The last several records have proven that Random Hero truly has what it takes to secure a solid presence in the Christian rock industry, but they have absolutely hit it out of the park on Tension. The production quality is phenomenal without sounding over-produced, and the writing is superb, delivering a strong message of hope. Adding fuel to the fire is the fantastic performance by Watkins, McDonough, Madsen and new guitarist Micah Labrosse. It is clear that these guys genuinely care for others and want to offer them the same hope that’s been so integral to their lives. It is also clear that they love to rock and have a great time while doing so. Tension is a must have album, one that is sure to remain on repeat for a long time to come.
I recently had the chance to connect with the band to address the Tension…
[JW] What were your inspirations for this new album, Tension?
The inspiration for our new record TENSION, was all about breaking new ground with this record, exploring new territory musically and finding our true sound as a band. We really experienced some crazy highs and lows over the past few years and we wanted to write from an open and honest place about where we were at. -Aaron & Patrick
[JW] What was the creative process like in writing this album?
The creative process for this record was amazing. We went to Nashville and did co-writes with our Producer, Kellen McGregor (Memphis May Fire) and Josiah Prince (Disciple). Those guys are absolutely incredible! We wanted to go in and just create from the beginning to the end, so we didn’t go in with full songs, just short ideas that we could build off of and just be creative, and it all came together organically and so fast, it was honestly the best creative writing experience we have ever had! -Aaron
[JW] Do you have any favorite songs on this album? Any you’d like to tell us the story behind?
That is such a tough question, when we love them all! I’d say White Flag. The story behind it is really about surrender and we really did surrender own desires for what this record should be so the true sound that God had intended for us would shine through this entire record. -Patrick
[JW] Is there a particular story behind the cover art?
The story behind the cover art came about really organically, as I had several designs made for this record, however, this one, we all felt best represented tension to the fullest extent. It’s not just about the plane, but in this case the plane faced real tension, as we all do in life, however, we can either sit there with the scars and damage life throws at us, or we can recover and fly. -Los
[JW] You guys did some co-writing with Kellen McGregor of Memphis May Fire and Josiah Prince of Disciple on the new album. How was your experience working with them?
It was INCREDIBLE! Both those guys are seriously legends in the industry. For us, it was like writing jams with your best friends. They both challenged us and pushed us to grow on all facets, not letting us settle for just anything. It was truly amazing to watch them work, when we brought such short and simple ideas to them, you could see them working out the bigger picture of each song that we didn’t see at the time. After working with Kellan and Josiah we all feel like we’re better at our craft than we were when we started. -Aaron & Patrick
[JW] In the final part of your teaser video series for this new album you set your old music alight. That’s a bold move! What inspired you to do that and what message were you conveying through that?
We wanted to convey a bold message in those teasers as we all were in such an incredible season of growth. We found that holding onto the past can be really damaging in a lot of ways, for us we wanted to honor the past, because we wouldn’t be where we are without those records and in order to grow, we had to let them go and let the past be the past so we could grow in the best way. -Aaron
[JW] What do you hope people take away from this new album?
We really hope that people hear what they need to hear from the Holy Spirit through this record and that it is okay to face the tension in life, growth is a scary process at times but if you come from a place of humility and grace it will lead you to an incredible new beginning. -Aaron
[JW] You guys have been part of the City RockFest tour for quite a few years now. What is it about this tour that you love so much and keeps bringing you back?
The City Rockfest Tour is always so much fun, we really enjoy the family dynamic that is present with all the bands. Seventh Day Slumber really goes out of their way and takes such great care of all the bands. It’s honestly from the shows to the down time just an amazing tour that we love to be apart of. -Patrick
[JW] Here’s a fun question to wrap things up…how do you think you would prepare for the zombie apocalypse?
How would we prepare for the zombie apocalypse? 100% Land mines, barbed wire bats and most importantly tons of cardio! – RH
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