MODERN HERO

By Kreig Marks, July 2020

 

TRR:  Very cool band logo.  Who thought that up?

MH:  We wanted something simple and very recognizable, so that when anyone sees this, they think of the band and the members in it. We actually got an artist on Fiverr.com to do it for us! He did an outstanding job.

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TRR:  Tell me about the guys in the band.  How did you meet?  When did you know you wanted to make music your career?

MH:  Forever!  Jeremy (guitar) and Travis (drums) are brothers and grew up around music. Their parents played in Country bands for most of their lives. Zack (bass) and Travis have been very good friends for a long time. Dustin (guitar) is a long time close friend to all of the members in the band, and we know him through other bands in the area. Jeremy and Lance met through Craigslist 15 years ago.

 

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Jeremy: This is actually a great story. I met Lance 15 or so years ago through a Craigslist ad. I had put an ad up to find another guitarist to jam with. I had a drummer in my brother, and I was eager to get something started. So Lance replied and invited me to his parent’s house to jam. We jammed the night away and immediately bonded. And that is when I heard him sing. I instantly said, “Dude, you’re not playing guitar. You’re a singer!”  He’s been the singer in all of my music projects ever since. I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else.

 

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TRR:  Do you all have a lot of support from your families? Or, is there one relative who likes to quote George Thurogood, “Get a haircut and get a new job.”

MH:  All of our parents are very supportive. We are all at the age now where we have stable careers and are able to do the music thing without it affecting that side of things too much.

 

 

TRR:  Your first single as a band, “Tear it Down.”  What’s going through your head the first time you hear the master of it?

MH:  Jeremy actually produces, mixes, and masters all of our material except for a select few. "Tear It Down" is a song that Jeremy and Lance wrote back in 2017, while between bands/projects. We thought, "Why not use it, it fits our style and what we are going for, perfectly." If you like what you hear, visit Jeremy’s website at http://jbolenaudio.com

 

 

TRR:  Who in the band is the biggest critic of your music?

MH:  We are all hugely critical of our music. They say you are your own worst enemy. But we would have to say Lance is the most critical. He is never satisfied (in a good way of course). He tries to one up himself in every new song that we do, and it keeps him motivated as well as the rest of us.

 

 

TRR:  Your album, “Dimensions,” was this self- produced?

MH:  This was indeed self produced. Jeremy does everything on the audio production side. As mentioned earlier, you can visit him at http://jbolenaudio.com.

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TRR:  Out of the 4 songs, which do you feel is the strongest?

MH:  "My Bleeding Heart." It’s a good, dynamic tune that has a bit of flair from everyone in the group. It’s aggressive while not being over the top. The overall energy of the song is great, and it just feels good to play as well as listen to.

 

 

TRR:  Which song do you get the most requests to do on stage?

MH:  We haven’t made it on stage yet as Modern Hero, due to Coronavirus/Covid-19. We have our first show in Jonesboro, GA at Furnace 41 on July 11th.

 

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TRR:  We hope that this show goes through.  Are you guys interested in being with a label or do you want to have good management and PR and remain independent?

MH:  I feel like it’s the dream of every band to be signed to a label. We would all love to say “Yea I’m in a signed band.” But in this day and age, great management and PR are all you need to stay independent and still thrive in the industry, in our opinion. We are definitely open to both.

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TRR:  That is pretty accurate.  The music industry has changed.

 

 

TRR:  Before this pandemic, how was the rock music scene in Savannah?  I know that Atlanta and Athens have a lot of history with rock bands.  What’s going on in Savannah?

MH:  There isn’t too much of a Rock scene in Savannah. We are on a mission to bring Rock back to the city. We are also looking to travel to nearby major cities, to network and get our name out there, due to the lack of a scene in Savannah. But we will build it back up.

 

 

TRR:  What’s your thought on how the touring and ticket sales may change as a result of the pandemic?

MH:  We feel like people can’t live without music. It may take a little while, but I think things -as far as touring- will get back to normal sooner rather than later. Maybe it’s wishful thinking but that never hurt anyone!

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TRR:  What are the plans for the rest of the year?

MH:  We just want to hit the stage as much as possible! We have two shows booked in July, and one in August, and we hope to book many more before the year is over. We will still pump out new music throughout the year.

 

 

TRR:  Who would you like to give a shout out to?

MH:  Of course we want to give a shout out to Bandivious and Tru Rock Revival Magazine for the opportunity to do this interview! It’s been a blast! We want to give a shout out to our families and friends that have been so supportive of our return back to music. We want to give a HUGE shout out to a company we are endorsed by called Maverick Apparel Company. They have opened so many doors for us and helped us network. They do much more for bands than just give them a discount on their clothing. Brian, Jesse, and Attila have been the best ever. Check them out and buy some of their stuff to support them!

 

And most of all we want to shout out to our fans, old and new. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you, and we love you all so much! We hope to see you out at a show soon, so come out and say hello, we’d love to meet you.

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TRR:  We plan to.  Guys, thanks for taking the time to speak with us.  We'll keep our fingers crossed that this pandemic ends soon so you and the rest of the bands out there can get on stage very soon.

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For further information about Modern Hero, check out their website, Facebook and on Bandivious.