Me Vs Hero

author TL date 20/08/11

Although PP and I were mostly busy at Hevy Fest, chugging beer and jägerbombs and checking out a million bands a minute, we did actually find a little time to vary our journalistic efforts ever so slightly by doing some interviews. One of the bands we caught up with was Me Vs Hero, who have been holding the banner for pop-punk in the UK since the release of their debut LP "Days That Shape Our Lives", and whose drummer and guitarist met us to represent them in a chat at the press area. The interview was a little hectic, with music pounding from the main stage close by, us barely being able to hear each other, and the guys trying to get through appointments with multiple media representatives swiftly and smoothly, but in the end things still turned out alright, and you can now read our conversation right here:

RF.net: First of all, for the readers who don't know your band, can you please introduce yourself and the band you're in?
Stephen Jones (drums): I'm Steve

Bobby Pook (guitar): I'm Bobby and we're from Me Vs Hero

RF.net: So far, how are you doing at the festival?
Bobby: Hmm, good. We got in at five this morning, got up at seven. I have not even seen a band yet.

Steve: Yeah we played a show in London at one this morning, and then we came straight here. We got here at five and got woken up at half seven by our crazy Scottish friend Simon, had a banana and a beer and then came inside to do press. So we haven't had a lot of time to enjoy the festival yet but I think it'll be awesome.

RF.net: But you'll be around to enjoy yourselves afterwards?

Bobby: Yeah as soon as we've played man!

Steve: Yeah we'll be hanging out.

RF.net: Who are you looking forward to seeing here?
Bobby: Ah, so many bands man..

Steve: Dillinger..

Bobby: Dillinger Escape Plan, Ghost Of A Thousand's last show, Architects..

Steve: Title Fight..

Bobby: Make Do And Mend..

Steve: Xcerts..

Bobby: Polar Bear Club.. Man Overboard.. Ceremony.. There are literally sooo many good bands here, so yeah, basically everyone!

RF.net: Speaking of some of the first bands you mentioned, they're quite heavy, and this is Hevy Music Festival after all. You guys are not so heavy though, so how do you feel like you fit in?
Steve: I think we're heavy in some ways places. It's cool because we have got heavy parts. I think it appeals to people who are into pop-punk and metal, 'cause we all like a lot of metal as well. Like Dillinger Escape Plan is Bobby's favourite band, and he's being a fan boy today, trying to stalk them..

Bobby: I am being a fan boy today yes, trying to stalk the guitarist of Dillinger Escape Plan. If I see him, I'm having a photo with him! I'm not usually that kind of guy, but it's happening basically.

RF.net: It's been a while since you put out your debut LP. For those who don't follow you that closely, can you talk a little bit about what's been going on for you between then and now?
Steve: Since the album we've done a few tours.. We did the Skindred tour.. We played Slam Dunk.. I guess first off.. On the album it's a different drummer, so the drummer left and then I just joined the band..

Bobby: Yeah of course that was a obviously big part..

Steve: Yeah it's taken us a while because I had to learn all the songs.. And then we started on a headline tour three weeks later, and it's been one tour, then another tour and then all these festivals started.. Now management tells us we need to write the second album before we can do anything else..

Bobby: So that's what we're doing at the moment..

Steve: Yeah we got this festival and then we got Boardmasters festival and then we got to write the album, but so far this year it's just been a lot of learning the songs and..

Bobby: Just constant touring I guess..

RF.net: Listening to your album, it seems that you guys have been influenced heavily by a lot of American bands. Can you yourself tell us what kind of bands have mainly inspired you?
Bobby: Well all of us love Four Year Strong, New Found Glory, Blink 182, NOFX, Lifetime.. And like we said before we like metal as well so..

Steve: August Burns Red

Bobby: .. and As Blood Runs Black.. So it's a wide variety of things, and obviously we're inspired by a lot of different bands..

RF.net: While it seems that quite a few bands are trying to do a similar style to yours here in the UK, you guys have been more successful, getting a lot of positive recognition for the album. Do you guys feel like you're helping to expand the pop-punk genre here where it hasn't been so big earlier?
Steve: I hope so I guess. There are a lot of cool bands in a similar style.. There's a band called Decades, there's Summerlin.. Paige is a good band who are playing here as well, and they're friends of ours.. All of those are kind of similar and we all know each other and put on shows and go on tour together. I think some of those bands are coming through more. I think the pop-punk scene has come back a lot in the UK right now, and if we can be a part of that then that's awesome!

RF.net: With this new album that you're writing, how much do you think you'll be sticking to this style, and what kind of new things should the fans look forward to?
Bobby: I think the heavier bits are going to be heavier, and I think the poppier bits are going to be more poppy maybe.. I think it's definitely going to be different from our albums.

Steve: I think it's going to be more varied. Some more hardcore and metal-ish songs in there..

Bobby: The new songs are going to be more of a group effort as well, so there are going to be more different ideas in there.

RF.net: Do you reckon you'll stay with the whole bouncy and bright pop/hardcore sound?

Bobby: It'll still be like that, but I think there are going to be a lot of different ideas. The songs that we have.. We have like half an album's worth of ideas right now and there are more of the hardcore and metal type stuff in there.

RF.net: Do you think that's because your influences have become heavier as well?

Steve: Maybe, but I don't think the new stuff is going to alienate our fanbase.. We're not going to do a jazz album or something like that, so I think we'll be cool.

RF.net: Considering how similar many of the American bands that I mentioned sound, what do you guys feel like you have to offer that makes you special?
Steve: I think we don't try and sound American vocally. I notice that a lot of English bands try to do American accents, and Sam doesn't do that. Sam can't do impressions anyway, haha.

Bobby: And we're not from California, so we don't have the same kind of things to sing about. All we can write lyrics about is what we know, which is touring, going to the pub and living in a miserable town in the north west.

RF.net: That's the last of the serious questions I think, so before we wrap things up, do you want to recommend something current you think the fans should be listening to?
Steve: What they should be listening to? .. Hmm, I guess Title Fight, Balance And Composure..

Bobby: Basement.. Bands like that, check them out!

RF.net: I just remembered one more question - Your name - Can you tell us how you came up with the name of the band?
Bobby: Alex our guitarist was listening to Walls Of Jericho, and one of their songs says something like "beast versus hero", but he misheard it, and he was like; "That'd be a fucking sick name for a band!", so he passed it on to Sam, our singer.. It turns out it was actually "beast versus hero" but he misheard it so..

Steve: It's not a good story..

Bobby: Haha, not it's not a very good story at all..

RF.net: That's actually it, do you have any last words you wanna shout out to our readers by any chance?
Bobby: Just head over to facebook.com/mevshero, check out our tour dates. We got a new music video coming out on.. I think the 29th of August.. for the song "What Seems To Be The Officer, Problem?" so check that out!

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