Where did the band name come from?
We were stressing out, going through lists and lists of names, when Mike - who was still in high school at the time - came home with a worksheet from class about “The Hero Pattern.” It sounded cool, it looked good on paper, and we all soon agreed upon it.
Band Bio:
Hero Pattern is a whirlwind of awe-inspiring Rock’N’Roll power. Born in the New Jersey underground, they are now careening recklessly into the hearts and minds of an ever-growing fan-base around the world. Their dynamic energy on-stage and off is the product of four best friends, including brothers Jason and Michael Kundrath.
Jason’s singing and guitar slinging is the result of a young lifetime of listening to Elvis Costello, XTC, The Clash and some little unimportant band called the Beatles. Obsessed with music and cursed with the soul of a tortured artist, the kid was born for the part. Seamlessly - almost telepathically - brother Michael finds the perfect pulse to every song, always precise, propulsive and thunderous. Bassist Rob Fitzgerald dominates the entire low end with melodic and powerful lines that will resound in your head for days, while Pierre Marceau’s lead guitar lends tasteful tension to the affair when he isn’t setting the roof on fire with his soulful, virtuosic solos.
The sound of Hero Pattern exudes the glory of classic rock, while managing to create a modern, exciting and new noise. Armed with a tight 6-song ep that perfectly captures their energy and lust for life, 2006 is shaping up to be their year.
How long has the band been together/how did it form?
I had been playing guitar and writing songs with bassist Rob Fitzgerald since we were in high school. We went on to perform together, but never found the right drummer to round out our sound. It was only after I went off to college that the drummer we were looking for would turn up, but it wasn’t among the vast student population at Rutgers University. As fate would have it, my younger brother Michael began taking drum lessons and practicing on a small kit in my old bedroom. Coming home almost every weekend, I was shocked by his talent. Mike began performing in his own band with some high school friends, but I was soon testing out all my new material with Mike behind the kit. This is when things started to take shape. Around this same time, Pierre Marceau - an extremely talented guitarist who we all admired - was seeing his own band fall apart. Like the scavengers we were, Rob and I moved in and claimed him for our own. We each recognized chemistry between us from very early on. So we stuck with it, and we made it official in September of 2001 before we went in to record our first release, the reception ep, a split with Val Emmich. Since then we’ve released a full-length album, played a few hundred shows, and drove a conversion van into the ground. Now we’re gearing up for a big year - with new merch, and a new CD - and we’re ready for our close up.
Band Website and Myspace Profile:
http://www.heropattern.com
http://www.myspace.com/heropattern
MySpace - Blessing or Curse?
Most definitely a BLESSING. But seriously, we love myspace. It’s such an undeniably fantastic networking interface for bands, I almost feel silly fielding this question.
Sounds like:
A razor-sharp, pop-smart, arena-ready rock’n’roll riot.
Influences:
Elvis Costello, Guns’N’Roses, Faith No More, At-The-Drive-In and a few hundred more.
Ultimate Goal as a Band?
To be a full-time working band, touring the world, making records, forever.
Best Gig?
Paradise Rock Club. Boston, Mass. September, 2003. Opening for our idols, Superdrag, at their farewell performance. The place was packed and the energy was through the roof. Not sure if it was our “best gig,” but certainly one of the most memorable.
Worst Gig?
Warped Tour, 2005, some godforsaken place in Mass. They switched the set times around without notice and we missed our set entirely. That ruled.
Upcoming Gigs:
May 5th: Boston, MA @ The Paradise
With: Waltham!
May 10th: New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
With: Treaty of Paris
May 20th: West Milford, NJ @ West Milford Coffee House.
May 21st: Dover, NH @ Brick House
May 26th: New Brunswick, NJ @ The Court Tavern
May 29th: Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
If you could tour with any band, who would you pick?
Of the many bands that we admire, i think we’d all agree that a tour with Nada Surf would be a great match.
What sets you apart from other bands of today and your thoughts on the current state of rock music?
When it comes to our music, we live in our own world. We certainly couldn’t care less about the latest trends in sound or style. We have always written and performed from the heart, and the only band we care to sound like is Hero Pattern. For us, it’s always been about the songs more-so than anything else. We’re about to release a brand new EP, and we’ve already written enough tunes for another full length record. As far as the current state of rock music, there are a lot of great bands making records, but as always there are also a ton of mediocre soundalikes clogging up the outlets. When that happens, a new sound inevitably comes along to snap everyone back to attention. I believe Hero Pattern will be a part of that movement.
Parting words/message to the fans?
Thanks to everyone who has ever believed in us or supported us in any way. Stay tuned and stick with us. 2006 is going to be a great year for this band. Besides the impending release of a sick-nasty new EP, we’re also editing a DVD of live footage and interview segments that we’re hoping to release in the next few months. And consider this: If each one of our fans would take some time today to tell just two friends about Hero Pattern, we could potentially TRIPLE our fan base. Let’s do this, people. See you at the show.
