Excess All Areas
An interview with Hinder by Mike
As one of the only current melodic rock
bands signed to a major label that have sold a truckload of records,
Hinder’s mere existence and popularity in the current music climate
should be enough to gain the approval of those in the rock fraternity
who long for a return to the halcyon days of eighties excess and
success. Their debut album ‘Extreme Behavior’ has sold over three
million copies and the single ‘Lips Of An Angel’ was a huge US radio
hit. Follow up ‘Take It To The Limit’ looks to build on that success
with a slight change in direction and a healthy appreciation of the
interest in eighties hard rock.
Released in 2008 ‘Take It To The Limit’ is
at last getting the accolades that it deserves.
Mike caught up with drummer and founding
member Cody Hanson in Oklahoma to talk about music, booze, the new
album, booze, testicles, booze and …more booze.
Hinder have only just
completed a US tour in support of their latest album.
“Yeah, we’ve just
finished up a tour with Motley Crue in North America” the guitarist
enthuses “Theory Of A Deadman and The Last Vegas joined us as well, it
was a lot of fun and that took about eight weeks. We did some of our own
headliners, one off shows…it was great.”
Hinder has come a long
way since their debut album ‘Far From Close’
“That was an
independent thing that we did as a local band” Hanson remembers, “It was
Austin, Blower and me. We had another bass player at the time and the
album came out on a label that I put together with my girlfriend. We
actually pushed the album and the songs to radio just like any record
label would do and regionally it sold about five thousand copies. That
was with a very small budget indeed, we had no money.”
It’s not unusual for
many rock bands to pay homage to their past by including the odd piece
of nostalgia on the their more recent release.
“We pretty much
recorded all new material for our major label debut,” the drummer
contradicts “The thing was that the songs on the independent debut were
a little different; how shall we say post grunge. It was a darker theme,
Creed and bands like that were pretty popular at that time and that’s
the kind of path we took.”
It was hardly an
attractive proposition for a major label to jump in and sign the band.
“It certainly didn’t
directly help us get signed by a major label” he explains “but it
certainly gave us the confidence to go on and do greater things. We’d
sold five thousand copies of a first release with a limited budget so
how many albums could we push better knowledge and a bit more money?
That was the plan, do another independent release, do it right, do it
bigger and do it better. We needed a bigger producer and we found Brian
Howes up in Vancouver.”
The situation then
changed very quickly for the band.
“Basically we
concentrated on getting six songs to perfection and it was going really
well” Hanson offers “Roadrunner then got really interested during the
recording after they’d heard some stuff over the phone, which was pretty
unbelievable. They’d originally phoned the studio to talk about some
other ongoing projects and had heard some songs during the
conversation.”
As a result we then
flew to Oklahoma to play two showcases. We were ready to sign the deal,
when Universal called and also Atlantic. These two labels had been sent
thirty second song clips over the Internet of ‘Get Stoned’ and they told
us not to sign anything and they’d be there in the morning. The guys
from Universal arrived, we spent the day with them, got wasted and then
did exactly the same thing with Atlantic the day after when we ended up
going to a strip club at eleven o clock in the morning. It really was a
fun couple of days but we essentially shared the same vision with
Universal at the time and they were offering the best deal. They weren’t
offering us the most money, but we had a shared vision and that was
important.”
Brian Howes became
involved with the band through another significant modern rock producer
Joey Moi who happened to be Howe’s’ business partner at the time. Hanson
takes up the story.
“Yeah we contacted
Joey first” he confirms “and he really wanted us to come up and meet his
partner Brian Howes who he said was a great songwriter. We asked what he
had done and amongst other things he said that he had been in a band
called Closure. Now although Closure was never that big, we had the
record and all of us were huge fans, so we jumped at the chance to meet
this guy and work with him. It turned out great.
The album ‘Extreme
Behavior’ has to date sold over three million copies aided by the
massive hit ‘Lips Of An Angel’; Hanson explains the irony surrounding
it.
“It was actually the
second single” he muses “and the A and R guy at Universal didn’t even
want the song on the record, saying that it felt like a b-side to him.
We called him on that one, stuck to our guns and eventually won.”
The song itself
touched a nerve, as it’s about a process that many people have gone
through. It was about a real situation that happened and people could
relate to it. It involved three people and most if not all women have
been both of those girls”
The album itself
boasted modern rock songs with an eighties flavor, whilst the latest
effort ‘Take It To The Limit’ is much more straight ahead eighties arena
rock. Hanson concedes that this was entirely conscious.
“All of us wanted to
go in that direction” he admits “We all listen to eighties rock the
whole time, on the bus at home…anywhere. One of our favorite bands of
all time was Guns and Roses and we love Motley Crue and Bon Jovi, it’s
the music that we like. This and the fact that we had more confidence
after the success of Extreme Behavior led to the brashness of Take It To
The Limit and allowed our influences to show a bit more”
Could things have been
taken a little far?
“We didn’t want to
pigeon-hole ourselves as a throwback” the drummer reveals “We simply
wrote the songs that we wanted to do, we didn’t really willingly make it
more eighties, it just happened; your influences come out.”
And the change of
direction didn’t frighten the record company?
“No they loved it” he
barks enthusiastically “they thought that it was one of the best albums
that they’d heard in a long time, although some radio stations remained
a little scared of that sound. However gradually they’re coming onboard
and we think it’s a much better album than Extreme Behavior.”
A fact not lost on
Allmusic who voted ‘Extreme Behavior’ the worst album of 2005.
“I’m aware of that”
Hanson snaps “it’s the same old story, if anything does well and becomes
popular then you’re going to get those people that hate it with a
passion. I would expect that more people hated it than liked it but as
long as we keep our fans happy that’s all that counts. Hell three
million copies, someone must have liked it.”
‘Extreme Behavior’
featured ‘Shoulda’ a song by little known band Socialcode, Hanson
explains the decision to include that song on the album.
“It’s quite funny” he
chuckles “all of the band actually hate that song, but it was written by
Brian and we were running out of time to finish up the album so we used
that song. Sure it had to be re-written for us to be able to use it and
it’s quite different but as they did it first, it’s really their song
not ours.”
Does Hanson see Hinder
as part of an eighties rock music revival.
“Yeah there are a few
bands out there doing their own twist on an eighties theme” he admits
“and we’re just happy to be at the forefront of it, bringing back the
fun of music.”
Producer Brian Howes
was again involved with ‘Take It To The Limit’ and his input is clearly
apparent throughout.
“Brian really is like
a sixth member of the band” the drummer interjects “after working with
him on the first record we became great friends, we talk all the time
maybe three times a week. He was there through the whole process, we
wanted him involved. We would get a song finished as far as we could and
then kind of bring it to him and he would tell us where he thought we
could improve it. With other songs he would be with us from the very
beginning and we’d write them together. He played a very big role that’s
for sure.”
Hinder have toured
with Motley Crue, been compared to them musically, and Mick Mars appears
on their latest album. Something of a coup when you consider Hinder are
genuine fans of the band.
“It’s amazing” Hanson
snaps “but it was him who contacted us first about writing some songs
for his solo work, so while we were at it we asked him if he would come
in and play on a track. He agreed and it was incredibly cool because we
ended up going to his house, he did the solo and we took it back to add
it to the track.”
Recently tables were
turned when Hinder contributed backing vocals to the most recent Lynam
album.
“Hell yeah” he laughs
“We’re really good friends with those guys, and they’ve got a bit of an
eighties thing going on but with more of a punk edge. We went into the
studio when they were recording their album, just to hang out and they
asked us to get in the booth and do some vocals, so we did, just for
fun.”
With good close
relationships with Motley Crue and Lynam, it would seem that rock
musicians are just one big happy family, or are they? There have been
reports recently of a simmering rivalry/feud between Hinder and alt
rockers Saving Abel. Hanson confirms this.
“It all got blown out
of proportion a little bit” he concedes “we basically felt that when
there stuff came out, especially the first single, the hook sounded
similar to one of our songs, only slowed down a little. They also
appeared to have taken the hook and the lyrics from a Theory Of A
Deadman song. We didn’t think it was that much of a big deal I mean
after all imitation is the greatest form of flattery. However they then
brought out the video where they tried to have the party image and the
sexy slant to the video. It all seemed a bit fake and like they were
trying to copy us. This bothered us, but we never raised the issue and
never brought it up. It started to really bother us, when they started
doing interviews and made boasts about how they could out drink us an
out do us and generally bringing stuff up out of nowhere. It reached a
stage where we thought, yeah ok if you want to talk shit about us then
we’ll start bringing it up that you’re talking shit.”
We ended up doing an
MTV show with them and we kind of grabbed them and took them back for
some shots, I mean we’re pretty laid back guys.”
Funny thing was”
Hanson continues “is that the shit throwing still continued afterwards,
we’ve talked it out since then and we’re actually on tour with them
pretty soon, so we may yet get to have that drinking competition.”
Drinking, partying,
debauchery and feuds with other bands, sounds like Motley Crue but are
Hinder the modern day equivalent. Hanson backs up the claim.
“Well after the recent
tour with them, they certainly think we are that’s for sure” he claims
“Nikki Sixx has got a new hero and with youth on our side, they’ve had
their time.
We like to go out have
fun, get fucked up and we don’t hide it we just let it out.”
Hanson has few fears
if any about the troubles health or otherwise exacerbated by the high
living excesses of the rock and roll life style. After all rock history
his full of drug addicts and alcoholics whose lives eventually imploded.
“Yeah those things do
happen” he agrees “but for the moment we’re just having a good time and
enjoying ourselves. Hell, we’d be doing Rock and Roll an injustice if we
didn’t adopt that lifestyle.” An honest if flawed argument.
Stories involving rock
bands-and there were plenty from Motley Crue and their ilk-usually
involve drugs, alcohol (or a combination of the two), sex, girls or over
the top high spirits in the vein of Jackass. An incident-and there has
been many- involving Hinder falls effortlessly into the latter.
“The incident that
springs to mind was on the last Nickelback tour” Hanson boasts “Our bass
player Mike and guitarist Blower, who are really the clowns were
involved. Blower is our secret weapon; he’s a crazy crazy motherfucker.
They were both really fucked up and we talked Blower into stapling his
nut sack. Blower just got down there and he stapled his nut sack to
Mike’s ass cheeks. We had to get the staples out afterwards and the last
one was really difficult to get out. When it eventually came out there
was a lot of blood and to finish up he sprayed a pure alcohol hand
sanitizer onto all the little holes.”
Bands are usually
sponsored by companies for the equipment that they use. Endorsements for
guitars, amplification and drums are commonplace and Hinder have all
this but with one addition, they’re sponsored by Jagermeister. For the
uninitiated Jagermeister is a 70 proof spirit made from herbs and spices
and it is sometimes referred to by the Germans-who produce it-as
Leberkleister, which translated
means Liver Glue.
“We live on
the stuff” Hanson enthuses in an almost don’t try this at home moment
“We drink more Jager in a day than water, infact on the last two days of
the Motley tour we went through seventeen bottles. The reps either send
us cases or give us a check to fill up the bus. On one occasion we ran
out and picked up one hundred and twenty bottles from a liquor store on
route; that was the start of a very blurry few weeks I can tell you.”
It would
seem Hinder basically drink all the time when on tour and while they’re
not touring they take a break from the constant bombardment of their
bodies. Not a bit of it.
“No we don’t
really have a rest from the booze” he announces proudly “we go every
day, last night I met up with Mike and Blower and we ended up at my
girlfriends house where we got fucked up drinking. We might have one
night off it when we get home, when we just sleep for a whole day, but
then we’re back onto it the next day”
With Hinder the rock and roll
lifestyle is reborn. Taking the best elements of the eighties rock era
and bringing them to a younger audience feels like the perfect antedote
to all the emotional furrowed brow style music that dominates todays
airwaves. Goodtimes are back with a vengeance with a return to fun,
interesting newsworthy lifestyles and a sense of adventure. They might
be here today gone tomorrow but we should celebrate the fact that in
2009 Hinder are one of the only true melodic rock bands signed to a
major label.
Get your fix while it lasts.
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