# Direct Hit!

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**Direct Hit!** is a [Milwaukee](/source/Milwaukee)-based [punk rock](/source/Punk_rock) band formed in 2007 by singer/guitarist Nick Woods. Its current lineup consists of Nick Woods, Devon Kay, Joram Zbichorski, and Logan Stang.

## History

In 2007, while playing with [indie rock](/source/Indie_rock) group [The Box Social](/source/The_Box_Social), Nick Woods had the idea to start a pop punk band that would release music "like comic books," favoring the rapid and consistent release of short [EPs](/source/Extended_play) over the slow and sporadic traditional approach of [full-length records](/source/LP_record). From 2008 to 2010, Direct Hit! released a series of five EPs for free online in addition to a split 7-inch with the band Mixtapes before signing to Kind of Like Records.

In 2011, Direct Hit! released *Domesplitter*, their debut full-length which collected ten re-recorded fan favorites from their previous releases.

From 2011 to 2013, the band released five more splits before returning to the studio to record their second full-length record, a concept album titled *Brainless God*, released by [Red Scare Industries](/source/Red_Scare_Industries). Described as a document of "the final days of a world staring down total [nuclear Armageddon](/source/Nuclear_holocaust)," the album follows a serial killer and his would-be victim as the two escape a [Satanic](/source/Satanism) [cult](/source/Cult) while trying to find truth and redemption before [Armageddon](/source/Armageddon).[1] Bass tracks on the album were recorded with studio musicians Mike Kennerty and Peter J. Woods, as bassist Robbie Schroeder was not replaced by Steve Maury until after *Brainless God* was recorded. The album was featured on Punk News's "Top 20 Records of the Year" list, where it was called "a finely tuned blast of tooth-melting punk rock goodness."[2] [Alternative Press](/source/Alternative_Press_(music_magazine)) gave the album four out of five stars and described it as "just one great punk-rock song after the next."[3]

In cooperation with Red Scare Industries, Good Land Records, and Wall of Youth, Direct Hit! produced an album-length short film in conjunction with the record.[4] The film was released in chapters across a number of news and media sites including [Vice](/source/Vice_(magazine)) and [The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club).[5]

In February 2014, Direct Hit! was featured as one of the "Top Ten Wisconsin Bands To Watch" by the [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](/source/Milwaukee_Journal_Sentinel).[6] In September 2014, Nick Woods was a guest on the television show *[Last Call with Carson Daly](/source/Last_Call_with_Carson_Daly)*, where he was interviewed about Direct Hit!.[7] In November 2014, Woods wrote an article for [Vice](/source/Vice_(magazine))'s [Noisey](/source/Noisey), detailing how Direct Hit! consistently tours without losing money.[8]

Direct Hit! have performed at venues such as [The Knitting Factory](/source/The_Knitting_Factory), [Bottom of the Hill](/source/Bottom_of_the_Hill), [Webster Hall](/source/Webster_Hall), [Asbury Lanes](/source/Asbury_Lanes), [First Unitarian Church of Philadelphia](/source/First_Unitarian_Church_of_Philadelphia), and festivals such as [Riot Fest](/source/Riot_Fest), [The Fest](/source/The_Fest), Pouzza Fest, [Summerfest](/source/Summerfest), [Insub Fest](/source/Insub_Fest), and D4th of July.

They have toured with or opened for bands such as [Blink-182](/source/Blink-182), [NOFX](/source/NOFX), [Rise Against](/source/Rise_Against), [A Wilhelm Scream](/source/A_Wilhelm_Scream), [Dillinger Four](/source/Dillinger_Four), [Good Riddance](/source/Good_Riddance_(band)), [The Suicide Machines](/source/The_Suicide_Machines), [Off With Their Heads](/source/Off_With_Their_Heads_(band)), [The Flatliners](/source/The_Flatliners), [Pears](/source/PEARS), Mixtapes, [Cheap Girls](/source/Cheap_Girls), [Red City Radio](/source/Red_City_Radio), [Masked Intruder](/source/Masked_Intruder), [Smoking Popes](/source/Smoking_Popes) and [Guerilla Poubelle](/source/Guerilla_Poubelle).

In March 2016, the band announced they had signed to [Fat Wreck Chords](/source/Fat_Wreck_Chords), and their first studio album with the label, *Wasted Mind*, was released on June 24 of the same year.[9]

After releasing its second LP with Fat Wreck in 2018, *Crown of Nothing*, Steve Maury and Danny Walkowiak parted with the band, with long-time fill-in drummer Logan Stang taking over for Walkowiak while Direct Hit returned to a rotating group of bass players, including Joram Zbichorski, Josh Goldman, and Jake Levinson. Joram Zbichorski, also a member of Devon Kay's other project [Devon Kay & The Solutions](/source/Devon_Kay_%26_The_Solutions), became the band's full time bass player in late 2019.

## Members

### Current

- Nick Woods – vocals, guitar (2007–present)
- Devon Kay – guitar, backing vocals (2011–present)
- Logan Stang - drums (2019–present)
- Joram Zbichorski - bass, backing vocals (2019–present)

### Former

- Maura Weaver - guitar, backing vocals (2020–2024)
- 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](/source/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)

### Compilation appearances

- *Red Scare Industries: 10 Years of Your Dumb Bullshit* ([Red Scare Industries](/source/Red_Scare_Industries)); "Bad Trip on Holy Ghost!" (2014)

## References

1. ["Direct Hit! - Brainless God"](http://www.punknews.org/review/12162/direct-hit-brainless-god). *Punknews.org*. 2013-09-09. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. ["Best of 2013 - Punknews.org's picks"](http://www.punknews.org/review/12314/best-of-2013-punknewsorgs-picks). *Punknews.org*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. ["Direct Hit! - Brainless God - Reviews - Alternative Press"](http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/direct_hit_brainless_god). *Altpress.com*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. Ozzi, Dan (2013-09-03). ["Watch Act One of Direct Hit!'s Punk Rock Opera"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/premiere-watch-act-one-of-direct-hits-punk-rock-opera/). *Noisey.vice.com*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. Eakin, Marah (2013-09-10). ["Milwaukee pop-punk band Direct Hit predicts the apocalypse with its new video for "White Robes" · Great Job, Internet!"](http://www.avclub.com/article/milwaukee-poppunk-band-direct-hit-predicts-the-apo-102715). *Avclub.com*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. Levy, Piet (2014-02-05). ["10 Wisconsin Bands to Watch: Direct Hit!"](https://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/10-wisconsin-bands-to-watch-direct-hit-b99191941z1-243701331.html). *Jsonline.com*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. ["Watch Last Call with Carson Daly: Direct Hit! Online | Hulu"](https://web.archive.org/web/20141215092157/http://www.hulu.com/watch/694130). Archived from [the original](http://www.hulu.com/watch/694130) on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.

1. Woods, Nick. ["You Don't Have to Lose Money on Tour"](https://www.vice.com/en/article/you-dont-have-to-lose-money-on-tour/). *Noisey.vice.com*. Retrieved 2016-05-13.

1. Levy, Piet (16 June 2016). ["Direct Hit! lands Fat Wreck Chords deal for punk opus 'Wasted Mind'"](http://www.jsonline.com/entertainment/musicandnightlife/direct-hit-lands-fat-wreck-chords-deal-for-punk-opus-wasted-mind-b99740351z1-383170771.html). Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved 16 June 2016.

## External links

- [Official website](https://directhit.bandcamp.com/)
- [Hit Direct Hit!](https://www.youtube.com/Direct) on YouTube
- [Noisey article about Direct Hit on tour](https://www.vice.com/en/article/you-dont-have-to-lose-money-on-tour/)
- [Direct Hit](https://web.archive.org/web/20141215092157/http://www.hulu.com/watch/694130) on [Last Call With Carson Daly](/source/Last_Call_With_Carson_Daly)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Direct Hit!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Hit!) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Hit!?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.