Heyrocco relocated from Charleston, SC to Nashville, TN, are announcing a tour, a new album, streaming a new song, but all I can think about is how they went to a cat party. For Slow Runner’s Michael Flynn this would be a personal hell. He’s highly allergic to cats if you couldn’t deduce that. But think about it, a room full of hipsters and cats. Hipsters because who else would have cat parties? Sad folk with cats for a significant other wouldn’t have cat parties, they don’t want to leave their house. My cousin has 4 or 5 cats, one of which has never in its life touched the ground outside. This is a grown-ass animal that has never touched this beautiful earth. I’m not sure what’s real anymore. I just know that you must have some highly functioning lungs and a serious filtering system not to get a furball yourself with all the shedding that must be going on.
Speaking of shedding, Heyrocco’s new album shreds. It’s somewhere between halfway finished and being released tomorrow and is tentatively titled Teenage Movie Soundtrack. That whole ‘patience is a virtue bestowed on few’ applies to these guys, they are not the few that are patient. They’re ready for their fans to hear the 10 tracks on the new album, and as close as it is to being finished, they’re still putting final touches on the record. That, and hopefully a label will want it and want to put it out. If a label was smart they would, but I’m not sure I would consider record labels smart. Ever heard the Wilco story?
In early 2014 Heyrocco packed their belongings in Charleston, SC, the whimsical coastal town that devoured their teenage years, and took off for a new musical wonderland called Nashville. In history books written in the 2300’s modern day Nashville, TN will be remembered as the Dollywood of middle Tennessee. A land where superficial bro country meets angsty retro rock. And by retro I mean rock n roll that harkens back to the glory days of cum stains on White House intern dresses, a grossly inflated housing market, NSYNC, and credit card limits so high you could start a worldwide cocaine operation or Google.com. In this modern day musical theme park of a town where talent flows like wine and the beautiful women instinctively flock like the salmon of Capastano, a good rock n roll band can be found on every street corner. Heyrocco understands as much as anyone that being surrounded by talent brings out the best in you, and after recording their latest album there with Paul Ebersold they focused on building a team there. Hoping this was no sign of things to come, the trio were involved in an unfortunate car crash while on a celebratory trip out for some of Nashville’s signature hot chicken after signing their new lease. Who has the best? Is it Prince’s? Is it Bolton’s? Is it Hattie B’s? It’s an argument for the ages, but all Black Future remembers from that hot chicken trip is The Verve’s “Bittersweet Symphony” playing in the background and then the crash. The screeching and ringing of crushing metal and hardworking American manufactured product. Now bass player Chris Cool shows off his scars. Deep.
If you think that moment was low then realize that the trio split a .99 cheeseburger pizza yesterday. For them it’s just part of the ups and downs to get where they want to be. But if you think they’re even slightly regretting their Nashville move, think again. Just two weeks ago leader singer and guitarist Black Future was locked in a stairwell with the lead singer of Sixpence None the Richer, famous for their hit song “Kiss Me”, which happens to be one of the songs that Heyrocco covers live on a regular basis when there are enough cute girls in the crowd. It was a Nashville moment where they “just chilled on some free wine and talked about life, Nashville, songwriting.”
Over the years Heyrocco’s sound has changed drastically from show to show and release to release. More recently they’ve found a groove with a sound that harkens back to some of the best alt rock bands of the 90’s, but the band doesn’t agree with anything defining their sound. They are the sum of their parts, whether that be Nirvana, Lou Reed, and Pavement, or OMC, Heyrocco works to nail the song at hand, give it some bad attitude and hope for the best. Most of all they want their music to be honest.
Heyrocco’s Black Future has moved through the phases of wanting to be a guitar player, wanting to be a singer, and now focused on the performance aspect of the live show. After seeing him at their last Charleston show I’d say he has all three down, minus the fact that he had a hellacious cold that night.
“Sex, drugs, and rocknroll baby, we’re South Carolina’s first rock and roll band and I think SC can expect to embrace our stupidity, but at the same time brilliance and just cheer it on, friends.” Black Future-Heyrocco
CATCH HEYROCCO ON TOUR
3/7  Bowling Green, KY  Rocky’s
3/8 Lexington, KY Cosmic Charlies *
3/20 Hattiesburg, MS  Brewskys ^
3/21 Starksville, MS Rick’s Cafe ^
3/22 Oxford, MS Proud Larrys ^
3/31 Bowling Green, KY Tidball’s ^
4/2 Macon, GA Hummingbird
4/3 Savannah, GA Hangfire
4/4 Charleston, SC King Dusko Backyard
4/5 Wilmington, NC Orton’s
4/9 Charlotte, NC Tremont Music Hall
4/10 Myrtle Beach, SC Bourbon Street
4/11 Columbia, SC New Brooklyn Tavern
4/12 Greenville, SC Horizon Records
4/12 Greenville, SC Radio Room
4/18 Clemson, SC WSBF Spring Fest
* Local H
^ The Weeks
