Hot Spur is blowing up and we have the interview!

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Posted October 24th by Beau Dorn in All, Music, Music Interviews

Hotspur is fresh of their win of MTVu’s battle of the band contest. Winning this contest has landed them in rotation on MTV/MTV2/MTVu, that is if and when they play videos! Things definitely are looking up for this powerpop rock outfit!

Website:
hotspurmusic.com
myspace.com/hotspur

Music Video for Chandelier:

hotspur promo pic></p> <h4>What brought about Hotspur and where did the name come from?</h4> <blockquote><p>Hotspur started at UMD where Dave, Scott and I were in the music business program together. The name comes from a character in Shakespeare’s Henry IV–a hot-headed hero who is based on a real person named Hotspur who lived in the 14th century and led a rebellion against the king–basically he was the rockstar of his day. The dictionary definition of “hotspur” is “a hot-headed and impetuous person” and it just seemed to have a fitting vibe for our music.</p></blockquote> <h4>You have really been gaining a lot of attention on the internet. What would you attribute that too? and for people that haven’t heard your music what really separates you from everything out there right now?</h4> <blockquote><p>Hotspur has always had a pretty strong internet presence–originally I think promoting on myspace sort of put us on the map as a band. Sometimes I think we spend too much time in front of computers instead of making music and all, but it is an amazing way to reach people that you normally would have to spend years touring across the country to reach. I think what sets Hotspur apart from most bands out there is the songwriting. We’re all huge fans of pop music–its what I love listening to and what I love writing–but unlike a lot of Top 40 acts there’s a real band with genuine emotions and experiences behind the writing, and that sincerity come across in the music. Also we put on a pretty crazy live show–you gotta come see Hotspur live to really have the full experience.</p></blockquote> <h4>How would you describe your up and coming release of “YSKBBN”?</h4> <blockquote><p>This album is a culmination of 2 years of our experiences as a band–touring, growing up, girlfriends, etc. Actually there’s a line from 50 Cent’s magnificent biopic “Get Rich Or Die Trying” – “your voice is better, its got more pain in it” – the same could be said of our new album. We’ve all been through a lot and that comes across in the music. The title of the album is sort of a tongue-in-cheek reference to the futility of the music industry; as in “we should know better by now” than to still be doing this–but it also works in a positive way, as in “you should know better by now, we’re not gonna quit,” and a lot of the themes in the album are about us forging ahead and not giving up as a band.</p></blockquote> <h4>Who are your biggest influences?</h4> <blockquote><p>I think the “Hotspur sound” was born when I got The Killers “Hot Fuss’” Muse’s “Absolution” and Maroon 5′s “Songs About Jane” all in the same week. It took us about 3 years as a band to figure out what that sound was–but it was some combination of the pop songwriting, musical innovation and energy of those three bands that I wanted to emulate.</p></blockquote> <h4>What is your songwriting process?</h4> <blockquote><p>Its really important to us to have songs–meaning I don’t bring anything to the table until there’s a solid identity or concept to the song. Sometimes its a musical identity; the vibe of a chord progression or a melodic hook, and other times its a lyrical or conceptual identity, but either way we try to find something unique to base the song around so that it stands on its own.</p></blockquote> <h4>What advice do you have for up and coming bands?</h4> <blockquote><p>As basic as it is, I think the single biggest factor for bands being successful is staying together. Unless your band gets super lucky and lands a deal after recording their first demo–its a long process, and building up a fan base and touring takes YEARS. Its like getting married to a bunch of dudes…so make sure you’re ready for that sort of commitment. </p></blockquote> <h4>How do you feel about people downloading music?</h4> <blockquote><p>Do it! At this stage we’re still trying to get our music to as many people as possible–and illegal downloading is a great way to get your music out there. We make most of our money at our live shows–so as long as people come out to shows and support us then i’m all about spreading our music around on the internet. </p></blockquote> <h4>Finish this sentence-The best thing about being on tour is…</h4> <blockquote><p>playing shows and meeting new fans every night; whether its 10 people in a room or 1,000 people in a room we love getting on that stage and playing our asses off.</p></blockquote> </div> <div id=

Post Author: Beau Dorn

Beau is from Chicago, IL. He is an avid White Sox fan and owns every single new era cap from every MLB Team! He also is an avid music fan and regular contributor to iamthetrend.com and cohost on iatt.tv


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