New York, NY (Top40 Charts) In just shy of a week, rap rock harbinger HYRO THE HERO has announced an upcoming series of shows with nu-metal outfit P.O.D., a spot on Brooklyn's annual Afropunk Festival, a headlining gig for the official Epicenter Festival after-show, a spot on the inaugural Rockstar
Energy Drink Disrupt Festival summer tour (The Used, Thrice, Circa Survive, Sum 41), and a guest spot on the latest single from DJ and EDM producer Crankdat, "Monster." On top of this, HYRO THE HERO recently premiered the music video for the single "Never Back Down," which Consequence of Sound praised for having "Rage Against the Machine-like verses with a melodic chorus."
HYRO THE HERO will kick off his busy summer on May 3 in Jacksonville, FL at Welcome To Rockville before heading to Rockingham, NC on May 10 to perform at Epicenter Festival where he'll also headline the official afterhours show with support from Wilson and Arrested Youth. He'll then hop on a two-week jaunt with
P.O.D. from May 12 to 24 as he makes his way to Rocklahoma on May 25 before getting his gaming on as he joins
Trivium and Cane Hill at DreamHack in Dallas, TX on June 1. After taking a short break, he'll return to the road with the Rockstar
Energy Drink Disrupt Festival tour from June 21 to July 28. HYRO will then wrap up the summer dates with a stop at Afropunk Festival on August 24/25. A full list of dates is provided below; tickets are available with links and on-sale dates at www.hyrothehero.com.
Scroll below for a Q&A with HYRO THE HERO!
Featuring his signature blend of infectious modern rock riffs overlaid with invigorating rap vocals, HYRO THE HERO's sophomore album FLAGGED CHANNEL is out now via SONY/RED MUSIC. The album, produced by Mitch Marlow (Papa Roach, Filter), includes hit single "Bullet," which debuted in the Top 40 on Billboard's Active Rock and Mainstream Rock charts while having over 2.7 million streams on Spotify. Watch the music video, originally premiered by Billboard.com, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACEKhljj5bk
Stream/Buy Flagged Channel here: https://RED.lnk.to/FlaggedChannelAS
Q&A WITH HYRO THE HERO, 2019
After five years following the release of your debut album Birth, School, Work, Death, you've come back with a new album, new label and a reinvigorated message on modern day society. What happened over that time period to bring you to where you are today?
HYRO: The time period in between now and my last album was one of growth and patience, I took some time to improve musically and let the game come to me. I dove into different genres, learned to produce, learn song structure and found ways I could bring my message to the people in the most powerful way possible. That is why Flagged Channel is so important to me, it's the re-introduction of Hyro The Hero.
Over the past year there's been a resurgence of bands in the 'rap rock' genre with up-and-coming artists including yourself, Fever 333, HO99O9, and even those like
Lil Peep and
Post Malone who've gained commercial success. While most have been likened to taking influence from Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, Korn - whose guitarist Munky guested on your album-, etc…what do you feel you bring to the table with FLAGGED CHANNEL? How do you stand out from the rest?
HYRO: It has been amazing seeing the genre grow the way it has been. I've been a man on a mission since the MySpace days blending the rock and rap sound. It's what started me off back in 2005 when I was sampling sick riffs and breakdowns and rapping to them with hip hop beats on my first mixtape, Gangsta Rock.
The catalyst for my music style comes from an emotional place. My powerful words need very powerful music behind them. All of this combined with my talent of rocking the mic lyrically like no other is what separates me from the rest.
Do you feel there's still a negative association with the term 'rap rock' in the public perspective? If so, why do you feel this is the case? Does that ever make you feel pressured to have to constantly elaborate or explain your music when talking to others?
HYRO: Yeah, there is still a negative connotation with it, but with all these sick bands we have now and the diverse styles of it-thatis going to change real soon. There is a coolness to it like never before which comes from influence from the trap sound that is popular in this day and age-the style bleeds over.
I'm proud to tell people about it because I know when they listen, they are gonna become instant fans.
You've also dabbled a bit in the EDM scene with a remix contest for your single "
Bullet" and most recently you appeared on a track with Crankdat, "Monster." Can you share how that came about?
HYRO: My lawyer Eric German set it up! He shows me so much love and always has his ear out for stuff he knows I would be good on. Once the song was sent, I killed it and Crankdat loved it. It was dope because Crankdat would hum little ideas through voice text message so I could go in and try them out so he would have more to play with while building the track.
How do you feel that your music relates or overlaps with fans of that genre? Are you a fan of EDM music?
HYRO: It's all energy. Once I am giving the people the energy they desire, it will translate perfectly. We are in a turn-up era, people want loud and energetic feelings. The only thing I believe is missing is true emotion in rapping today.
Eminem and Tupac, for example, had that. I believe I bring that part back, so no matter what genre I take part in, it will hit the audience hard.
Everyone claims their live show is "energetic," "insane" or "off the walls," but your performance literally is "off the walls," as you're no stranger to climbing stage scaffoldings, jumping off amps, hanging off stairs and even flying off the stage itself. Can you share with us what goes through your mind when you're on stage?
HYRO: Haha, Yea, I'm actually hurt right now. My ankle is f*cked up, but adrenaline fixes that every time I'm on stage. The thing with me is I'm spitting so much lyrics from my heart that I have no choice but to emotionally be involved in it-it's spiritual for me and an expression I get to let out. I'm so chill in real life that people can't believe it's me on stage. Something takes over and my body just does what it feels.
Speaking of stages, you've played everything from bars and clubs to amphitheaters and huge festivals, and even a cruise ship! So, tell us… does size matter?
HYRO: Size of the place doesn't matter to me so long as I'm in front of people. I feel blessed to rock at festivals with lots of people and blessed to be intimate with fans up close rocking small stages. Either way it goes, I want each person to feel I'm talking directly to them.
You've got a busy summer. You're doing a run of dates with P.O.D.,then you're heading out on the new Rockstar
Energy Disrupt Festival and in between all that you'll be on some of the biggest festivals like Afropunk, Welcome to Rockville, Rocklahoma, and Epicenter. How does that feel?
HYRO: Absolutely incredible, dream come true type sh*t. Words can't begin to describe it.
What else in the works for HYRO THE HERO?
HYRO: I'm working on new music and will be focused on hitting the road this summer with all of these shows lined up. I just want to do an amazing job with my band and kill every show, all while leaving people with feeling like they got a message after seeing my set.
TOUR DATES:
Fri 5/3 Jacksonville, FL Welcome To Rockville
Fri 5/10 Rockingham, NC Epicenter
Fri 5/10 Rockingham, NC Epicenter After Show
Sun 5/12 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge ^
Tue 5/14 Chesterfield, MI Diesel Concert Lounge ^
Wed 5/15 Lexington, KY Manchester
Music Hall ^
Fri 5/17 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater ^
Sat 5/18 Lynchburg, VA Phase2 Dining and Entertainment Club ^
Sun 5/19 Poughkeepsie, NY The Chance ^
Tue 5/21 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom ^
Thu 5/23 Nashville, TN The Cowan ^
Fri 5/24 Springfield, MO The Complex ^
Sun 5/26 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
Sat 6/1 Dallas, TX Dreamhack Dallas Convention
Fri 6/21 Dallas, TX Dos Equis Pavillion #
Sat 6/22 Austin, TX Austin 360 Amphitheatre #
Sun 6/23 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion #
Tue 6/25 West Palm Beach, FL Coral Sky Amphitheatre #
Wed 6/26 Tampa, FL MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre #
Fri 6/28 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheater #
Sat 6/29 Charlotte, NC PNC
Music Pavillion #
Sun 6/30 Atlantic City, NJ The Beach at Atlantic City #
Tue 7/2 Syracuse, NY Lakeview Amphitheater - Syracuse #
Wed 7/3 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage #
Fri 7/5 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center #
Sat 7/6 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center #
Sun 7/7 Hartford, CT The Xfinity Theatre #
Tue 7/9 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live #
Wed 7/10 Clarkston, MI DTE
Energy Music Theatre #
Fri 7/12 Tinley Park, IL Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre #
Sat 7/13 Thornville, OH Legend Valley #
Sun 7/14 Noblesville, IN Ruoff Home Mortgage
Music Center #
Mon 7/15 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre #
Wed 7/17 Englewood, CO Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre #
Sat 7/20 Irvine, CA Starland Ballroom #
Sun 7/21 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheater #
Tue 7/23 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre #
Wed 7/24 Boise, ID Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater #
Fri 7/26 Chula Vista, CA North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre #
Sat 7/27 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavillion #
Sun 7/28 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater #
Sat/Sun 8/24-25 Brooklyn, NY Afropunk Festival
^ with
P.O.D. &
Nonpoint & Islander
# with Rockstar
Energy Disrupt Festival Tour
