Musicians from the Midwest certainly have a ton of heart and a ton of drive. Hembree has all of that and more. In April, the outfit released House on Fire, their debut full-length album, and since then, they’ve found great success, including–but not limited to–a song placement on Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. There’s no doubt that the band’s success is due to a myriad of electronic, psych, and alternative influences all adding up to their palatable blend of indie rock. It’s as eclectic as it is consistent, and it’s uniquely theirs.
The Kansas City rockers took the time to answer some burning questions I had about House on Fire, their past, and–of course–the Midwest.
Tell me about your first band, Quiet Corral. What was your role in Quiet Corral, and how did you transition to Hembree?
Quiet Corral was essentially my college band that became a real touring band. It started in my apartment freshman year of college in Lawrence, KS. We’d all just get together and share song ideas. I remember the heater went out at my place in the dead of winter, and we were basically sitting around in a living room writing songs while our fingers were about to fall off because they were so cold.
I played guitar and contributed to the songwriting. Our singer, Jesse Roberts, would write all of the lyrics. He’s a really gifted lyricist, and frankly, that’s probably the main reason things really started to happen for us. I look back fondly at our first EP because we were really young, and our ideas were a bit all over the place, but we were so inspired and excited about making music together. That excitement ended up yielding a really cool result, and there was a real energy to our EP. We toured quite a bit and even had the fortune of playing major festivals like Austin City Limits Festival. Ultimately, Jesse decided he didn’t want to do the touring band life anymore, and we didn’t feel we should continue without him. It’s funny, at the time we were all so devastated. Now, at 28, I don’t blame anyone for not wanting to be in a touring band! ha! The road, while fun, can be a bit taxing.
You weren’t always a vocalist, and now it seems you’ve landed the role as lead vocalist in Hembree. What was that journey like? How is it different from your prior experiences in bands?
Truth be told, I was so bummed out when Quiet Corral ended that I started writing songs and sending them to the guys asking them what they thought, and never really mentioning who was singing. Eventually, after some positive reviews, I let them know I was the vocalist.
I didn’t really know what I was doing yet, but I discovered a true love for songwriting during that time period, and I knew I wanted to keep playing in a band. I’d always written songs with friends, recorded some lead vocals from time to time, but never truly fronted a band. For whatever reason, I finally felt ready to front a band. In a weird way, Quiet Corral ending is the best thing that ever happened to me. It opened up an entire world of songwriting, and now I’m living in Los Angeles as a full-time songwriter. The classic “one door closes, another one opens” scenario.
What bands did you grow up listening to? Which of those bands (if any) has had the biggest influence on your musicianship?
My parents are both musicians, so I grew up surrounded by great music. Tom Petty, The Beatles, The Police, Prince, Blondie, The Pretenders, Stevie Wonder, Led Zeppelin, all come to mind. As I got older, I started playing in pop punk bands in high school. It’s literally what everyone did, haha! I was a drummer, so you already know Travis Barker was my favorite musician. My friends and I started recording ourselves and getting more into music production. Learning more about production led us to making beats and getting more into hip hop. Outkast, Dr. Dre, and Gorillaz were huge for me. I loved what Damon Albarn was doing. Just breaking genres left and right.
Thinking back about music that shaped me, there are a few records that stick out in my head that really changed things for me in my early years of making music. The main one is “Radiohead – In Rainbows”. I couldn’t really wrap my head around this album when it first came out, but a few months later it was all I could listen to.
You’re currently based in Kansas City, Kansas. I’ve never been, and I’m curious: which is better, the Kansas side or the Missouri side?
Truth be told, I actually live in Los Angeles now, but I’m originally from Lawrence, KS. If you have the opportunity to spend a day there, I highly recommend it. It’s where the University of Kansas is, and it’s just such a special place. After growing up in Lawrence, I moved to Kansas City, MO and stared Hembree. Confused? Hang on tight! Explaining KCMO and KCK is very confusing for anyone not from Kansas City. There is literally a street, appropriately named “State Line” that separates the two, and I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been at a show in KCMO and heard the artist yell, “How we doing KANSAS?”. It’s our own fault for making this so confusing for everyone.
The KC that most of the world knows is on the Missouri side. If you just watched the latest season of Queer Eye, they’re in KCMO. As are the Chiefs and Royals. I truly loved my time there, and it will always feel like home. That said, don’t count KCK out. There’s a ton of young artists putting a lot of energy into the city, as well as some of the best restaurants you can find in all of KC. If you’re on the Kansas side, I highly recommend Jarocho and El Pollo Rey.
I truly love KC, as does the rest of the band. A few of the guys still live there, and we’re always playing shows there.
As a musician, what do you like about the city?
KC has one of the best artist communities in the country. There’s so many talented musicians, designers, chefs, visual artists, filmmakers, etc., all living and working in the city. There’s so many cool events based around the arts community in the city like Middle of The Map Festival and Boulevardia. These events allow artists from KC to perform on the same stage as national and international artists.
There are also countless radio stations in KC that provide artists with some incredible opportunities. It feels like everyone is on the same team, and we’re all fighting for KC.
Since you’re based in Kansas City, I’d love to hear what your favorite local venue is. Best stage? Best deals on cheap beer?
This is a tough one, especially because I’ve become friends with most of the people who book these venues. Okay–here it goes. My favorite venue in KC is The Midland. Did I used to work there? Yes, I did. But it’s still my favorite room regardless. It is a gorgeous theater where we’ve played some of my favorite shows ever. We opened for Phoenix in that room. That said, we love rocking the recordBar and I love seeing a show at Crossroads KC in the summer.
If you truly want cheap beer, I recommend hitting the Replay Lounge in Lawrence, KS. Just 40 minutes away. Whatever you spend on gas, you’ll save on cheap beer and cheap cover. And if you want a great hang and cheap beer in KC, I recommend going to The Peanut. Make sure it’s the original one on Main St.
How has being from the Midwest shaped you personally as a musician? Has it had any influence on the band as a whole?
I think being from the Midwest has absolutely influenced the entire band. We’re very down to earth, and we’re ridiculously outgoing. Especially the Ward brothers. I’m talking, if you send them into a bar, they will make at least five new best friends. The guys in the band are absolute sweethearts. Seriously, good people, and I’m super thankful to play music with them.
I also think there’s bit of Midwestern grit to Hembree. We’ve all been playing in bands forever, and we work really hard. That hard work mentality feels pretty Midwest to me.
House on Fire is Hembree’s first full-length album, and it seems it’s being received very well! What are you the most proud of with this release?
Thanks! I think I’m most proud of the way we made it. We made it the way we wanted to, with the people we wanted to. We hopped around from home studio to home studio working with our best friends, and I’m so thrilled with the result. I’m looking forward to doing it all over again on LP 2.
Which track changed the most from your initial idea through the recording process?
I would say “Symmetry Lines.” It started as a song called “Reverse,” and it had an entirely different structure and chorus. We probably made eight different recordings of that song by the time the record came out. “Skyline” was that way, too. Though the initial idea was the same throughout, we recorded that song soooo many times before we finally got it right. Then there’s songs like “Almost.” Just recorded it once, and called it good! Why can’t they all be like that?
I know it’s impossible to pick favorites, but… I’m going to ask you to pick favorites. What’s your favorite track off of the new album? Which one do you look forward to playing live most?
“Heart” is my favorite song on the record. It feels so personal to me. I had the chorus written for years, but I couldn’t put the verses together. It finally all clicked, and I’m just so happy with how that song turned out. It feel authentic and not at all forced.
In terms of playing live, “Culture” is my favorite. The live version seems to hit even harder than the recording, and it’s just so fun to feel the crowd’s energy as the song ramps up in energy.
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