AAA Backstage

We Interview Heroes for Hire before they play BIGSOUND Live

2012 has been good to pop punk upstarts Heroes For Hire. Having just been announced as MTV’s Fresh Produce feature artists for August to coincide with the upcoming release of their 3^rd studio album No Apologies produced by New Found Glory guitarist Steve Klein, the Sydney siders are also featuring on the mammoth lineup for Brisbane’s BIG SOUND Music Conference. The boys have been slaving away on a relentless touring schedule which boasted a hugely successful stint on the Soundwave Festival 2012, plus headlining shows across Japan, China and Australia as well as a forthcoming east coast tour with Florida’s Yellowcard, Heroes For Hire are young modern pop punk masters, pure and at times savage, with instrumental textures, bullet-train tempo’s and anthemetic climaxes reminiscent of Sum 41 but unabashedly stand tall on their own without exuberant comparison.

You just wrapped up a huge headlining national tour with Luca Brasi, any highlights you can share, any craziness and debauchery that went down on tour?

When we organized this tour we wanted to bring a band that could out drink us (or at least try) and what can I say, the Luca boys know how to set it off! There was a few crazy stories that I best keep off the net incase our families are reading this but the tour as a whole was a bunch of fun!

How has your musical influences changed since starting Heroes in 2006? Do you listen to a broader spectrum of genres now? Do you have a band that is an embarrassing guilty pleasure?

We have always listened to a wide range of genres from pop to punk to metal to country but touring around really lets us find out about a bunch of bands we wouldn’t normally hear about so that’s always good! Ummmm I think the guilty pleasure will always be Justin Bieber and maybe some Carley Rae Jepsen, but our favorite in the van is Justin Timberlake, but there is nothing to feel guilty about, the guy is a genius!

Who would you guys love to do shows with, if you could curate the dream tour?

Dream tour for me would be Blink 182 & Fall Out Boy! I would kill to play shows with those bands

New Found Glory guitarist Steve Klein produced your new album No Apologies, what did you guys do different recording-wise on this LP as apposed to Take One for the Team?

This time we stayed at home rather then go back to the US. Another major difference was that we did a solid 2 weeks of Pre-pro with Steve where we picked apart every single song to the bone and built them into songs that we had never imagined them to be! It was a really amazing experience.

Your latest track “Face Without a Name” features Roger Lima of Less Than Jake fame, how did that collaboration come about?

When you go into a studio to record a song you always think about who would sound cool on it in a dream scenario! When we all came up with Roger at the same time we all just laughed except Steve who said ok I will call him haha (the perks of your producer playing in NFG). Roger loved the song and idea so he helped us out!

How important is social media in terms of accessing your fans, both in Australia and overseas?

30 years ago a band from Australia couldn’t stretch out to other markets unless they were signed to a big label here and over there, social media makes is possible for everyone to have a good shot at it, it also gives us a chance as a band to actually interact with our fans. We run all our own social media stuff and really help us talk to them any time no matter where they are so it’s really cool

When it comes to playing festivals, arena shows or even just local venues, do each of them have their perks or is there a band favourite for atmosphere?

Every show is different but all so much fun in their own right, obviously playing to 3000+ people is surreal and you just think what the fuck is happening right now but then nothing beats a small room filled with dudes stage diving and getting wild! So it’s really impossible to pick which I like better

You guys are playing the Big Sound Music Conference in Brisbane on Wednesday September 12th, are there any artists you’re hoping to check out while you’re in town? The lineup is crazy!

The lineup for Big Sound is mental and it’s so rad that so many shows are going to be pumping that whole week! I’m really stoked to see Strangers, Awaken I Am, Clair Bowditch, King Cannons and All The Young from the UK

Martina Bailey Pitrun - AAA Backstage

The critically acclaimed and fan favourite BIGSOUND Live festival has grown yet again 2012, with 120 killer bands playing over 12 stages in 2 nights.  Tickets are available from oztix for $45+bf (1 night pass) or $69+bf (2 night pass).