Aaron Bruno – vocals, guitar
Drew Stewart – lead guitar
Todd Burnes – bass
Ray Blanco – drums
Home Town Hero heralds the arrival of a positively valiant rock ‘n’ roll band. The
group’s self-titled debut album is a dynamic and diverse 12-song collection fueled
by Aaron Bruno’s urgent vocals and guitar, Drew Stewart’s sprawling six-string
assaults, and the brute-force rhythms of bassist Todd Burnes and drummer Ray
Blanco. But while the band’s members are barely into their 20s, Home Town
Hero’s music possesses a craft and maturity that belies their youth. Tracks like
“Questions,” “Eighteen” and “Bleeds in Blue” are infused with the pugnacious
spirits of power-pop, garage rock and punk, while moodier tunes like “Everything
Out of Water” and “Bed of Dreams” deftly toe the line between hallucinogenic
alternative pop and impressionistic balladry. In all, Home Town Hero is much like
life itself – unpredictable, uncompromising and interrupted by welcome fits of
humor, romance and transcendent grace.
Home Town Hero’s debut disc is the result of an ever-evolving musical vision.
Hailing from the same far-flung L.A. suburbs that hatched Linkin Park, Incubus,
Hoobastank and Onesidezero, the band first won exposure as part of the 2000
and 2001 Vans Warped Tours, where their powerful performances and
songwriting-prowess attracted major label interest. But long before those tours
transformed the band from a hard working club band to global rock contenders,
they worked diligently to formulate the fiery chemistry that animates their music.
Home Town Hero’s roots extend back to the mid-’90s. That’s when Bruno and
Stewart – both students at Southern California’s Westlake High School –
discovered a shared passion for hardcore punk acts like Operation Ivy, Rancid
and Sick of it All. “One day I was wearing a Bad Religion t-shirt, and Drew came
in wearing a 10 Foot Pole t-shirt,” Bruno explains. “Drew was the only guy I
knew who seemed as obsessed about music as I was, so after that we started
playing and ultimately writing together.”
Recruiting a rhythm section, Bruno and Stewart formed a band called the Ice
Monkeys, which later evolved into a band known as Insurgence. Bassist Todd
Burnes joined followed thereafter by Ray Blanco – who was drafted in to replace
the original drummer. Finally, their creative vision was coming into focus.
The newly streamlined band began combining their punk sound with more
melodic influences like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and Nirvana. “When I started
playing with this group, we were basically a hardcore band,” Blanco explains. “All
along, you know that it can only go so far, but you use it as a starting point, a
stepping stone and move forward from there.”
“For me,” Blanco continues, “I always knew I’d be in a band just like this. I
dreamed about it. The goals were always set, it was a matter of making a
decision at the right time to put those goals into action”.
After Blanco’s arrival, the revitalized band was performing in a variety of clubs,
including famed Los Angeles venues like the Roxy and the Whisky A Go-Go.
Just four months following Blanco’s recruitment, the band confidently entered a
friend’s studio and recorded their independently produced EP. “The EP was a
challenge because the overall sound of the band was just beginning to evolve,”
Bruno explains. “I think we all realized we had to improve as writers and players.
But as hard as it was, it was also a really valuable learning experience.”
With a renewed perspective and resultant EP completed, the band also elected
to change their name to something that encapsulated their underdog ethic: Home
Town Hero were born. The foursome loaded up the van and hit every city they
could reach. The combined allure of the EP and manic performances ultimately
resulted in a Maverick recording contract.
Working with producer John Travis (Kid Rock, Buckcherry, Save Ferris), Home
Town Hero entered the studio determined to combine their pop sensibilities with
the powerful, hard-hitting dynamics of their live shows. “This band has a lot to do
with vibe,” says singer-songwriter Bruno. “When it comes to our music, we’re
really instinctual. We work off each other. In this band, we push each other to
get the best out of ourselves.”
“We rewrite parts over and over just to capture the right feeling,” echoes guitarist
Stewart. “To me, that’s what good music is about – a feeling. It’s not something
you can explain; you just know it. Basically, that explains our approach.
Everything we do has got to feel right.”
By the time they completed their debut album, Home Town Hero had found their
distinct musical voice. Yet for all the attention to detail, the sessions remained an
organic process. “We adopted a simple yet focused philosophy of writing solid
songs and not over thinking the production,” explains bassist Burnes. “We
wanted to make a really honest record that was a true reflection of our live
shows. There’s no samplers, or DJ’s of any kind on this record. It’s four guys
playing music.”
The end result can be heard in the massive, spiraling opening riff of the first track
“Bleeds In Blue,” which descends like a torrent then mutates into a tranquil pop
lullaby. Primal drums lead the listener into “Perfect Night” then segue into a
series of exquisite choruses, while “Eighteen” combines the melodiousness of
vintage pop with the brute heaviness of contemporary rock. Its abrasive guitars
and hulking rhythms notwithstanding, “Saturday Morning” erupts into a sinuous,
slow-burning rocker. “Everything Out Of Water” offsets fractured waltz rhythms
against reverberant, wall-of-sound vocals.
The album’s infectious debut single “Questions,” may best articulate the sound of
Home Town Hero with thrashing guitars and anxious rhythms that collide with
sardonic lyrics. “It’s about feeling beaten down and uninspired,” Bruno states
simply. “It’s a good song for people to work out their aggressions.”
Home Town Hero bears testament to the timeless appeal of exuberant, popinflected
rock ‘n’ roll, and the inseparable camaraderie of four musical brothers
who share one common vision: To make music that inspires; to write songs that
are intensely passionate and personal, unnervingly melodic and undeniably
powerful.
“I think we’re a million times better for having made this record,” drummer Blanco
states. “That’s the exciting part about this whole process – we’ve learned that we
can grow musically and as individuals. We don’t even have any idea what the
next record will sound like, but we do know the music will be heartfelt and will
continue to evolve.”
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