After years of being connected, Planet Stereo is placing a spotlight on the bands on the Epic Proportions Tour, an amazing company that helps promote artists by getting them on the road and performing for high schoolers, colleges, and even army bases. As the tour goes on, expect more Q&As to be posted with as many of the bands as possible. Below, you can see a Q&A session between Planet Stereo and Hour 24.
Sometimes, a band just has a powerful presence from the get-go, commanding attention, and quickly gaining a momentum all their own. Michigan’s Hour 24 is certainly doing just that, especially after the release of their new single, “Take Me Away,” and their non-stop touring!
PS: Thanks so much for doing the interview. How are you?
H24: Not a problem at all! I’m doing great, thanks.
PS: Are you excited to be on the Epic Proportions Tour?
H24: We are extremely excited to be going on the Epic Proportions Tour this fall! I think that what Gabe and Peter do for hardworking unsigned bands is incredible. On our last tour we had in June/July, we had the privilege to play at Milwaukee’s Summerfest with the current EPT lineup at that time, so we were able to meet everyone and really get off on an awesome note before we hop along with them in the fall. They are some of the realest people I’ve met. We’re all very excited.
PS: Is there a specific date you’re most excited about?
H24: I don’t think that there is any specific date that we are excited about, but moreso just the whole concept of what EPT does. Being able to play at high schools while school is in session is the thing that I’m mostly excited about. It’s a built in crowd of the exact demographic that appeals to our music the most.
PS: How do you think the Epic Proportions Tour helps unsigned bands?
H24: EPT helps unsigned bands in so many ways, and has already helped Hour 24 immensely before we even have left to go on tour with them. Playing at venues/bars, you never know what type of and/or how many people are going to come through the door, so having a guaranteed crowd at a high school is so surreal and refreshing to be honest. This tour has the ability for us to make a lot of new fans, much more than any DIY tour would be able to guarantee. As I mentioned before, EPT also got Hour 24 a slot on a main stage at Milwaukee’s Summerfest this past July, playing the same day as Paramore and Fall Out Boy. To be a part of something so huge was so incredible and we are all very grateful that EPT got us on it. There are many other things in the works within the EPT/Hour 24 relationship, and to say the least, I’m excited and very happy to be working with them.
PS: Do you know any of the bands on the tour already?
H24: Yes! On our last DIY tour, we ended up playing in Phoenix, AZ with the band UFN who is also on the fall tour with EPT. We also spent about 3-4 days with Gabe Kubanda and Halocene at Summerfest and an Air Force Base show in Kansas City, MO that we played with together.
PS: After the tour, you’re headed to the studio to record your debut full-length. What can listeners expect from that?
H24: All I can say is that I am excited. We have 3 songs written (with many other “ideas”) for this new record so far and the sound we are producing is just so much more mature and full in comparison to our last release, One Step at a Time. Listeners can expect that same punch that we deliver at our live shows, but our new songs are going to appeal to peoples emotions more and not just lyrically. There are parts in these new songs that just by playing them at practice it gives me goosebumps. After the fall tour with EPT, we are planning to go off in a cabin in a national forest for 3 weeks to complete writing the record. We want to be away from everything. No distractions, no jobs, no drama, no responsibilities, just music. We are going to put everything we have into this next record for sure.
PS: You’re going to be working with Dan Korneff. How did you come to the decision that he would produce the album?
H24: That’s a good question. When I tell people we are going to be working with Korneff their jaws drop and they say wwhhhooaaa you guys aren’t messing around. That is the reason we are going with Korneff. We know his capabilities and his resume is astounding. We want to release an album that makes peoples jaws drop and have them saying “wwhhoooaaa”. As far as we’re concerned, you can never settle for anything but the best if you want to make it in the music industry. Although it will be tough on our wallets, we truly believe that by working through Korneff, it can open up so many more doors than working with just any other producer. We have a dream, we’re going to do whatever it takes to make it become a reality.
PS: Are you going to be performing some of the songs while on tour?
H24: We already incorporate one of the songs on the record into our set, and it is actually one of our “fan favorites” even though we’ve only played it on one tour. Our newest song we just wrote is one of my favorite yet, but we are debating whether or not to play any more, or to keep it a surprise. Who knows! Maybe we’ll play it a day or two 😉
PS: Do you have a concept/theme in mind while going in?
H24: I wouldn’t say that we have a concept, but we really just have a motive. One of the main reasons that we are a band is to help spread positive vibes to kids and to help them. I know that kids these days are battling things such as depression, bullying, suicidal tenancies, and so on. I want to be able to be here for the kids and help them through the message in our music. In the big picture of Hour 24, we are 5 people who are fun loving and care about our fans in every way. Without them, we’d be nothing, and we’re always trying to help make their journey though life just a little bit more easier. I’ve spoken to a handful of kids that have really hit me at heart, that feeling (along with the shear joy of playing music) is why I do it.
PS: What advantages do you think you have because you are unsigned?
H24: Being unsigned has its advantages because you’re free in every respect. You can make your own decisions, spend/invest how you want, do business the way you want, and so on. With that being said, it’s also a lot harder to keep things going on a steady incline when it is literally your band against the world’s possibilities. For now, we are working hard to be better every day.
PS: Will you ever sign to a label?
H24: I would say that’s a goal for us. Record labels can offer a band the opportunity to grow in many aspects. If we were to sign to a record label, we wouldn’t just kick it and watch things happen, nor would we expect them to. We are the type of people that work hard at everything we do and I know that if/when we sign with a label, we will still be giving it our 110% effort at all times, working with the label.
PS: Where do you see yourselves in five years?
H24: That’s a tough question since there are so many possible outcomes. I would hope that we are doing what we are doing now, but on a larger scale. Traveling, meeting new people, playing music, and making lifelong memories with my best friends.
Planet Stereo 