Heroes are lone stars
Jewish Telegraph, April 2005
MOST groups would do anything to land a record contract. But rock band Hell Is For Heroes had the opposite problem.
Led by Justin Schlosberg, Hell Is For Heroes were on major label EMI for whom they recorded the album The Neon Handshake.
But when it came to new album Transmit Disrupt, the group decided to go it alone.
According to heavy metal magazine Kerrang: “The powers-that-be (EMI) weren’t happy with the direction they were taking. They suggested the band work with a big-name producer in the States and write more songs.
“The band weren’t happy and were even less keen to sever their ties with the producers of their debut album . . . So they quietly excused themselves from EMI’s company.”
But South Africa-born Justin says it was an “amicable parting of the ways. We didn’t walk out on them, it was quite gentlemanly.”
Justin added: “We were pretty fortunate to be in a position to be self proficient. People have been helping us but we are in complete control.”
When asked if Hell Is For Heroes would ever sign for a major label again, Justin said: “We are happy with the way things are. It would have to be a very large amount of money to entice us.
“We have been chatting to labels in America and Europe to licence our records.”
Formed by ex-Symposium members Will McGonagle (guitars) and Joe Birch (drums) along with their schoolfriends James Findlay (bass) and guitarist Tom O’Donoghue, the Hell Is For Heroes line-up was completed by Justin.
The band released their own single, Sick/Happy before signing with EMI/Chrysalis.
Justin admits that it would have been harder for the group to go it alone if the internet did not exist.
“The internet has broken up the localised scene where bands built up reputations,” he said. “It’s the same thing now but through a virtual community.”
Transmit Disrupt has been released on the band’s own label, Factotum, under the Captains of Industry banner. Schlosberg has been connected with the collective since 2002.
“The Captains of Industry is a group of people who genuinely care about music,” Justin said.
The frontman also believes in free downloading.
“We’ve never seen a problem with it,” he said. “It’s up to the musicians to make records which justify people parting with their money.
“Make it a valuable package — a piece of art in its own right.”
Justin’s family moved to London from Johannesburg when he was three.
Of his Judaism he said: “I’ve always been brought up with a Jewish identity but I am not religious. I see myself as of Jewish ethnicity.”
Justin has been back to Johannesburg a couple of times but says most of his family emigrated to Australia. In his youth, he’d never had any ambitions to be involved in music but once he’d left school he started “thinking for myself for the first time.
“I began writing songs. The more I did it, the more I realised that was the work I wanted to do.”
Justin also claims his father, who was in the music business, discouraged him from entering the industry while his maternal grandfather was a professional entertainer in the 1930s who was addicted to gambling.
“Every rock band can die a gruesome death,” he said. “It’s the nature of what we do.”
Justin reckons more bands will follow Hell Is For Heroes’ lead. He said: “With technology how it is, you can now record a decent sounding album in your own bedroom.
“You can make a dirt cheap record and survive without being world famous.”
