riff had evolved since its first iteration in 2019.[9]
Ellis's vocal stylings on Hotel Room, the opening number for the So Much to Tell You tour, has been described as "rustic but rich, textured like a vinyl record warming up under a needle."[13] The song Model Citizen is described as "reminiscient of the opening track in a rebellious coming-of-age movie."[13]
The album and its accompanying tour received critical acclaim, with the band recognized for its "edgy rock and superb chops."[14] Olshefke has named Utah as his favorite song of their set from the album and tour, and Ellis likes the upbeat nature of Where the F did I park my car?[2]
The release of the band's debut album came less than two months after the September 1, 2025 release of the Amazon Prime American teen television series The Runarounds, in which Ellis plays lead guitarist and vocalist Neil. Ellis is also vocalist and guitarist in the band by the same name, The Runarounds. Both bands Ax and the Hatchetmen and The Runarounds played numerous sold out venues in the Fall of 2025 and Winter of 2026.[9]
Other releases (2026)
The band released a cover of "Everybody Talks" on February 13, 2026.[15]
They released the song Cheesecake in March 2026, with the music video for "Cheesecake", directed by Bobby Hanaford and featuring members of Ellis' family in cameo roles, released on March 25, 2026.[16]
Tours and Concert Venues
The band played in the 2023 Chicago Lollapalooza lineup, for the Atlanta Shaky Knees and Charlotte Lovin' Life music festivals in 2024, and the Mighty Roots Music Festival that took place in Clarksdale, Mississippi, halfway between Memphis, TN and Oxford, MS, in 2025.[17] [18] [19][20] They are scheduled to play Summerfest 2026 in Milwaukee.[21]
Their Summer and Fall 2025 tours included stops in Anaheim, Pioneertown, and San Diego,CA, Phoenix, Sandy and Salt Lake City, UT,[22] Denver, Kansas City, Omaha, NE, Minneapolis, MN, Fargo, ND, Madison, WI, Carmel, IN, Palm Springs, CA,[23] Chicago,[24] Las Vegas,[25] Tampa,[26] Charleston, South Carolina,[27] and Cleveland and Columbus, OH, [28][29] opening for Fitz and the Tantrums during the Summer 2025 and in Fall 2025 headlining with other indie bands such as Foxtide.
Ellis names his "dream venue" as Red Rocks near Morrison, Colorado.[3] The band is scheduled to open for The Revivalists at Red Rocks on September 25, 2026.[30]
Discography
Albums
- So Much To Tell You (2025)
- So Much To Tell You (Deluxe) (2026)
Extended Plays
- Bear on the Roof (2020)
- Love Songs (2024)
- Constant Change (2025)
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Alternative | |||
| "Mako" | 2021 | — | N/a |
| "Existential Crisis, Pt. 1" | 2022 | — | N/a |
| "Beezlebub" | — | ||
| "Grace" | — | ||
| "Utah" | — | ||
| "Where tf Did I Park My Car" | 2024 | — | N/a |
| "Mele Kalikimaka" | — | ||
| "Stay // Honestly" | 2025 | — | So Much To Tell You |
| "Blurry Lights" (feat. Albert Hammond Jr.) | 30 | ||
| "Hotel Room" | — | ||
| "Oasis" | — | ||
| "Cheesecake" | 2026 | — | So Much To Tell You (Deluxe) |
Members
|
Current members
Former members
|
References
- ↑ Meese, Nate. "Axel Ellis Biography". IMDb. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Bond, Kiran (21 September 2023). "Ax and the Hatchetmen discuss band life as students, upcoming Urbana show". The Daily Illini. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Music Mukbang podcast (23 September 2024). "Ax and the Hatchetman's Axel Ellis Talks - Upcoming tour and 'Love Songs,' HOT TO GO!". YouTube. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- 1 2 Robinson, Emily (10 April 2022). "A digital avenue into stardom: Local Chicago band Ax and the Hatchetmen gains fame through TikTok". The DePaulia (DePaul's student-run newspaper). Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ↑ Berklee College of Music Events (1 June 2023). "Ax and the Hatchetmen/Geskle". BerkleeNOW. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ↑ "Nick Deputy Parts Ways". Instagram. 2 April 2026. Retrieved 19 May 2026.
- ↑ White, Ciara (3 November 2021). "Rockstars of CLC". The Chronicle (Student-run news site of College of Lake County). Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ↑ "Ax and the Hatchetmen embrace blissful chaos on 'Constant Change' EP". East Portland blog. 21 July 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 Herrera, Rob (November 2025). "Ax and the Hatchetmen Interview | 'So Much to Tell You' Debut Album". Front Row Live Entertainment/YouTube. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ↑ "Ax and the Hatchetmen embrace blissful chaos on 'Constant Change' EP". East Portland blog.
- ↑ "Ax and the Hatchetmen". Jam in the Van. 17 February 2025.
- ↑ Sterdan, Darryl (23 October 2025). "Albums of the Week: Ax and the Hatchetmen, So Much To Tell You". Tinnitist.
- 1 2 Arafeh, Jenna (2 December 2025). "Ax and the Hatchetmen serve Durham a Slice of Chicago". The Chronicle (Duke University).
- ↑ Miller, Jay N. (13 February 2025). "A romantic Valentine's Day show - and 14 more live music events for a special night". The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, MA). pp. A1.
- ↑ "Ax and the Hatchetmen". Apple Music.
- ↑ Ax and the Hatchetmen (25 March 2026). "Cheesecake". YouTube. Retrieved 26 March 2026.
- ↑ Mighty Roots, Music Festival (24 October 2025). "Mighty Roots Festival set for Oct 3, 4; Gravel bike ride added". Clarksdale Press Register.
- ↑ "Lake Villa band Ax and the Hatchetmen set to take Lolapalooza stage". ABC 7 Chicago. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
- ↑ Quinton, Phoebe (4 May 2024). "'Baby it's hot': Shaky Knees music festival off to a dry but steamy start". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
- ↑ Blackmon, Chyna (2 April 2024). "Lovin' Life Music Fest schedule: Check set times for more than 40+ performing artists". Charlotte Observer.
- ↑ Levy, Piet (24 February 2026). "Summerfest reveals 2026 headliner lineup with Flo Rida, over 150 acts". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. pp. 5B.
- ↑ Means, Sean P. (27 April 2025). "Here are the big concerts happening in Utah this summer - From major amphitheaters to off-season ski resorts, there's plenty of music to enjoy outdoors - as well as a few indoor shows". The Salt Lake Tribune.
- ↑ King, Matt (30 June 2025). "The Venue Report, July 2025: Dwight Yoakim, Goo Goo Dolls, Fishbone - and More!". Coachella Valley Independent (CA).
- ↑ "Concerts this week". Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL). p. 10.
- ↑ Weekly Staff, Las Vegas (31 October 2025). "Superguide: What to do in Las Vegas this week". Las Vegas Review-Journal. p. 7.
- ↑ Media, Beacon (10 December 2025). "Top events". Tampa Bay Times. p. 19.
- ↑ Oyer, Kalyn (27 November 2025). "Concert Countdown: 14 December shows in Charleston". The Post and Courier(Charleston, SC). pp. A14.
- ↑ Abram, Malcolm X (10 August 2025). "Fitz and the Tantrums bring soulful energy, family ties to Cleveland show". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland). pp. E_002.
- ↑ Paschal, Belinda M. (4 August 2025). "Music notes: Benson Boone sells out, Tyler Hubbard croons for a cause in August". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
- ↑ "Red Rocks Amphitheatre '26". The Revivalists. Retrieved 2026-03-11.