How you are today and where are you? 

Doing great! Good to be a part of what you are doing at the Rock Club. We are from Warner Robins, Georgia, USA. Population 68,000 in Mid-Georgia, about ½ hour south of Macon and 2 hours South of Atlanta.

 

How important is Georgia music heritage to your sound and are there any bands that have really inspired you, so far in the career of Homeless Hill?

 

It’s amazing to think of how much great talent has come out of Georgia. Otis Redding, The Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker Band, Little Richard, REM, The Black Crowes, Rehab, and in more recent years, Jason Aldean from Macon and The Zac Brown Band from Atlanta. Some people have mentioned they hear some southern rock influence in what we do, but it’s not something we’ve deliberately done. It’s an honor to live in a state with so much talent and it’s an inspiration to know that so many great bands have come out of Georgia, but there aren’t really any bands in the state that have directly impacted our sound.

 

In terms of overall bands that have impacted us, definitely Alter Bridge, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sound garden and Led Zeppelin. That being said, we don’t strive to sound like anyone. There are a variety of influences, but the end result is Homeless Hill!

 

You have played with Southern rock legends Wet Willie, among others. What did you learn from playing gigs with bands like these?

 

Wet Willie are still going strong and put on a great show. They are legends around here, particularly since they were signed to Capricorn Records out of Macon in the 70’s, and they are from Alabama. We played with them at a festival here in Mid-GA a couple years ago. It’s great to see that bands like these can still lay it down and put on a hell of a show! Professional and take pride in giving their audiences something to remember!

 

With so many media platforms, we are now saturated with music, how can Homeless Hill aim to stand out above the rest?

 

At the end of the day, it’s really all about the music. Without that, you’re dead in the water. Our first and most important goal is to write record and perform not just good music, but GREAT music. There are far too many bands out there that are trying to get ahead by solely focusing on maximizing their exposure through social media platforms. But if the band is average, no amount of social media will make you stand out. Social media is a tool. It’s not magic.

 

You always have to keep the momentum moving and keep your fans involved and informed. We don’t utilize a ton of different social platforms. There is not enough time in the day to manage that effectively. As a Homeless Hill fan, you can connect with us the fastest through our Facebook page. We also maintain a Reverbnation  profile and of course, our website at www.homelesshill.com.

 

 

 

 

Photos of the band show you as a three and four piece, who is in the band and how did you get together in the first place?

 

I came up with the concept of Homeless Hill when I was 8. There was an obscure place some friends and I discovered not far from my home, and it looked like someone was actually living there from leftover trash and stuff like that. So, we thought a homeless guy lived there. It was our hide-out, our secret society of sorts. People at school caught wind of the place and wanted to go and we wouldn't allow it, of course, which would create more mystique!

 

I wanted to set out and put together the ultimate rock band to play incredible, original music . My first band missed that goal by a long shot due to lack of dedication by other members. Shortly after, I decided to put together a recording band and called Adam (bassist) and later, Danny (Savage). This trio was the line-up that recorded Set it on Fire, our first full length album in 2010 

 

The First Line-Up: 2009 

Darin Curtis – Guitars, Lead Vocals

Adam Crump – Bass, Vocals

Danny Savage – Drums, Vocals

 

The band wanted to broaden their sound by bringing in another guitarist and this is when Travis Denning was recruited He played with Homeless Hill towards the end of 2011 and 2012.

 

The Second Line-Up: 2011

Darin Curtis – Guitars, Lead Vocals

Travis Denning – Lead Guitars, Vocals

Adam Crump – Bass, Vocals

Danny Savage – Drums, Vocals

 

Finally, at the end of 2012, Denning left the band to pursue a solo-career as a singer/songwriter. Jonathan Foreman was recruited and is now the current line-up.

 

The Third Line-Up 2013

Darin Curtis – Guitars, Lead Vocals

Jonathan Foreman – Lead Guitars

Adam Crump – Bass, Vocals

Danny Savage – Drums, Vocals

 

 

When and where was your first gig, any memories?

 

Our first gig was with Southern rockers Doc Holliday. They were signed to A&M Records back in the 80’s and have played with April Wine, Blackfoot, Pat Travers, Molly Hatchet and more. They are still huge in many overseas markets. We hadn’t decided to call the band Homeless Hill as of yet, but merely “One Night Stand.” We had a handful of originals, soon to be recorded for “Set it on Fire,” but we mostly had to learn a ton of cover songs in a three week period. We were nervous!  We played Jailbreak by Thin Lizzy, Radar Love by Golden Earring, stuff like that. To our surprise, we were an instant success and that was when we knew, we needed to form a band, which would soon be called Homeless Hill.

 

The Cox Capitol Theatre, in Macon, GA. Was another. What a great venue, of about 600 or so capacity. Originally, Homeless Hill was only going to be a recording project. But, when we finally came out with our first album, “Set it on Fire,” we found a lot of people supporting us and wanting to hear those songs live!  What a tremendous feeling that was to see Homeless Hill transform into an original live act!  

 

 

Can you make a career out of touring a few States in America or, is it now a global challenge?

 

It’s tough to make a career touring a few states, unless you have a substantial fan base throughout those states. We do very well in our region, but it’s always a challenge to break into a new market, no matter how good you are. The best way around that, is to play with other acts who are popular in their respective markets/cities. You get to play in front of their fans with the hopes of them liking you. You then return the favor and do the same for them. We also have built up relationships with certain agents who pair us with some of their artists for one-offs, or maybe a week run throughout the region.

 

There are many original indie bands who book national tours in the states, but few making any real money from it. To us, it makes sense to focus in on our region – the Southeast. That way, we build a solid foundation of die-hard fans, and it’s doable. You can definitely still get the attention of the music industry that way. It doesn’t make sense to embark on a national tour, as an indie rock band, if you’re not going to go back and playing those same markets consistently. Many indie bands don’t have the financial resources to make that effectively happen.

 

We are starting to see a lot of fans emerge from overseas, which we are excited about. Personally, we’d love to do a tour overseas if demand was there for it. We will see how that develops!

 

Back to school/college days, what were the great records exchanged with fellow students as you went through the education system and do you still play any of those albums today?

 

80’s hair bands and thrash metal. Loved Ozzy, Blizzard of Ozz, No More Tears, Whitesnake’s Slide It In and Whitesnake. And then there was Ted Nugent. Great guitarist.  Golden Earring…another great rock band and Disturbed. Nirvana Nevermind, Three Doors Down Away from The Sun, and Guns and Roses, Appetite for Destruction. Still listen to all those bands/artists from time to time! They are timeless.

 

What is the best piece of advice you can you give to new bands taking their first steps into the music industry today?

 

Focus on the music and performance. There is nothing like seeing a band that can perform well. It’s missing element with a lot of bands these days. Promote, promote, promote. You can’t depend on venues or clubs to do it. It takes hustle and never-ending belief in who you are. It’s not just about talent anymore. That’s part of it, but definitely not all of it. The buck stops with you. Take full responsibility in your success or lack of. Also, don’t get sucked into the fallacy of “selling out.” Tell me what band sustains a career being broke?

 

Any particular instruments, effects or, recording techniques that you use that would like to share with your fellow musicians’?

 

We like to experiment a lot in the studio, various effects and particularly, plug-ins. We’ll try anything if it sounds cool and makes sense.

 

What is your favourite radio station today and why?

 

Honestly, we don’t listen to as much radio as we do Pandora, Palladia TV or even our iPods. We do listen to Satellite radio from time to time. Atlanta has lost all of its rock stations, unfortunately.

 

Any favourite festivals that, should be on our calendars?

 

Bonnaroo, of course. Rockstar Mayhem 2013, Athfest in Athens, GA, June 2013. The Bragg Jam in Macon, GA July 27 (we’re playing that one!).

  

Band Website for more Info, Music & Tour dates