EPIC HERO BRINGS A NEW LIFE INTO THE WORLD!
Twin Cities Rockers Are Busy Touring and Promoting Their Latest Record,
Which Was Produced by Dan Wilson of Semisonic
-by Barbara Bales

"Work on your craft. Write great songs and don't give up on your dreams. Learn how to drive late nights and play shows for four people," recommends Dan Deurloo, the drummer for the Minneapolis-based band, Epic Hero, when asked what advice he'd give to fellow musicians.

Adds singer / songwriter Justin Milbradt, "Don't get into music for the money. Have all the ambition in the world, but remember, writing and performing a hit song is like winning the music lottery. Just keep enjoying what you do. If you don't, people will notice, and they probably won't enjoy it either. That, and insure your gear. It will probably get stolen at some point in your life."

Bassist Brad Bivens and oftimes lead guitarist, Ben Gowell, round out the group, whose full-length CD, New Life, came out in December of 2003. It can be purchased online at the band's website and in "a ton of other online retailers along with Best Buys and a hand full of 'Ma and Pa' record stores across the country," according to Dan.

Since New Life emerged, the group has been doing support dates with artists like Ben Folds, Phantom Planet and Seven Mary Three, to name a few. "We have also been touring around the Midwest on our own. We like doing the opening act slots, but it is nice to get out in front of our own fans and play for them as well," notes Dan, who says that he and the rest of the band are amazed at how wonderfully radio promotions have gone so far (for the single, "End of the Line") and how well-received Epic Hero has been by program directors, although they are not signed to a label. "We have had a lot of success with some stations, like KLOS in L.A., where we played live on the Mark & Brian Morning Show. We have also been receiving regular rotation at a station in Minneapolis called Drive 105...by supporting the record, they have helped us reach new fans."

Had the songs on New Life been written piecemeal or during a specific period of time? Explains Justin, "About 4 tracks on the record had been recorded a year earlier. Two of the initial tracks were re-recorded for the release. The rest of the songs were written over a 2-month period before the first tracking sessions for New Life. 'Stay Awake', for instance, was written about a week prior to recording." Adds Dan, "...We had a few great songs and not a lot of money. We wanted to see what it would be like to work with Dan Wilson so we took the opportunity to do a session with him...which turned out to be great."

Dan Wilson is a producer as well as the singer / songwriter of Semisonic. A couple of years ago, Wilson had heard Epic Hero's first record and subsequently met with the band to discuss songwriting. According to Justin, they have been writing together off and on since and the collaboration could not be better. "...Dan W. has an amazing sense of melody and his ability to construct or deconstruct a song until it's in its best form is something you can't teach. When working on New Life, Dan W. inspired us to do some of our best performances...that was refreshing. He helped capture the sound we were looking for - the sound that defined what Epic Hero is and I think New Life does that."

Dan concurs. "From the first meeting with Dan W. it was like he was our father figure for music. He is so talented and a great communicator - two things that are vital for a producer. He had a way of finding our strengths and weaknesses as players and as a band and of making us grow. He has taught us a lot about songwriting. Dan Wilson is the first person who took a chance on us and I am thankful for that."

Before New Life was born, Justin had had an repertoire of about 30 songs from which the band picked ten tunes they liked. He and Dan credit Dan Wilson with helping to polish up a few of the songs. Justin states unequivocally that the whole record met or exceeded his expectations and that it was a huge departure from their previous release. "For starters, we had a new lineup. Ben and Brad had joined the band in 2002 / 2003 respectively and their voices are well-heard throughout the record. Also, we went into the recording with the idea of creating a more cohesive, dramatic and thematic experience for the listener. We wanted to have something that represented our musical ambitions while leaving some room for magic to happen in the studio.

I think New Life captured Dan's best drumming. The tracks which far exceeded my expectations are 'Ease Your Mind' and 'Something Someone Someday' because they were songs that I didn't initially have a clear vision about. I couldn't hear the finished product in my head. They were songs that we just needed to play to discover and they turned out great."

As an unsigned band from a big city (Minneapolis), was it easy for Epic Hero to book gigs and establish an identity? And do clubs in Minneapolis embrace local bands with original material? "Starting out is never easy," Dan remarks. "No one ever wants to work with a new band that more than likely will break up in a year or so. We had a tough time in the beginning but we started to play out of state more than here in Minnesota. It was easier for us to get out of state gigs than shows at home and we had a larger fan base in California. It was not the most cost-effective way to get started, but once we had something going out of state people back home took notice.

As far as the scene goes, it is much better now," he goes on to say. "A few years ago it was kind of dry around here. It is still the Midwest and people love to hear covers, but we do have great, original music clubs in town...and a few more clubs are trying all-ages shows, which in the past had been hard to come by. The sad thing about the music community as a whole is the tendency and the need to lean on the alcohol industry to stay alive. That is especially true for up and coming acts who don't have merch sales and tickets prices to help out with the venue and show expenses."

From Justin's perspective, it has taken a long time to establish themselves in Minneapolis. "It is pretty difficult to stand out in the sea of bands in Minneapolis. I attribute a lot of whatever success we have to local radio. It's easier to get people to the show when they know the words to your song because they heard it at work or in the car driving the kids to soccer practice, etc. There are clubs that will give unknown original bands Monday-Wednesday night gigs around town," he continues, "but you generally have to get people to the show in order to get a second gig. A lot of the bands that draw well here started out as cover bands and slowly indoctrinated fans to their original music. That approach didn't really work for us, as we tire rather quickly of other people's songs. But for the most part, it is a great town for new and original music."

The arrangement between the two members remains intact: Justin writes the songs and Dan handles the business affairs, which he claims to enjoy - although he admits to becoming frustrated at times "with...the hoops we have had to jump through, but that is all a part of it. If you understand that in the beginning it makes dealing with situations easier." Happily, Epic Hero recently signed on with a manager, Pete Rosenblum, of Bolt Entertainment...with whom they enjoy a co-management deal and whom they consider a great asset to the team. "The business of rock and roll is the worst business in the world," Justin asserts. Now, however, with Rosenblum on board, he claims that Dan is getting more sleep. "Poor Dan, at one point, developed a stress-induced facial tick having to deal with some contract mediation we were going through. It's nice to give somebody else the nervous ticks."

Dan regularly listens to Tom Petty, U2, Foo Fighters, Duncan Sheik, Jonatha Brooke and Semisonic - with whom Epic Hero has of course worked - and he claims that he is "still waiting to have a dinner with Bono, the Edge and Dave Grohl. I think I will try and get Pete to hook that up for me!" Justin says he really loved Semisonic and Ben Folds Five before forming the band and as Epic Hero took shape, he was into "U2, Radiohead, Tom Petty and just about any rock 'n' roll that was still on the radio. One of the biggest thrills for me was doing a show in Ventura, California, opening for The Heartbreakers (sans Tom Petty) who have / had their own group called The Dirty Knobs....We got to hang out with the Heartbreakers. One of the few times I felt star-struck. They're nice guys."

Do audiences differ from one region of the country to the next? "Yes," answers Dan. "People are more open to new, original music...in regions that have all-ages shows and college-age people and both coasts and the south seem to be strong areas for new music." Adds Justin, "On the West Coast...in California...if you ask people to come to your show, even though they've never heard of you, they'll come. It's a place where everybody is trying to follow their dreams, and every waiter, car washer, or shoe-shiner is really a screenwriter, musician or actor.

In Minneapolis, you have to earn your applause...There's a Midwest mentality: 'we're not impressed by much, so you better try to impress me, or you'll get this blank stare'...but it is gratifying being in front of a hometown crowd. In the East, there is a strong music community, one which we experienced when we played the CMJ festival in New York last October. Ohio is a great music state as well, as they have so many music towns 2 hours away from one another. For the most part, all differences are very subtle because in the end, people just want to hear good music and see a great performance. Generally, if you deliver, audiences will respond."

Epic Hero has not yet toured overseas, but Dan says that they would love to perform in Europe, where their following continues to grow. "We get e-mails from fans asking us to hop on a plane and come play some shows. As soon as we get the chance, we will go. Truthfully, we always wonder how they heard of us? Kind of cool. I would also love to go to New Zealand or Australia to play." Justin hopes to one day play in Japan. He thinks it would be cool to play a few shows in Russia. He just returned from London and plans to go back next year: "A few acoustic shows are a possibility. Though it would have to justify getting that work visa. I'm not guaranteeing anything."

He ends the interview by encouraging readers to buy Epic Hero's new record. "It could very well save your life. I don't know how, but hey, it's a possibility."

Visit: www.epichero.com