Interview with House of Heroes
This was a really fun interview! These guys were really funny and talkative, which is always good for interviewing.
House of Heroes
4/20/11, Whitworth University
Full Names and position in the band:
Tim Skipper - Vocals and guitar
Colin Rigsby - Drums and vocals
Jared Rigsby - Guitar and vocals
Eric Newcomer - Bass and vocals
First, can you tell me a little bit about when you started playing and how the band came together.
Tim: Colin and Jared are brothers and they played in bands from the time they were wee little lads
Jared: Like three or four.
Tim: Yeah, and I played in a couple bands with some friends from high school and I think the first time we met, we played a show in their garage, back in like ’96 or something like that. So it kind of just evolved from there. We started a band that was kind of a collective of all that stuff. It’s since evolved into this lineup of characters that we have now. But, we’re just a bunch of punk kids that love playing music.
So you were all friends?
Tim: Yeah, we had a lot of mutual friends, and then we all became friends through our mutual friends.
Colin: And then business associates. Once we realized we had nothing in common…business. All business. all the time.
(laughter)
How would you describe your music to someone who’s never heard of you before?
Jared: It’s kind of like Celine Dion with rock and roll.
Tim: I would say it’s just modern rock and roll music with a lot of classic rock influence. And it’s better than all the bands out there…no.
Colin: We really should just start saying that… ‘and we’re better than every other band.
What, if anything, is the meaning behind your name?
Tim: There’s no real meaning behind it. We went for months without having a name and got fed up with that and so we said “we’re just gonna choose one” one day, and that’s the one we chose. It’s just a name.
There’s no hidden message or something…
Tim: No. I mean, we can make one up.
Jared: Feel free to read into it.
Colin: Speculation is welcome.
Tim: We actually wanted to call ourselves House of Herpes, but it was a typo. The “O” and the “P” are right next to each other.
Do you consider yourselves a Christian band? Or how would you describe it?
Tim: Well, you know, to each their own on that question. Our personal take on it is that it’s a little ridiculous to create a genre called “Christian Music” and I think that turns a lot of people off. So, I would just say we’re a rock band. But as far as our personal beliefs go, we do believe in God and we believe that Jesus is the son of God, but as far as a genre of music, it’s just silly.
Jared: We wanted to play Jewish Rock originally but,
Eric: There’s just not a market for it.
Tim: KISS cornered that market.
Eric: Classic.
When did you first sign with Gotee Records, and how did you get hooked up with them?
Tim: I think we signed with them in 2004 or 2005. We had a lot of friends on that label like Relient K and John Rueben, so they kept talking us up to the label, and the label’s like, “Yeah, we want to do a deal.” And we were a little hesitant at first, but we came around and it has been a tumultuous relationship ever since. It’s been abusive on both ends. They beat us, we beat them back. And then we tell each other how much we need each other.
Colin: And then we beat ‘em again. Chris Brown comes in, tell them if they ever tell anyone we’ll beat them more.
You released a full-length last year. How has the response to it been since its release?
Tim: It was awesome. Right out of the gate was huge. It was #48 on the Billboard top 200 albums.
Jared: Like, not the Christian Billboards. It was #2 on Christian albums.
Colin: The Christian Billboards are like “you’re going to hell.”
Tim: But it seems like…yeah, it’s been a really positive response. It’s just, more people need to hear it. You know what I mean?
Who are your biggest influences?
Tim: The old standbys like The Beatles, and Queen, Led Zepplin. We grew up on that.
Eric: We were just talking about Foo Fighters.
Tim: Yeah, love the Foo Fighters. Love what they’re doing these days, kind of keeping the rock flag flying high. Yeah, we love punk rock back in the day, like The Clash, and MXPX. And then we also love 90’s music like the Smashing Pumpkins, Sound Garden, Ace of Bass.
Favorite bands to tour with…that you’ve toured with, if you could pick some?
Tim: Silverchair is number one.
Eric: Yes.
Is that unanimous?
Colin: Yes.
Jared: Yeah, absolutely, yeah.
Tim: I like touring with Relient K. That’s always a good time.
Colin: Anybody who’s just fun to hang out with.
Tim: Yeah, anybody who’s a good hang.
Jared: Family Force 5’s fun to tour with.
Time: Yeah, Family Force 5 is fun too.
What is the best part about touring, and what is the worst part?
Tim: Best part…
Colin: Playing.
Tim: Yeah, playing shows.
Colin: and seeing different cities. Worst part is losing luggage.
Eric: Worst part is sharing a bed with either of the Rigsby brothers.
Tim: When you have those shows that just everything clicks and the crowd’s way into it, you feed off their energy, and they feed off yours….there’s nothing like it. The worst part, I think, is just missing home, missing family. Sleeping with Jared and Colin. Or, not sleeping.
Eric: Yeah, being awake and getting groped while they’re asleep.
Tim: On accident, but it still happens.
Jared: The best part is probably meeting the people that listen to your music, and knowing that people actually do.
Tim: Yeah, that’s a big deal.
Any awkward or interesting fan/tour stories you’d be willing to share?
Colin: Willing?
Tim: How wide is the circulation of this interview?
I don’t necessarily have to include it, I’m just curious. This probably doesn’t relate to the article I’m writing, but…
Tim: Eric’s roommate in Nashville came up with the term called “punishers.”
Eric: Punishers!
Okay…
Tim: And those are fans that just don’t have any social etiquette, and just follow you around.
Eric: Lingering, following…
Tim: They punish you, for just existing. And we’ve known a few of those in our day.
But it’s not common, is it?
Tim: No. I can think of 2 or 3.
Do they always show up?
Colin: They know who they are.
Tim: Oh, yeah. They show up way too early, and they don’t know when to go home.
Colin: And you’re like, “today’s a great day.”
Tim: “Ahh, the clouds rolled in.”
What do you do when you aren’t on tour? Do you all have day jobs?
Jared: I work overnight at Abercrombie and Fitch.
What do you do overnight at Abercrombie?
Jared: I just…
Tim: Resist the urge to steal things.
Eric: Hold your breath as long you can.
Jared: I make it worth $80….
Eric: Oil up the models….
Jared: I oil up the models, and the mannequins, and I make it worth $80 for the shirt that took five cents to make.
Colin: I work at Starbucks, and I do graphic design, and I have kids.
Eric: I’m single, so I just go home and dink around. I don’t do anything. Projects here and there. I like woodworking and electronic stuff.
Tim: I used to work at a marble and granite company and every once and a while I’ll help friends paint and stuff like that. We’re self-managed, so
It’s a job on its own.
Tim: Yeah. A lot of e-mails to be sent.
Most embarrassing moment on stage?
Tim: I vomited a little bit, once.
Eric: On a fan, right?
Tim: Close to a fan. It was one of those stages about six inches off the ground. I thought it was just a burp. Turns out, it was a little bit more than a burp. They were none too pleased about that.
Colin: I get embarrassed when I mess up sometimes.
Jared: I’ve fallen a couple times, back in the day.
Eric: I’ve almost gone down.
Jared: It’s probably been like 4 years. But, I used to fall all the time. I remember one show. Fortunately, there was like no one there, I mean, like two people there. I can’t remember where it was. That was with Spoken, which is why no one was there. But, yeah, my shoes had no traction, but there was thing, and I ran back and just slipped right on my face and then rolled over.
What are your future plans? So, like the immediate future, and then a year out.
Tim: Well, we had this crazy idea recently.
Colin: On the way here.
Tim: Yeah, on the way here we made up another goal.
Eric: Oh, yeah, that’s right.
Tim: We found out that Kenny Chesney travels with 10 semi trucks.
Eric: No, it’s 40!
How could you even fill 40 trucks?
Eric: There’s a lot of stuff…
Colin: Well, that’s what we were talking about. We were talking about what we would carry.
Tim: So, within the next two years, we’re gonna have ten.
Colin: We’re shooting for ten.
Tim: And probably four buses. At least. Maybe 5.
Colin: At least one for each of us.
Eric: I’ll be so lonely on one bus by myself.
Colin: Well we can have one party bus where we can all hang out.
Eric: So, 5 buses for us, and then another 3 for everybody else.
Tim: Bring your entourage.
Eric: Oh, yeah, we’ll have entourages at the point. Alright. Only one for them
Okay, so…
Tim: In truth, we’re starting to write a new record. We want to keep playing music, and in order to do that, we need to just keep getting better, and people need to keep coming to see us and buying t-shirts.
So, you’re in Spokane. So is this part of a tour?
Tim: It’s a little, uh…Let’s see. What’s this tour called?
Eric: Make it worthwhile to go to the West Coast.
Tim: The Northwest Getaway tour. It’s just three shows. We had one show that was a really good-paying show, and we were like “well, we don’t get out there much, so if we can, let’s book a few more shows.”
Colin: Let’s call it the Northwest Awesome Tour - NWA.
Eric: Legit. How about the Northwest Passage Tour. How could that be turned into a pun?
So, what other cities have you played?
Tim: This is the first show, and then we have one tomorrow in Pullman. And then on Easter Sunday morning, we’re playing Kalispell, Montana. I think it’ll be fun. They rented out the old arena there, where the rodeo goes down. We said, “Are you sure you want us to play your Easter morning service?” and they said “Yeah! We do.”
