With multiple tours, the release of their third LP, The Crucible of Life, and thousands of new fans, 2024 has been a defining year for heavy-pop icons, The Home Team. Our Chief Interviewer, Andrew Kjelson, had the opportunity to chat with the band about the reception to their new album, the evolution of the band's signature sound, what's next for the band, and much more.
The Home Team is an American heavy-pop/pop-punk band that's best known for their genre-defining hits such as "Loud," "Hell," and "Walk This World With Me." Hailing from Seattle, WA, The Home Team is a band that has broken free from the shackles of genre and has crafted a sound that blends R&B, pop, metal, punk, and more into something incredibly unique, especially for their "scene."
Stream The Home Team's newest album, The Crucible of Life, on Spotify
MSM: You're currently on a massive tour supporting Neck Deep on their US headlining tour. Had you set any goals and/or expectations in preparation for this tour?
THT: Whenever we support another band, our main goal is to put on the most high energy show that we can, and show all of their fans what a THT show is all about. We’ve been huge fans of Neck Deep for a long time, so we’re also just psyched to get to see them play every night lol.
MSM: You released your third studio LP, The Crucible of Life, earlier this year. How has the release of this album impacted your band as a whole?
THT: We've seen a ton of growth in the past year since we dropped the first single from this record, and it's been pretty crazy to see it all happening around us. We're seeing bigger crowds with more people knowing our songs and a bigger following online that's growing every day. We were pretty nervous about this album holding up to Slow Bloom, but it feels like people are really digging TCOL and we're stoked.
MSM: A lot of the songs on The Crucible of Life focus on themes relating to romantic/physical relationships. Were there any real-life scenarios that inspired the creation of these tracks?
THT: A lot of my writing is pretty exaggerated and has been for a long time. So, many of the situations that prompted some of these songs are probably more mundane than people would expect. But I seldom limit what a song is about to those experiences alone. I like to think of music and art as a medium rather than a one-to-one expression of real life. Sometimes it can be as simple as me wanting to write about a song that never even happened in the first place.
MSM: Your band's sound has consistently changed and evolved with each release. When you started writing this album, were there any specific sounds/styles that you knew were essential to making this record what it is today?
THT: We really wanted to take some of the songs from Slow Bloom that we thought pushed the most boundaries and move more into that kind of territory. Songs like "On" & "Slow Bloom" were later in that writing process, so naturally our headspace was closer to those writing TCOL. We're heavily influenced by what we listen to outside of our scene, Japanese rock, UK grime, and contemporary r&b, and we try to pull from those genres more than bands in our scene.
MSM: The last time I interviewed your band, I had asked Brian about his opportunity to front ISSUES' final tour. Brian, after fronting one of the bands that inspired you the most, were there any lessons and/or moments that have stuck with you since the end of that tour?
THT: Definitely. It puts a lot of things into perspective with how other people work. But also, it made me very grateful for how much they made me feel welcomed as an artist. The entire experience gave me a large confidence boost in my vocal ability and my ability to rehearse and perform a large catalog of music. I didn't realize until recently how many Issues fans became THT fans from those shows.
MSM: 2024 has been an incredible year for your band: you headlined the first idobi Radio Summer School Tour, your newest album charted in eight different categories on the Billboard charts, and you're continuing to tour through the end of the year. How have these achievements sat with you all? I would imagine that it is very overwhelming, yet incredibly fulfilling at the same time.
THT: That's a great way to describe it, it's both overwhelming and fulfilling. We've been working at this for a long time, so it feels great to finally be seeing the fruits of our labor after years of grinding. I try to take a step back and appreciate everything that's going on because I recognize that we're very fortunate and this will likely only happen once in our career. We're very thankful to be able to pursue our dream.
MSM: While 2024 has been one of the biggest years for your band, you're starting 2025 out strong with a European tour supporting State Champs. What do you hope to achieve during the next year?
THT: 2024 has been a huge growth year for us, but we're hoping that 2025 is the year of our world takeover. We want to be the band that really breaks out in 2025 with a huge sold out headliner to end the year.
MSM: It looks like the Vans Warped Tour is aiming for its triumphant return next year. Your band had the opportunity to play the Seattle, WA date in 2016. Going back in time, how was that experience for your band overall? If you had the opportunity to perform on the 2025 iteration, what would you do differently from your first time performing on the tour?
THT: The experience was incredible, it was the biggest show we'd ever played in our lives at that point. If we got onto the 2025 iteration, I'd probably try to get an actual recording of us playing. When we played the Seattle date in 2016, I tried to film our set with my GoPro, but I accidentally had it in photo mode so I just took a picture of me bending over to press record lol. Hopefully next time I can actually film the set and play well :)
MSM: As artists, it's safe to assume that you're consistently writing while on the road. Though it's very early to be thinking about future music of yours, have you had any ideas for future music? If so, what sort of sounds and themes do you hope to explore with your future material?
THT: We want to be vigilant about what's been successful with this album, but we also want to make sure that we're moving in a direction that's propelling us forward and not just hanging onto the same sounds. I think it's a no-brainer that Loud has set the tone for what we'll try and accomplish in the future, but that doesn't mean we want to limit ourselves to that specific sound. Realistically, we won't really know until we're actually in a room fully piecing together the next record.
MSM: Thank you for your time! Are there any closing remarks that you would like to give your fans?
THT: Thank you so much for rocking with us. We can't wait to show y'all what we're gonna be working on next, and hopefully we'll see you at a show soon!
The Home Team is:
· Brian Butcher (Vocals)
· John Baran (Guitar)
· Ryne Olson (Bass)
· Daniel Matson (Drums)
Watch the official music video for Walk This World With Me by The Home Team on YouTube
The Home Team's latest album, The Crucible of Life, is available now via Thriller Records
Follow The Home Team: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Website, X
Want to see The Home Team live? Now's your chance!
2024 North American dates (supporting Neck Deep's Dumbstruck Dumbf**k North American Tour):
10/15 Albuquerque, NM – The Sunshine Theater
10/17 Salt Lake City, UT – Union
10/22 Vancouver, BC – The Vogue Theater
10/24 Calgary, AB – MacEwan Hall
10/25 Edmonton, AB – Union Hall
10/28 Des Moines, IA – Val Air Ballroom
10/29 Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
10/30 Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
10/31 Toronto, ON – The Queen Elizabeth
2025 UK/EU dates (supporting State Champs' European Winter 2025 Tour):
11/02 Cologne Die Kantin
12/02 Hamburg Übel & Gefährlich
13/02 Berlin Hole 44
15/02 Eindhoven Dynamo
16/02 Antwerp Zappa JC
18/02 Southampton Engine Rooms
19/02 Bristol O2 Academy
21/02 Leeds Project House
22/02 Manchester O2 Ritz
23/02 Glasgow SWG3 Galvanizers
25/02 NewcastleNX
26/02 Birmingham O2 Institute
28/02 London O2 Forum Kentish Town
