Five O’Clock Heroes Interview

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With their new full length album Different Times coming out January 15th, we asked these NYC boys some questions about themselves and their music.

Five O’Clock Heroes “Rough Boys”

IRR: Let’s presume that myself and none of our IRR readers have ever heard of Five O’Clock Heroes, what should we know about your band and the music you make?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Well if any of your readers know a late 70′s english band called The Jam then that’s where we took our name from. It was their 6th single after 5 straight number 1′s in the UK, and it was the their worst! It was called “Just Who is the Five 0′Clock Hero..” and if any of your readers know anything about the late 70′s label Stiff Records(Elvis Costello, Kirsty Maccoll, Ian Drury) that’s the music we try and emulate. with a little 10cc and Tom Petty thrown in there for good measure.

IRR: Why do you think sex and drugs go so well with rock and roll music?

Five O’Clock Heroes: They don’t.

IRR: You just shattered my dreams.

IRR: How did the recording go with Gus Oberg compared to your past producers and engineers?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Engineers are the masters of the studio and that’s where Gus came from. He captures the sounds you want however inarticulate you are at explaining what sound you’re trying to get to. He knows we do things quickly in the studio. We like to capture an energy. 3 or 4 takes at the most. It is my personal favourite album we have done out of the 3 we have recorded. Because it doesnt feel like me or my songs. I like that distance. It means i can actually listen to the record later.

IRR: How fun is it to play shows with a horn section? Is it more fun, or less fun that without having them?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Never played a show with horns… though it is a dream of ours… if we ever have the money.

IRR: Is there a song on the new album that will hook us? Why would it do that?

Five O’Clock Heroes: “Rough boys”. new single. good chorus. nice verse. nice build to the pre-chorus. hahaha. i guess we always strive to make melodic songs. songs with chorus’s. i like a strong chorus. i grew up listening to bands who deliver strong and direct chorus’s.

IRR: What topics do your lyrics touch on in the songs of ‘Different Times’?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Diplomacy, keeping my distance from england, reminiscing,

IRR: Is there a difference from these lyrics to your past lyrics?

Five O’Clock Heroes: A couple of expletives maybe?

IRR: How did the name for ‘Different Times’ come about?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Its an expression I use when I refer to things that I miss.

IRR: You guys are an American band, so why haven’t you ever released an album in the States?

Five O’Clock Heroes: We couldn’t get a deal here. but we had friends who took us on tour in the UK. so we put some credit cards together, paid for it and toured with them, luckily we met a few people along the way who were kind enough to release our albums in the UK and Europe….

IRR: Would you say people think your band is British because of this?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Maybe. what do you think?

IRR: Why not, you kinda sound like you are British when you sing.

IRR: Do you guys personally think you’ve put any filler songs in the album? Be honest now.

Five O’Clock Heroes: I thought ‘i need you around’ and ‘just a friend of mine’ would come out a little better… what can i say… we tried…

IRR: In your opinion who has released the most disappointing album of the year?

Five O’Clock Heroes: I don’t know about the most dissapointing but my favourite album this year is Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs.

IRR: What movie from anytime in the past would your music make the perfect soundtrack to?

Five O’Clock Heroes: I think our music would work somewhere between ‘last tango in paris’ and ‘spaceballs’

IRR: I heard you guys are touring during the winter months. That’s a pretty bold move, what, if any situations might you come across? How are you preparing?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Warm coats and whisky…

IRR: How do you feel about love?

Five O’Clock Heroes: It Cuts Both Ways

IRR: If you could have a relationship with any famous person in the world who would it be?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Jeez…one ego is enough in any relationship! But i wouldn’t turn down Eva Mendes if she asked me out…

IRR: What’s your favorite part of being in a band? Perhaps writing, playing live, drinking after shows, the popularity, seeing new places? Please do tell.

Five O’Clock Heroes: live live live!

IRR: Do you think Oprah would like your music? Do you care?

Five O’Clock Heroes: If our music went along with a cook book maybe

IRR: What bands, or songs, were a big inspiration on the new album?

Five O’Clock Heroes: Dexy’s Midnight Runners – Young Soul Rebels, Early R.E.M – Life’s Rich Pageant, Hall and Oates, Steely Dan – Only a fool would say that.

IRR: You guys play happy sounding music, do you think there is too much negative sounding music being made these days?

Five O’Clock Heroes: You gotta keep the crowd up. life is tough enough as it is.

IRR: Where do you see mainstream music in 10 years?

Five O’Clock Heroes: A little left of center.

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