Album Notes

Less Than Happy, the second major release by STATE4, is a first for the band -- not a single instrumental song in sight. Laura Hillman's powerful yet sweet voice has taken over STATE4's sound, refined it, and brought it to another level. Built around the diva's voice are a collection of songs that range from dangerously up-tempo and catchy to distant and emotional to grinding and sexual. Co-produced by Nick Mitchell and Andy Davies, Less Than Happy represents the peak of STATE4's music and sound.

The Minneapolis trio draws from a mixed bag of musical influences. From trip-hop to instrumental, to rock to pop, from electronica to industrial, STATE4's refreshing "new" sound borrows from several genres, yet adheres to none. The end result: a sonic blend of electronica and rock presented with a trip hop vibe. Brought together with a distinct style and an eye to strong and "approachable" songwriting, the band's diverse music is enjoyed by an equally diverse audience. Not merely limited to the studio, the members of STATE4 also pride themselves on their high-energy stage performance, breathing life and passion into their music.

The first true realization of STATE4 came in early 1997 , when Nick recorded and released the first EP, Retrospect. Mid-1999 brought about the peak of the STATE4 instrumental style with the release of the self-titled full-length album STATE4, which consolidated a number of previous works mixed with originals onto a single disc. This ended STATE4's solo era and in 2000 released it's first vocal CD "Issues in Monochrome". The years passed, drummers and singers exchanged. And after 5 years, STATE4 is finally left with the latest and definitely best line-up:

Laura Hillman: Vocals
Nick Mitchell: Guitar/Keys
Andy Davies: Keys/Backing Vocals