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Local talent always makes the girls at the Sound Faction smile, and while I was back home in Maine over winter break, Caity, Manda, and I went to a local show, and we got introduced to a whole bunch of amazing Maine, Massachusetts, and New Jersey bands. I never realized how many great bands that the state of Maine is home to, and Too Late the Hero is one of those bands. Too Late the Hero prides themselves on an amazing live show, intricate and humorous lyrics, and their connection with fans. I recently, as part of my headfirst introduction to doing interviews, got to talk to Jared, the lead singer of the band about being starstruck by AFI, parties that lack pinatas, and Ankylosaurus.

"Just finding people with your same commitment and work ethic and personality. That’s the hardest part."
- Jared; Too Late the Hero

For readers who don’t know who you are, could you please introduce yourself and tell what you do for the band?

I’m Jared, I’m the lead singer of Too Late the Hero, and I write lyrics, but the songs are a group effort.

How and when did the band form?

The band formed about five, five or six years ago. Umm, me, the bass player and the original guitarist had been in a really bad band when were like freshmen in high school or something, and uh, it was like terrible, and then the guitarist moved onto a metal-core band, and me and the bass player were still best friends and were super jealous that he was in a band, so then uh he was like “I want to do something more melodic, we ought to jam again,” and then we accidentally ended up breaking up his band, because a couple members didn’t like the side project idea. But it worked out ok, because that band broke up, the drummer was like “I don’t have a band now,” so then he became our drummer, and we’ve been a band ever since.

Cool! And what influenced the decision to form the band?

Umm, the fact that I really really like being on stage and singing. Like, a lot of bands are like artists, like they need to write music, I’m more of like a performer, like I need to be on stage, and it’s just way more fun being on stage doing songs that you wrote as opposed to ones that others wrote. If I wasn’t doing this, I’d try out for a play, or some shit like that, like I was in high school.

So you’re based out of southern Maine, what’s the scene where you are, and did you find it particularly difficult to crack into?

The local scene is pretty good, it was kind of like we were kinda at the right place at the right time, because around the time we started this band, and started playing the kind of music we wanted to play, was around the time that everyone in our local area started listening to that kind of music, so it wasn’t necessarily hard for us to break in, but uh, it’s been hard to keep people’s interest. It’s not hard to get the interest, it’s hard to keep it. You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Cause like we’ve been around for a long time, and we’ve had a lot of member changes, and every time we have a member change, we’re like out of commission for like six months or plus. So when I say we’ve been together for like six years, I wish we’ve been active for six years, but we’ve probably been active for about three, a cumulative. You know what I mean? So like, it’s always like a struggle to like after we’ve been out of commission to like get people re-interested. But the initial, but I think my see-I mean it’s pretty cool, like if you start a band and get going, if can get on a couple shows. It’s harder to get on shows than to get fans. Once you’re on the shows, there are kids there, and they are pretty accepting, and they’ll love you as long as you bring the riffs.

For those readers who haven’t seen you play live, can you describe your live show?

Jump around like an idiot enough that you can still play. Like, we try to strike the balance, cause we see a lot of bands – There are a lot of bands that rock out harder than us that sound like a train wreck, and there are a lot of band that like sound spectacular but are like a snooze to watch. We really pride ourselves on being relatively intricate in our music. So we uh, we try to like push the limits. Like how much can we rock out, but still basically sound like our album. So it’s kind of a, every night’s a little push and pull, and I find like like we haven’t, this show, we haven’t practiced for a long time, because we’ve been in the studio, and at the beginning of the show, I was like, I’ve kinda forgotten how much I can get away with, and I was kinda jumping around like an idiot, and I was like “that’s right I need to sing!” So it was getting a little rough, so I had to like pull back. So, that’s what it’s all about for us.

What inspires your lyrics?

Umm, what inspires my lyrics is uh, it’s usually, because I’m a really passive person, I’ll take something that like is frustrating me, and I wish I could say to somebody, and I’ll like really make it extreme, like, like, all those like if you really wanted to like be harsh about it like the things you really wouldn’t say to somebody because they’d probably like, you’d loose a friend or whatever. Which there was a particular member of a band I’m not going to say their name, but for a while he’d be like “whose this song about,” and like a dumbass be oh “this is about blah blah blah,” and he thought it would be really cool to be like, he thought it would be funny to be like “hey, we wrote a song about you!” And I’d get in big trouble. But umm, but that’s like where my subject matter comes from, it’s things that I feel I can’t say to somebody. And as for the wording, I don’t think I’m the best lyrist in the world, it’s mostly cause of, I try to, I’m not a very serious person, so I try to write a lot of jokes, and as for my producer, our producer’s my brother, umm when were in the studio working out stuff, the argument we’ll have is “is that cool?” Like I’ll come up with a lyric, and we’ll be like “is that cool or is that stupid?” Like there’s a line in one of our songs, “Wyatt Eurpe’s Handbook.” I had this thing for a while, I hope my answers aren’t too long.

Nope!

But we had this thing for awhile, because a couple members of the band are straight edge, but not everybody. A couple members are straight edge, and I, as one of the straight edge members, would get really frustrated when I would go to a party, and there isn’t even a damn bag of Doritos. I’d be like “this isn’t a party. This is people getting drunk.” Nothing wrong getting drunk, cause that’s what you do at a party, but doesn’t a party make. You need the chips.

You need some chips…

Exactly!

You need some music…

Music, chips…

Exactly!

So like I would do this thing where I’d be like “there isn’t even a piñata here!” I was like mad. So, we wrote this song “Wyatt Eurp’s Handbook,” and the first line is “you call this a party, you’re lacking piñatas.” And when I wrote that line, I sat there for a long time, like “this is either really really funny and cool, or it’s the dumbest lyric ever.” And our, Jack, our guitarist, whose the newest member of the band, he’s like “Jerrod, not going to lie,” cause he used to be in a band that would play with us for awhile, and be like “not going to lie. When I was in Call You Out, and we used to play shows with you, definitely used to tool on you for that lyric.” And I was like “raaahr, dammit, it was stupid!” But that’s the battle I fight.

What kind of message are you trying to get out with the band?

Umm, lately I’ve been frustrated about people, people not being true to themselves. That’s like, we really don’t have an overwhelming theme. But like, we have a new EP coming out, and I’d say about three or four of the five songs are about people I know who have these things that they value, and they are totally like throwing them out the window to, to, I dunno, fit in with new people or whatever. And that really bugs me because they were cool as they were, you know what I mean. I dunno, be yourself, be an individual. That’s why like, we play very, kinda, hip music, but I look like a scumbag. Like, I don’t, dress like maybe I oughta, you know what I mean, because I dress the way that I always dressed.

So what has been the biggest moment for the band?

Biggest moment for us. We uh, we had a manager for a time who was kinda too big for us, and the reason we’re not with him right now is we kinda got lost in the shuffle, and he ended up not having enough time for us. But, while he was our manager, he got us on this festival, in uhh, Maryland, that was a ridiculous festival that we had no business being on. Because it had like AFI, Coheed and Cambia, Kanye West, the Counting Crows, all these bands, and…Too Late the Hero, and not only was it cool being on a stage that big playing that many people, but I had this backstage pass, and I get retardedly starstruck, like I’m a real nerd when I see, like I’ll avoid someone I look up to because I say dumb sh*t…

It’s ok.

So like I, so I was back there, kinda like dodging Coheed and Cambia and AFI and Kanye West and stuff, but still like walking past them like “don’t say anything stupid.” [laughter] But I felt like a rockstar. I was sitting back there with my free Rockstar energy drink that they were giving out every corner just like “yeah! This is awesome!”

What has been the biggest challenge for the band?

Uhh, keeping a steady line up. Because I mean were all at an age where, for a few members who aren’t with us anymore, they aren’t dead not with us. [laughter] For a few members who ahh, they didn’t have the patience like when your in a band for a year plus, you’re like “what? We aren’t signed yet?” Or like “We aren’t making a million dollars yet?” Like “F this!” and they like take off like they don’t want to put in like the work. Which rededicates the rest of us, they’re like because we have to work even harder now. But uhh, right now, the five guys in the band all like share the like same work ethic and goal and outlook and we’re just really strong right now. That’s why we’re going in and doing this new record. Just finding people with your same commitment and work ethic and uhh personality. That’s the hardest part, cause the, there are a ton of people out there who can play guitar, but there are only so many people that you like want to be in a van for two months with, you know what I mean.

So, we’ve read on your myspace that your participating in the Rock Star Battle of the Bands to get on the Taste of Chaos tour. So, what sets you apart from other bands, and why do you think people should vote for you?

I think people should vote for us because I think we are, I think we’re slightly different, I think we have a little bit, a little bit more of a realistic attitude I think. I dunno, there are just a lot of bands that are good, that I can’t tell apart. Like there are so many awesome bands out there, and I won’t say any of them are bad, but the reason there are so many awesome bands is because there is a very awesome formula out there right now. Like, and I think it’s…that’s one of the great things…that’s one of the great and bad things about like the myspace thing is because like so many bands can get their music out there, so many people share influences now that like there are songs, I’ll hear two bands basically write the same song, and it’s a great song, but it’s the same song. But, I think, I’m proud of my band cause I think we do have a very familiar sound, but there is a different edge to it that you can only get with my band. At least I hope so, that’s the goal.

So the music industry is a rough one to be in. What fuels your passion to keep going?

When kids are singing songs that you write, like in your face. You just feel awesome. And, like we’re all such show offs, like that’s why you’re on stage. Like, it goes back to that thing I was saying before, like between artist and performer, like, we’d never been one of those people like, as awesome as the Beatles were, they stopped playing live. They’re like “we’re just going to record, that’s what we do.” I could never do that. I could never be like “I’m not going to be on stage anymore.” Cause, it’s just, I dunno what I would do. I would have to do that thing like, try out for a play or something. I need to be on, I need to be jumping around like an idiot on stage in front of people, having a great time.

What advice would you give to other local bands who are trying to break into the industry?

Umm, write a lot of music. [pause] Actually, actually play your releases. This is going to sound really weird, but there are two ways, systems that people do, that people follow. When you are a quote unquote “signed band” you are touring on all this music you’ve written, and then you go “it’s time to make an album.” You go and write your album, go into the studio, record it, release it, and tour that. Repeat the cycle every two years. But when you’re a local band, when you’re a small band, it takes a long time to scrap together uhh music, uhh money for the recording. So what you end up doing is you write a bunch of songs, then you play out for a while and get fans, then you go into the studio and record those songs that you’ve been playing for so long. And by the time that album, that recording comes up, you’re so tired of those songs, and you’ve written a ton better songs, because every band’s new stuff is their best stuff, ahh whether they think so or not. [laughter] But, uhh, so right around the time they’re releasing their album, they’re going to play a lot of new stuff, and a lot of bands are always sitting around, like “why don’t we have a lot of fans?” Because kids, they may, I think kids can only hear three songs they don’t know at a show. Like, you’re going to see a band, and you have their CD, four of those seven songs have better be song on that CD that you’re listening to and you want to hear. I feel like a lot of bands have a hard time getting a fan base, because umm even if they have a fan, they aren’t playing any songs that their fan knows. So, it hurts, and it’s hard, but uhh they gotta to slow down and play some songs that kids know and want to hear to allow themselves to have the opportunity to have a fan base.

And I dunno how they do it, it must be that, be that lack of artistry in me, because we have five songs that we’re recording right now. Every now and then we try to put them in a set, and the kids, after the set, they come up and they’re like “we love the new songs!” We hate playing them because it’s the one time in the set where the kids aren’t all like trying to grab my mike and sing and like jumping around because they’re all like, like listening and not having a good time, and we’re just like “this is a drag! No one’s moving!” So, like we can’t even do it, and I can’t how other bands can. We don’t even want to play any of those songs until they’re up on our Myspace or they’ve been available for kids to buy or something. [pause] So, my answer was play songs that kids know.

Cool. Ok, here at Sound Faction, we are the five most random people you will ever meet, so we like to end our interviews on a less serious note with five random questions. Are you up for that?

Bring it on.

Cool! What was the first album you ever purchased?

The first album I ever purchased, I was eleven, I think, and it was…I bought two at the same time, because I just got my BMG…remember BMG? It was like Columbia house or whatever. But, uhh, I had just got my BMG membership, and I got Bad Religion’s Stranger than fiction, which I still listen to, and White Zombie Astro-Creep 2000, which I don’t listen to very often, although I did pop it in last week and it was very fun.

Cool! Who is your favourite superhero and why?

My favourite superhero is the Flash, and I don’t know why, cause I’m a comic book nerd, and I’ve collected a lot of comics, but I’ve never even collected the Flash. I’ve collected Batman and X-Men and all this stuff, and I’ve never even collected the Flash. But if you go into our band practice room, there is a huge Flash poster.

What is your favourite dinosaur?

Favourite dinosaur is the Ankylosaurus, because he has a billy club on his tail. And that’s just so bad-ass, usually things have spikes or claws or sharp teeth, but any animal that has evolved the blunt object is just awesome. Anclyosoaur, and that dinosaur, I don’t know his name, but it has the big helmet head that like smashes you?

Aww, yeah, I know the one you’re talking about!

That smashes you?

Yes!

That’s awesome too.

What is your hidden talent?

My hidden talent is my ability to remember like lines. Like, I can walk out of a movie, and I’ll get so frustrated at my friend who was at that movie who was like, trying to like, you know when you walk out a movie and you’re like “that part was so funny when blah blah said ‘blah blah blah blah blah?’” and he’ll like mix up the words, like it wasn’t quite right, and I’ll be like “no. This is what was said.” Like, I can remember words in movies, and I can make out lyrics that people are singing. Those are totally not useful talents, but that’s the talents I have.

If you could have lunch with a famous person from history, who would it be and why?

A famous person from history?

Yeah.

[pause] …I would want to have lunch with…wow, that’s a hard one. [laugh] From history…Actually, I would have to go back to ancient history because that’s the only history I really care about, I would want to have lunch the pharaohs. Who, only if they spoke English…

Yeah…

Or else I wouldn’t get anything out of the lunch at all.

You can totally just imagine that languages will be translated and you will understand exactly what they’re saying.

Exactly. I would want to have lunch with who, whatever ancient Egyptian would have the answer to who built the pyramids, if it was like Stargate says and it was aliens.

Yeah, nice! So and this is your shameless self promo spot. Anything you would like to add about yourselves, the music, or anything else?

Thank you once again to Jared for taking the time to talk to us, and if you want to look into Too Late the Hero (which, trust me, you should), you can find their MySpace here.