Hooray For Earth – “Surrounded By Your Friends (Adrienne Drake remix)”

Hooray For Earth frontman Noel Heroux is nothing at all like Sid Vicious, but the first time I saw him play he smashed his beloved Flying V during the band’s grand finale at a Bushwick loft space. Unlike the legendary punk rocker, Heroux’s destruction was hardly the product of a of rage, but rather the result of an emotional peak. It was one of those moments where an artist is so filled with excitement that in the heat of the moment they can act without sight of consequence. For Noel, this meant for an energetic finale to a fantastic show, but also to the final notes played on the guitar that felt as much as a connection to as any of his body parts. As the guitar smashed to the ground after being thrown into the air, Heroux’s smile hinted towards the type of disappointment seen in a child when his favorite stuffed animal loses an eye during play.

I saw a lot in the personality of Noel Heroux the first time I saw Hooray For Earth play. As typical with loft shows, the sound was pretty terrible, but the band played with the type of passionate joy that makes up for it. For Noel and the rest of Hooray For Earth that particular show was important because that’d be the last time drummer Seth Kasper would perform as part of the band (leaving to join Wild Light).

A month or so later, Hooray For Earth joined a fantastic lineup with Depreciatation Guild, Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers and KiNo at the Bell House as part of a benefit concert organized by yours truly. Another performance leaving a lasting impression, it’d be the start of a blossoming relationship.

Over the course of 2009 and first half of 2010, I have found myself at nearly every Hooray For Earth show to take place in New York. It all began with me as another fan. Upbeat songs like “Heartbeat” and “Take Care” from their debut record were constantly on repeat on my iPod. Something about the combination of the melodic songwriting and drop d tuning made Hooray For Earth truly unique. Live, the songs were even stronger and more passionate during a time when our overload of indie rock is played with an obnoxious feeling of disinterest.

After putting on multiple concerts with Hooray For Earth, I found myself more and more connected to the band. No longer just a fan, a friendship had grown. Noel, Chris, Gary and Joe are a humble group of guys who happen to play music that I love, that keeps getting better and better.

When I started following them as a journalist and fan, I often felt alone in that regard. Everyone else seemed be talking about much “hipper acts” from Brooklyn’s lo-fi scene, but now HFE seems to finally getting their chance to shine, with an upcoming tour with Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood, as well as tonight’s concert with The Futureheads.

Last Thursday I met up with Noel for an interview. It’s a weird thing to interview a friend whose art you admire, and we kept it casual. Over the past month or so I’ve felt disconnected from music journalism, and I felt that if anyone could revive that passion in me, it’s Noel.

As the Caronas kept coming to the table, we talked in a format that was more friendly conversation than interview about Hooray For Earth’s upcoming tour. As much as Heroux looks forward to his first tour in which he can safely assume people will turn out for, he doesn’t look forward to being apart from his beautiful fiancee Jessica Zambri. The most interesting stop on the tour may come at Jack Rabbits in Jacksonville, where Hooray For Earth stopped on their last tour to play in front of an empty room, matched with a punk band who had created a bonfire behind the venue prior to the show.

Since the first time I saw Hooray For Earth live, most of the songs that were part of their sets back then have been ousted by newer material from their recent ep MOMO. Songs like “Comfortable/Comparable” and “Scaling” have shown the band growing as a band and expanding their boundaries, but at times the fan me and others have a desire to hear the older songs that we have a certain nostalgia for. While Heroux told me that many of the older songs stick out like a sore thumb, “Take Care” could find its way back into setlists, as it did in a recent show in Boston where fans requested it. It is not uncommon for an artist to want to throw away their older material for the new as they develop their style. It is undeniable that Hooray For Earth’s best work is still ahead of them as they continue to grow and take chances, but “Surrounded By Your Friends” will always be a great, as will “Take Care.”

Knowing Noel Heroux the man I’ve grown to appreciate Noel Heroux the musician on an even higher level. Tonight’s show at Music Hall of Williamsburg opening for Dovecote labelmates The Futureheads will be another glimpse into the bright bright future of Hooray For Earth. Just don’t expect a cover of any songs by Kiss (a band Heroux admittedly can’t stand).

On Hooray For Earth’s most well known track to date, Heroux sings the words “in the end you’re surrounded by your friends.” It could sound cheesy, but instead contains a feeling of warmth and honesty, which is yet another reason it makes me happy to say in the end when I’m surrounded by my friends, Noel and Hooray For Earth will be there playing a song.