Jack of All Trades: An Interview with The Home Team

As 2023 comes to a close, The Home Team, are reflecting on their year, and how far they've come as a band in such a short period of time. With sold out tours, the release of their new single "Loud" (check out our review for it here), signing to Thriller Records, and the band traveling across the pond for their first international tour, it's safe to say that 2023 was the year of a lifetime for The Home Team! For those who are unfamiliar with The Home Team, they are heavy-pop/pop-punk band hailing from Seattle, and is known for tracks such as "She's Quiet," "Right Through Me," and "Move It or Lose It" that have shot them to stardom. I had the opportunity to speak with the band about their new single "Loud," their feelings about touring internationally for the first time, what they all do off-tour, and much more!

MSM: You're currently on your first tour across the UK. How has the response to your band been, especially with you being a supporting act?

THT: The response has been incredible. We expected there to be some Real Rockers in the crowd, but honestly we thought it’d be a lot of fans of The Used just standing there with their arms crossed waiting for us to finish. It felt like we won a lot of people over. You could definitely see the crowd loosen up by the end of the set, so that was very dope.

MSM: You just released your newest single, "Loud." How has the response been towards it, and how will it potentially affect your future songwriting processes? 

THT: People seem to be digging it! It’s a little bit of a departure from the sound of our last record. I don’t think it’s SUPER far off from what people were expecting, but we definitely led with the least “rock band” single. We’re stoked people like it, because this is a sound we’re going to keep writing, but we’re always going to evolve.

MSM: Speaking of your songwriting processes, your music is clearly inspired by artists of various different genres. Could you tell us what particular artists/genres inspire you all the most? 

John: We all listen to a ton of different music, but what truly inspires our sound is Japanese Pop Rock and R&B. Both those genres continue to push the boundaries of music which is truly inspiring and refreshing to hear. Some great artists to check out would be Polkadot Stingray, YOASOBI, and Lucky Daye.

MSM: Since it's your first time touring the UK, are there been any particular places/activities that you have gotten a chance to experience yet? 

THT: We stayed in London for an extra week to hit all of the major sights, but we all split off and did our own thing for a day and had a blast. Ryne and Daniel went to Lincoln to hangout with a couple friends. We saw a really old castle and had a blast. John and Brian went down to Brighton for a day, and Brian went to Bath. 

MSM: Over the course of the past two years, your band has had a tremendous amount of growth. How has that affected you all? 

THT: Our growth has been pretty rapid, and I try to take a step back and appreciate what’s happening as often as I remember to. There aren’t many bands that get to experience what we’re going through, so it’s not lost on us at all that we’re in the middle of something pretty special. I think the biggest thing we struggle with is really understanding how much we’re growing, because a year ago we were touring in a van sleeping in the bunks we made every night. In our minds we’re still that band, but as things keep growing, we keep running into situations that make it clear that we’re not in that same position anymore. Honestly we’re just thankful that anybody cares about our band at all.

MSM: With the release of "Loud," fans, including myself, are definitely eager for what's next for your band. Without revealing too much, what can fans expect from The Home Team in 2024?

THT: We’re going to tour pretty much everywhere in the US, hopefully hit Australia and Europe for the first time, and release a new album!

MSM: You're a band that doesn't like to be labeled or tied down to a specific genre. With each release, you've reinvented your sound. With that being said, are there any specific sounds or ideas that you've been toying with? 

THT: We’re heavily inspired by Japanese rock, contemporary R&B, and death metal. We try to pull small ideas from other genres and give them a rock spin, hopefully in a way you’ve never heard before! We’ve been listening to a lot of UK grime lately, and that’s definitely going to influence what we write from here on out!

MSM: This question is for Brian only (sorry, guys). You will be taking the helm as the frontman of metalcore band, ISSUES, for their final run of shows. Can you tell us about how everything transpired, what fans of the band can expect, and your overall feelings towards performing with such an influential act? 

Brian: When the offer was given to me a few months back, I kind of just thought “oh yeah that’d be cool! I love Issues!” But once I started rehearsing and we announced it, it got a lot more real. I was a massive Woe, Is Me fan when they came out with their first release so I’ve been following the journey since very early, so it’s a bit hard to contextualize something like this happening in the moment. With that said, obviously it’s an extreme honor. They’ve been an influence on us for a very long time and as much as I’d like to wonder why they didn’t go with someone even more talented, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel right to be here. 

MSM: When your band isn't on tour and/or writing music, what other interests do you all individually have? 

Daniel: I’m a big gamer, I play Counter-Strike and Valorant, and I spend my free time hanging with my wife and my cats.

John: I love Dungeons and Dragons, gaming (currently obsessed with Baldur’s Gate 3, which is apart of one of my favorite game series ever), and lifting weights (unfortunately I do not have as much time as I used to to power lift but I still thoroughly enjoy going to the gym when I can)!

Ryne: I love making coffee at home, and trust me it is more of a hobby than you think. I also love playing indie games and working with my non-profit singing groups. 

Brian: I’ve taken on a lot of other mediums of creativity, like graphic design and videography. I’m also a big craft beer lover, activist for animal rights and veganism, and I do love me some RPG style video games. 

MSM: Thank you for your time! Do you have any closing remarks for the fans tuning in? Have a great rest of your tour!

THT: We hope you love the new album, we’re super proud of it and thanks for rocking with us!

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