SXSW Interview: Herzog

If you’ve read these pages, you’ve likely heard me compare Herzog to the American version of Sloan. It’s a certified fact; they’re incapable of writing a bad song. But, with that said, they might not be on your radar…such is the fate of the greats. So, get to know them below and hunt them down at SXSW.

ATH: Whats the name of the band/group? Where are you from?

H: We Are Herzog, from Cleveland, Ohio

ATH: Describe your groups sound.

H: Power pop with intelligent lyrics.

ATH: What was your most recent release? Any planned releases from 2019?

H: We’re Touring behind our latest release on Exit Stencil records “Me vs You” which came out in February.

ATH: For most SXSW sets, you get 30 minutes to leave a lasting impression. Whats your plan of attack? You have a set list mapped out yet?

H: We are a professional band. We never drop beats, we never false start, we play everything exactly the way we want it played.

ATH: Lets say your band has been booked an official showcase at a pop up venue somewhere in the middle of 6th street. The lineup features thrash metal, hip-hop, spoken word, and you. The sound is horrible, the lineup is not your style, and the crowd seems angry at the world. How would your band deal with such a situation?

H: Turn it up, play for each other, finish on time and under budget.

ATH: There are tons of bands coming into town. Of the 1000+ bands coming into town, who would you ideally like to play with. What band friends will be here?

H: Mourning A BLKstar. We’ve been friends with Rafeeq for years, and definitely excited each time we see them.

ATH: What has everyone in the band been listening to, or, what plays in the tour van/car/bus?

H : Nick – Bruce Springsteen and Graham Nash Dave – Weird jazz. Charlie – doesn’t get to pick Alec – Kraftwerk. We’re going to have a tour manager this time out, Rachel, and she listens to Cursive and other 2000’s indie rock.

ATH: Describe your perfect festival, real or not? Whos headlining? Wheres it take place? Etc.

H: Cleveland has a few home grown festivals that are amazing, and have been some of our favorite shows that we’ve played, like Brite Winter and Ingenuity. Those are more important to us than bigger national festivals, although we would take any offer seriously

ATH: Whats on the bands rider? If were bringing you food and booze, what can we bring you?

H: My wife is Jewish, and she says Jews and Texans meet over brisket, which sounds great. Beer is usually standard domestic. Lone Star is fine.

ATH: The band gets to create their own taco pop-up shop at SXSW? Whats the name, and what sort of tacos will you have? Any sides?

H: Call it Heuvos-zog. just serves egg and potatoes on flour tortillas. Cleveland has a unique condiment called stadium mustard, which we put on a lot of things. The oft rumored fruit loops on hot dogs thing is true, BTW. The Happy Dog started it, and we play there all the time

Shows: 3/15 @ the Side Bar (6 PM), 3/16 (Pending Show), 3/17 @ Empire Control Room