The Goo 1
ORAN O’BEIRNE Interview UNDERGROUND HEROES Oran O
’Beirne caught up with Irish Metal crew guitarist for Hero In Error, Gary Eagan to talk about the band's return to the live stage after almost five years, as well as their blistering new self-titled EP and their plans for the rest of the year… You're are back after a long hiatus. Tell us the circumstances regarding getting back together and when the writing of new material started? The last show we played was in November 2019. Then, Covid hit a few months later, bringing the world to a standstill, including our band. As restrictions started to lift, Confey (drums) and I began meeting up occasionally to jam out some riffs. There was no specific direction; we just wanted to play some tunes, mostly out of boredom. We honestly thought Hero… was finished. However, the fire slowly reignited, prompting us to reach out to the rest of the band to see if they were interested in jamming or writing some tunes. It turned out they were all eager to play again. Rob (Powderly, guitars) and I started writing riffs at home, exchanging them back and forth. Rob tracked and programmed some demos, and from there, we were off to the races. The new EP features three tracks, including the first single ‘Enemy Within’. Was there any more material written/ recorded from those sessions, and if so, are there plans to release them any time soon? We had the core of about 8 songs, but we ultimately chose to record only 3. Recently, we've been revisiting the other tunes we had and realising that there are some strong contenders for the next EP. Who knows, there might just be a new EP released by Christmas. Although, I might get some flak from the lads for saying that. The new lineup features Kaan Tasan of UK Metalcore crew, Heart of a Coward, briefly tell us how that came to be? We've known Kaan for years and have always been huge fans of his. In 2016 we were on the lookout for a new vocalist, he was the first person who came to mind. After sending him some demos, he liked what he heard and decided to come on board. Are there plans to incorporate some of the older material into the setlist for the upcoming gigs? Yea for sure, we will be filling the set out with songs from High Points of New Lows and Obey. We will be playing the new EP in full also. When looking back to those previous releases, have there been any changes to the way the songs are being played now and does the energy feel good with the new line up performing those songs? The only playing adjustment we made was on High Points of New Lows; we decided to tune the guitars down another step from what we recorded on the EP. Apart from that, the energy is fantastic when playing the older songs. They're always a blast to perform live. Hero In Error EP is available on all streaming platforms from April 5th. We are hearing all the time about the lack of support for alternative/heavy music in Ireland, do you feel that this is still the case from when the band was active back in the 2011 era? There's undoubtedly been a significant leap in support for alt/heavy music in Ireland. I see numerous opportunities for bands to receive support and gain visibility here. Heavy music is much more embraced now. When I witness bands like The Scratch and Sprints making waves in Ireland, it highlights the substantial market for this genre here. Back in 2011, we had to seek press coverage or radio play from the UK or Europe. It›s incredible to witness the evolution of the Irish music scene since then. Finally, will there be some special merch options available at the live shows and afterwards from the bands online merch store? We will have some brand new merchandise available at the shows and we will have them in our online store after the shows also. Hero in Error play Dublin’s Workman’s Cellar Club on Thursday, April 18th, Dolans Warehouse in Limerick on April 19th and Fred Zeppelins, Cork on April 20th with support from Worn Out (all dates) and Jenova (Dublin & Limerick). Tickets are on sale now. PAGE 37