Love music?

We do, too. That's why we made this vlog.

Business Business

How did the music business exactly evolve? Did the Internet really kill the video star? We will analyze various business models used by different companies and artists and try to assess their effectiveness and sustainability.

Artists Artists

What does it mean to be an artist today? How different is it from the heydays of the business? And, which drivers have to be set in motion? We want to know how artists handle these challenges today.

Marketplace Marketplace

How to deal with a fast-paced, unpredictable, and everchanging market? We want to examine how musicians deal with the obstacles that arise from today’s business set-up in an array of marketplaces.

Talks

Everyone on our show is a Hero. Enjoy, like, comment, and share.

EPISODE 7.06: Fynn Grabke (The Picturebooks) and his perception of the music world today

EPISODE 7.06: Fynn Grabke (The Picturebooks) and his perception of the music world today

Posted on Mar 10, 2018 in Season 7

Fynn Grabke, singer and guitarist of the German Indie-Rock duo The Picturebooks, elaborates on what it means to be a young band in today’s music world.

EPISODE 7.05: Austin Dickinson of As Lions on challenges and opportunities for younger bands

EPISODE 7.05: Austin Dickinson of As Lions on challenges and opportunities for younger bands

Posted on Mar 1, 2018 in Season 7

“I think that rock n roll, metal, hardcore, these are all genres that, although the artists defined it, it’s the fans that keep it going.” It was a pleasure to meet up with Austin Dickinson, singer and co-founder of As Lions, to talk about the challenges and opportunities that younger bands encounter today.

EPISODE 7.04: Dave Weckl on the pros and cons that digital technology brought to music

EPISODE 7.04: Dave Weckl on the pros and cons that digital technology brought to music

Posted on Feb 22, 2018 in Season 7

“It’s a different world now. It’s a different way of selling music, it’s a different way of listening to music… We try to play the game as best as we can within the rulebook.” We had the pleasure to talk to one of the hardest-working drummers in the biz: Mr Dave Weckl. In this #fhtz […]

EPISODE 7.03: Testament’s Eric Peterson on what it means to be an artist today

EPISODE 7.03: Testament’s Eric Peterson on what it means to be an artist today

Posted on Feb 15, 2018 in Season 7

 It was a great pleasure talking with another pioneer of American thrash metal: Testament founding-member and guitarist Eric Peterson. In this interview, Eric discusses what it means to be an artist today compared to when he started in the 1980s and how it affects releasing music in this day and age.

EPISODE 7.02: Rob Cavestany of Death Angel elaborates on the band’s evolution

EPISODE 7.02: Rob Cavestany of Death Angel elaborates on the band’s evolution

Posted on Feb 8, 2018 in Season 7

We had the great pleasure to talk to one of the pioneers of the American thrash metal scene: Death Angel founding-member and lead guitarist Rob Cavestany. Rob provides an interesting and in-depth elaboration on the inner workings of the band, starting from when they were teenagers who simply wanted to participate in the action, touching […]

EPISODE 7.01: Mike Stern on how technology has altered what it means to be a musician

EPISODE 7.01: Mike Stern on how technology has altered what it means to be a musician

Posted on Feb 1, 2018 in Season 7

“People are not listening less to music, they are just buying less music.” The legendary guitarist Mike Stern, who has played with Miles Davis, Billy Cobham, and Jaco Pastorius to name a few, shares his views on what it means to be a musician today touching upon topics such as technology, monetization and more.

EPISODE 6.11: John Connor (Dog Eat Dog) on the changes in the music business

EPISODE 6.11: John Connor (Dog Eat Dog) on the changes in the music business

Posted on Jul 27, 2017 in Season 6

This episode features the always-fun-to-hang-out-with John Connor from legendary East-coast crossover metal pioneers Dog Eat Dog, who observes how the music business has changed since he started as a musician and what it means to be an artist today. Make sure to catch their brand-new EP “Brand New Breed” at dogeatdog.nl and to go see […]

EPISODE 6.10: Alan Robert of Life of Agony on being a musician today

EPISODE 6.10: Alan Robert of Life of Agony on being a musician today

Posted on Jul 20, 2017 in Season 6

In this #fhtz episode, Alan Robert of alternative metal-pioneers Life of Agony elaborates on different aspects of what it means to be a musician in 2017.

EPISODE 6.09: Merlin Sutter of Cellar Darling on starting a band in this day and age

EPISODE 6.09: Merlin Sutter of Cellar Darling on starting a band in this day and age

Posted on Jul 13, 2017 in Season 6

In this #fhtz episode, Merlin Sutter of Swiss metal band Cellar Darling discusses what it takes to start a band from scratch in this day and age after having split with his former band, Swiss folk metal icons Eluveitie. And, check out Cellar Darling’s highly acclaimed debut album «This Is The Sound» – out now.

EPISODE 6.08: Andreas Kisser of Sepultura on technology and robotics in music and in general

EPISODE 6.08: Andreas Kisser of Sepultura on technology and robotics in music and in general

Posted on Jul 6, 2017 in Season 6

In this #fhtz episode, Andreas Kisser of iconic Brazilian metal legends Sepultura discusses digitization, technology, and robotics, which is the main topic of their highly acclaimed 2017 studio album Machine Messiah.

EPISODE 6.07: Henkka Seppälä of Children of Bodom on being a musician in this day and age

EPISODE 6.07: Henkka Seppälä of Children of Bodom on being a musician in this day and age

Posted on Apr 14, 2017 in Season 6

Henkka Seppälä has been playing bass for Finnish metal legends Children of Bodom since the 1990s. In this interview he elaborates on the main differences about being a musician today compared to when the band started in the ’90s and what it means to be a musician in these highly technological times.

EPISODE 6.06: Interview with Joey Cape of Lagwagon and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

EPISODE 6.06: Interview with Joey Cape of Lagwagon and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes

Posted on Apr 7, 2017 in Season 6

The legendary Lagwagon frontman and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes guitarist Joey Cape sat down with us to talk about music, culture and technology, which resulted in an in-depth discourse on the state of today’s (pop-)culture. A must-watch interview.

EPISODE 6.05: Maja Shining of Forever Still elaborates on the band’s DIY approach

EPISODE 6.05: Maja Shining of Forever Still elaborates on the band’s DIY approach

Posted on Mar 30, 2017 in Season 6

“Just do what needs to be done instead of worrying about, ‘oh, it was so much better back then’. Yeah, yeah. Sure. But a lot of things are better now. You see so many more mid-level bands actually making a living.”  Maja Shining of Danish metal band Forever Still sat down with us to talk […]

EPISODE 6.04: James “Munky” Shaffer of Korn on becoming smarter in regard to the music business

EPISODE 6.04: James “Munky” Shaffer of Korn on becoming smarter in regard to the music business

Posted on Mar 23, 2017 in Season 6

Legendary Korn guitarist and founding member James “Munky” Shaffer sat down with us to discuss the main differences about being a musician in this day and age compared to when he started out with his band in the early 1990s. Munky touched upon how the band pioneered the usage of trending technologies for marketing and […]

EPISODE 6.03: Sonata Arctica’s Henrik Klingenberg on consumer behaviour, convenience of new tech and more

EPISODE 6.03: Sonata Arctica’s Henrik Klingenberg on consumer behaviour, convenience of new tech and more

Posted on Mar 16, 2017 in Season 6

“There are so many ways of enjoying music and none of them is better or worse than the other.” We had the great pleasure to talk to Henrik “Henkka” Klingenberg from Finnish power metal greats Sonata Arctica. Henkka elaborated on how the marketing side of the music business changed with the advent of the internet, […]

EPISODE 6.02: Mark Jansen (Epica) on clever marketing, tech and grasping opportunities

EPISODE 6.02: Mark Jansen (Epica) on clever marketing, tech and grasping opportunities

Posted on Mar 9, 2017 in Season 6

“Samples nowadays sound extremely good, but when there’s a real human-being playing an instrument instead of a digital instrument – it’s a difference.” – Mark Jansen We had a very interesting talk with Mark Jansen, mastermind of the Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, on which he elaborated on the band’s early marketing attempts, how to […]

EPISODE 6.01: Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) and the human element in music

EPISODE 6.01: Taylor Momsen (The Pretty Reckless) and the human element in music

Posted on Mar 2, 2017 in Season 6

“We’re just not that band. I mean, we can’t even play to a click-track. Do you want to hear ‘tic tic tic tic tic tic’ in your head all night? I mean, it’s awful! You can’t feel the music that way.” – Taylor Momsen, The Pretty Reckless  Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless gave us […]

EPISODE 5.11: Todd Campbell of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on starting out as a new band

EPISODE 5.11: Todd Campbell of Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on starting out as a new band

Posted on Dec 29, 2016 in Season 5

“Maybe there’s less money in everyone’s pockets. It’s getting spread thinner amongst all these artists that are emerging. But… if you don’t want to be part of it you can go get a job at Tesco.” – Todd Campbell, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. It was a great pleasure meeting and talking to Todd […]

EPISODE 5.10: Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth on changing the business model

EPISODE 5.10: Jon Schaffer of Iced Earth on changing the business model

Posted on Dec 22, 2016 in Season 5

“[Record companies] need to start realizing that they have got to come in as partners of the bands instead of being the pimps and we’re their whores. That’s the way that artists have been treated for far too long.” – Jon Schaffer, Iced Earth. We had the great pleasure to talk to one of heavy […]

EPISODE 5.09: Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge reflects on a changing business environment

EPISODE 5.09: Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge reflects on a changing business environment

Posted on Dec 15, 2016 in Season 5

“We make sure when we record a record that we can perform that live without having to fake our way through it.”  Mark Tremonti of Alter Bridge is well-known for being a prolific and approachable rock guitarist. He has been in the business since the mid-/late-1990s and has learned about opportunities and challenges that can […]

EPISODE 5.08: Paul Mahon of The Answer on navigating the music business in modern times

EPISODE 5.08: Paul Mahon of The Answer on navigating the music business in modern times

Posted on Dec 8, 2016 in Season 5

“The good music outweighs the bad things in the [music] industry.” Guitarist Paul Mahon co-founded the highly acclaimed Northern Irish rock band The Answer in the early 2000’s, just when the Internet started disrupting the music industry. We had the great pleasure to talk with Paul about how he perceived the changes that were arising […]

EPISODE 5.07: Tom Hunting of Exodus on talent appreciation, nostalgia of vinyl and being a t-shirt salesman

EPISODE 5.07: Tom Hunting of Exodus on talent appreciation, nostalgia of vinyl and being a t-shirt salesman

Posted on Nov 24, 2016 in Season 5

“People appreciate the talent of people who play this kind of music. It’s not easy, you know. It’s a live experience and it’s fun for everybody. It’s kind of like Disneyland for metalheads.” Exodus hit Europe with Obituary, Prong and King Parrot and we had the great pleasure to meet again with the legendary Tom […]

EPISODE 5.06: Elize Ryd of Amaranthe on satisfying own musical needs, social media and crowdfunding

EPISODE 5.06: Elize Ryd of Amaranthe on satisfying own musical needs, social media and crowdfunding

Posted on Nov 17, 2016 in Season 5

“I don’t feel like I have to become some kind of star in my home country. I feel more that it’s important for me to travel and make a difference [through music] in the rest of the world.” – Elize Ryd It was a great pleasure meeting and talking to the very talented Elize Ryd […]

EPISODE 5.05: Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus discusses their recent PledgeMusic campaign

EPISODE 5.05: Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus discusses their recent PledgeMusic campaign

Posted on Nov 10, 2016 in Season 5

“It’s nice to involve everybody that is supporting your music and feel that you’re making something together.” Kobra Paige, Kobra and the Lotus We had the great pleasure to meet with Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus and discuss the band’s recent crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic for their upcoming double-album Prevail. Kobra elaborated on challenges that […]

EPISODE 5.04: Fernanda Lira of Nervosa discusses Latin America, influences and teenage dreams

EPISODE 5.04: Fernanda Lira of Nervosa discusses Latin America, influences and teenage dreams

Posted on Oct 6, 2016 in Season 5

“Just making a living in Latin America can be hard enough. And if you want to be a warrior in a heavy metal band, it makes it even more difficult.” – Fernanda Lira, Nervosa We had the great pleasure to meet the ferocious and very nice Fernanda Lira of Nervosa on the very first day of the Europe Under Attack […]

EPISODE 5.03: Olof Wikstrand of Enforcer on old-school, new-school and “cat”-school

EPISODE 5.03: Olof Wikstrand of Enforcer on old-school, new-school and “cat”-school

Posted on Sep 29, 2016 in Season 5

“Look at YouTube, you get videos of kittens getting billions of views overnight. Things spread in a completely different way nowadays compared to 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, when bands were totally dependent on a strong marketing strategy from the labels. Now things spread by themselves – if it’s good enough.” – Olof […]

EPISODE 5.02: Schmier of Destruction on digital and other trends in the music business

EPISODE 5.02: Schmier of Destruction on digital and other trends in the music business

Posted on Sep 26, 2016 in Season 5

“It’s not right, and for the fans it’s actually cheating. If you want to listen to the album, then do it at home, but live, if it’s just backing tracks, it’s nothing else than playback.” – Schmier, Destruction It was a great pleasure to meet Schmier of the iconic Destruction, who pioneered German thrash metal […]

EPISODE 5.01: Eric “AK” Knutson on Flotsam & Jetsam’s new album, crowdfunded vs signed and more

EPISODE 5.01: Eric “AK” Knutson on Flotsam & Jetsam’s new album, crowdfunded vs signed and more

Posted on Sep 22, 2016 in Season 5

“It’s not about being in a big studio or being a rockstar on tour. It’s about the finished [music] product.” – Eric “AK” Knutson, Flotsam & Jetsam We had the great pleasure to meet-up again with one of the most legendary American thrash metal voices: Eric “AK” Knutson of Flotsam and Jetsam. We talked about […]

EPISODE 4.11: L7’s Donita Sparks talks legacy, the power of social media and their documentary

EPISODE 4.11: L7’s Donita Sparks talks legacy, the power of social media and their documentary

Posted on Sep 14, 2016 in Season 4

“I don’t think that [today] we would sign to a major and I don’t think that a major would want us. […] However, back then, if you got on a major label you could get on MTV, and you could get into mainstream press. And that was always very important to me, because I feel […]

EPISODE 4.10: Eric Sardinas on the changes in the biz, bootlegs and more

EPISODE 4.10: Eric Sardinas on the changes in the biz, bootlegs and more

Posted on Aug 18, 2016 in Season 4

“I don’t have the piracy thing. … I kind of get flattered a little bit. I mean, you went out of your way to make [a video of our live performance].” – Eric Sardinas Eric Sardinas is one of the most renowned blues-rock guitarists with a reputation for being a must-see live act. We’ve had […]

EPISODE 4.09: Pär Sundström of Sabaton on early days, all-ages shows and The Last Stand

EPISODE 4.09: Pär Sundström of Sabaton on early days, all-ages shows and The Last Stand

Posted on Aug 11, 2016 in Season 4

“As we go along, I realised that more and more things you have to do yourself. In the beginning, I was just playing the bass guitar. Now, somewhere between 1 and 2% of my time is actually spent playing music.” – Pär Sundström, Sabaton Swedish heavy metal powerhouse Sabaton will be realising their brand-new album The […]

EPISODE 4.08: Tommy Victor of Prong on the legacy of the band, technology and lifestyle

EPISODE 4.08: Tommy Victor of Prong on the legacy of the band, technology and lifestyle

Posted on Aug 4, 2016 in Season 4

“Younger bands have some advantages. Good looks and good social media can ago a long way. We don’t have those benefits. *lol*” – Tommy Victor, Prong Heavy metal hero Tommy Victor of the legendary Prong elaborates on the benefits of contemporary technological advancements in the music industry, how the legacy of Prong can attract old […]

EPISODE 4.07: Olli Herman of Reckless Love on publicity, technology, the 7-year rollercoaster of Rock N’Roll and more

EPISODE 4.07: Olli Herman of Reckless Love on publicity, technology, the 7-year rollercoaster of Rock N’Roll and more

Posted on Jul 28, 2016 in Season 4

“[Music listeners] don’t really listen music, they hear music, which is kind of cool in the sense that they live through music.” Olli Herman, Reckless Love In this #fhtz episode Olli Herman, frontman of Finnish hard rockers Reckless Love, elaborates eloquently on the difference between ‘listening’ and ‘hearing’ music, being a sucker for old-school, the two extremes […]

EPISODE 4.06: George Harris of The Raven Age elaborates on being unsigned, opening for Iron Maiden and more

EPISODE 4.06: George Harris of The Raven Age elaborates on being unsigned, opening for Iron Maiden and more

Posted on Jul 21, 2016 in Season 4

George Harris is one of the founding members of The Raven Age, a British newcomer metal band that is receiving considerable positive attention as the opening act for Iron Maiden. We had the pleasure to meet George and talk about how The Raven Age operates as an unsigned act, opportunities and threats of the Internet, […]

EPISODE 4.05: Dave Neabore of Dog Eat Dog talks nostalgia, listening to an album fully through, and new music

EPISODE 4.05: Dave Neabore of Dog Eat Dog talks nostalgia, listening to an album fully through, and new music

Posted on Jul 14, 2016 in Season 4

“If you’re a one-song band and it’s a good song, then there’s nothing wrong with that.” – Dave Neabore, Dog Eat Dog. We had the great pleasure to meet up again with one of the nicest and most legendary musicians of the American hardcore music scenes: Dave Neabore of Dog Eat Dog. In this interview, Dave […]

EPISODE 4.04: Wild Lies’ Matt Polley on longevity, the value of music and future label

EPISODE 4.04: Wild Lies’ Matt Polley on longevity, the value of music and future label

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 in Season 4

“I don’t think that it belittles the music at all, because people are going to download it anyway. As long as they listen to it, they like the song, they think, ‘yeah, I’m gonna go see that band live,’ and that’s what we want.” – Matt Polley, Wild Lies Not only did we get to […]

EPISODE 4.03: Dj ASHBA from Sixx:A.M. on building his business, diversifying, and introducing a good cause

EPISODE 4.03: Dj ASHBA from Sixx:A.M. on building his business, diversifying, and introducing a good cause

Posted on Jun 30, 2016 in Season 4

“What I miss about no Internet is the mystique about ‘rockstar’.” – Dj ASHBA, Sixx:A.M. Dj ASHBA took ten minutes off his busy tour schedule with Sixx:A.M. to talk with us about the necessity of diversifying one’s business as an artist, their cause #reasontorise, and he told us how his multimillion dollar company Ashba Media […]

EPISODE 4.02: Frank Bello from Anthrax talks For All Kings tour, passing the torch, music legacies and more

EPISODE 4.02: Frank Bello from Anthrax talks For All Kings tour, passing the torch, music legacies and more

Posted on Jun 23, 2016 in Season 4

“I believe, if a band works hard to write a record, you should support that band.” – Frank Bello, Anthrax Legendary heavy metal bassist Frank Bello from Anthrax is currently touring Europe to promote the band’s 2016 album release «For All Kings» and we had the honour to ask him a few important questions in […]

EPISODE 4.01: Monster Truck’s Steve Kiely on tour options, finances and fans

EPISODE 4.01: Monster Truck’s Steve Kiely on tour options, finances and fans

Posted on Jun 16, 2016 in Season 4

“We’ve always had more of a challenge replicating our live show to a disc than replicating our disc in a live show.” – Steve Kiely (Monster Truck) Steve Kiely, drummer of Canadian rockers Monster Truck, sat down with us during the band’s most current European headlining tour. Steve elaborated on the importance of picking the right tour […]

EPISODE 3.11: Dave Holland on responsibility, publishing rights, and social media

EPISODE 3.11: Dave Holland on responsibility, publishing rights, and social media

Posted on May 19, 2016 in Season 3

“After the gig I usually go out and talk to people, have a little time to interact. I see social media as an extension of that, humanising what we do.” – Dave Holland We close Season 3 with the legendary jazz bassist, record producer and record company owner Dave Holland. Dave has been in the music […]

EPISODE 3.10: Bill Laurance of Snarky Puppy talks opportunities and challenges for independent artists

EPISODE 3.10: Bill Laurance of Snarky Puppy talks opportunities and challenges for independent artists

Posted on May 12, 2016 in Season 3

“There comes a moment when you have to shake hands with Spotify just to get your name out there, I think. If I am ever in the position to be able to take myself off Spotify, I will certainly do that.” – Bill Laurance Award-winning pianist and producer Bill Laurance of Snarky Puppy sat down […]

EPISODE 3.09: Dorian Sorriaux of Blues Pills talks tech, touring and ‘friend-blasting’

EPISODE 3.09: Dorian Sorriaux of Blues Pills talks tech, touring and ‘friend-blasting’

Posted on May 5, 2016 in Season 3

“Zach and Cory would do what they called ‘friend-blasting’, adding hundreds and hundreds of people on Facebook and then just send Blues Pills links. (laughs)” – Dorian Sorriaux, Blues Pills It was a great pleasure talking with Blues Pills guitarist Dorian Sorriaux. In this #fhtz interview he elaborated on the Internet’s contemporary opportunities and threats for […]

EPISODE 3.08: Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear talks technology, self-employment and authenticity

EPISODE 3.08: Ralf Scheepers of Primal Fear talks technology, self-employment and authenticity

Posted on May 1, 2016 in Season 3

“If an album is leaking before its release, all what you’ve worked for is somehow destroyed.” – Ralf Scheepers Ralf Scheepers is one of the most renowned singers in the German rock music scene. It was a great pleasure meeting him before his concert with Primal Fear and talk about technological opportunities, branding and self-employment as […]

EPISODE 3.07: Mat Sinner of Primal Fear talks music business models and crowdfunding

EPISODE 3.07: Mat Sinner of Primal Fear talks music business models and crowdfunding

Posted on Apr 28, 2016 in Season 3

“So far, I hate the word crowdfunding.” – Mat Sinner We had the great pleasure to speak with one of the most prolific, successful and noticeable German rock artists: Mat Sinner of Primal Fear (and other acts). Mat shared with us his view on the state of the music business, how he tackles modern promotion, and […]

EPISODE 3.06: Tim Brown of Striker talks new business models, learning how to record and ‘doing the work’

EPISODE 3.06: Tim Brown of Striker talks new business models, learning how to record and ‘doing the work’

Posted on Apr 24, 2016 in Season 3

“The music [business] today is very open. Anyone can get their music out to anyone else in the world now.” Striker guitarist Tim Brown elaborates on how he experiences the changing music business environment, the band’s move up the music industry ladder, and on how the band learned to record and produce their latest album. […]

EPISODE 3.05: Dan Cleary of Striker talks disruptive forces, album-funding and independence

EPISODE 3.05: Dan Cleary of Striker talks disruptive forces, album-funding and independence

Posted on Apr 21, 2016 in Season 3

“If you’re a really popular artist it can make sense to be on a label, because there’s a reach that you can’t do on your own.” The guys from the Canadian metal band Striker are a great example of how a young band can go from their garage to being signed by a renowned label […]

EPISODE 3.04: Max Cavalera of Soulfly talks touring, Instagram, and Turkish suits

EPISODE 3.04: Max Cavalera of Soulfly talks touring, Instagram, and Turkish suits

Posted on Apr 14, 2016 in Season 3

“I’m born for the road. (…) The shows are the best thing of the day.” – Max Cavalera Another legendary metal artist gave us the opportunity for an interview: Max Cavalera, founding member of Soulfly and former Sepultura frontman, two of the most important bands in heavy metal history. Max elaborated on his urge for […]

EPISODE 3.03: Lee Ritenour talks technology and social changes in the music business

EPISODE 3.03: Lee Ritenour talks technology and social changes in the music business

Posted on Apr 7, 2016 in Season 3

“I take all these changes and try to embrace it. … If you try to stay in the past in the music business, you’re in trouble.” Lee Ritenour is one of the most prolific and renowned artists in jazz. The legendary guitarist has charted over 30 contemporary jazz hits, has been awarded a Grammy, and […]

EPISODE 3.02: Andy Cairns of Therapy? elaborates on adapting to a new technological environment

EPISODE 3.02: Andy Cairns of Therapy? elaborates on adapting to a new technological environment

Posted on Mar 31, 2016 in Season 3

“It’s always nice to sell more records, but the reality of life is that nobody really buys records anymore.” – Andy Cairns, Therapy? Andy Cairns, frontman of the award-winning band Therapy? from Northern Ireland, looks back on more than 25 years as a professional musician. He tells us how the open borders of the European […]

EPISODE 3.01: Justin Hawkins of The Darkness talks imperfect live albums, chart-eligible plays, and Starsky & Hutch

EPISODE 3.01: Justin Hawkins of The Darkness talks imperfect live albums, chart-eligible plays, and Starsky & Hutch

Posted on Mar 24, 2016 in Season 3

“We don’t want people to think we’re okay. We want people to love us or hate us.” – Justin Hawkins, The Darkness We are delighted to start the third season of #fhtz with the talented Justin Hawkins, frontman of the award-winning British rock band The Darkness. In this interview, Justin shares his views on imperfect live […]

EPISODE 2.11: Steve Gadd on being a musician in today’s technology-driven environment

EPISODE 2.11: Steve Gadd on being a musician in today’s technology-driven environment

Posted on Dec 24, 2015 in Season 2

“I don’t think in terms of sales when I’m doing the music. I just think about doing the music and wanting it to be the best that I can make it.” – Steve Gadd Steve Gadd is one of the most well-known and highly regarded session and studio drummers, and famous for his work with […]

EPISODE 2.10: Slayer’s Paul Bostaph talks modern communication and analyzing himself

EPISODE 2.10: Slayer’s Paul Bostaph talks modern communication and analyzing himself

Posted on Dec 17, 2015 in Season 2

“I don’t try to put [online] content out, just so that people have something to look at. If I don’t feel it’s special, I don’t put it out.” Paul Bostaph, Slayer Drummer-extraordinaire Paul Bostaph returned to thrash metal legends Slayer for their latest album release ‘Repentless’. We had the enormous pleasure to meet him during […]

EPISODE 2.09: Anthrax’s Scott Ian on legal streaming, playing great gigs and toothpaste

EPISODE 2.09: Anthrax’s Scott Ian on legal streaming, playing great gigs and toothpaste

Posted on Dec 10, 2015 in Season 2

“I’m sure a lot of people saw us last night, probably went home and stole the record online somehow. But at least now they’re a fan and maybe they will come back next time we play again.” – Scott Ian Scott Ian is not only ‘That Guy from Anthrax’, he is also one of the founding fathers of […]

EPISODE 2.08: John Gallagher of Raven on Extermination, crowdfunding, and selling t-shirts instead of CDs

EPISODE 2.08: John Gallagher of Raven on Extermination, crowdfunding, and selling t-shirts instead of CDs

Posted on Dec 3, 2015 in Season 2

“We’re in a position now where we can actually make more money with what we do then when we were ‘really’ making money.” – John Gallagher, Raven John Gallagher, singer and bass player for legendary metal band Raven, co-pioneered the «New Wave of British Heavy Metal» in the 70s and 80s. The band still kicks […]

EPISODE 2.07: Sarah McKenzie on music niches, being old-fashioned, and albums as a world

EPISODE 2.07: Sarah McKenzie on music niches, being old-fashioned, and albums as a world

Posted on Nov 26, 2015 in Season 2

“I’ve been checking out Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Ray Brown, and I didn’t think that anybody else liked them. Because all of my friends, who were the same age, liked the Spice Girls and the Backstreet Boys.” It was a great pleasure talking with award-winning Jazz artist Sarah McKenzie about why she started out in […]

EPISODE 2.06: Gus G on artists with passion, branding, and how to adapt

EPISODE 2.06: Gus G on artists with passion, branding, and how to adapt

Posted on Nov 19, 2015 in Season 2

“There will always be artists with passion, who strive for this, and there will always be music lovers and supporters – without a doubt.” – Gus G. No loud soundcheck, singing fans, or other distractions could have stopped us from talking with one of the most prolific guitarists of the modern era of heavy metal: […]

EPISODE 2.05: Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus on opportunities and challenges

EPISODE 2.05: Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus on opportunities and challenges

Posted on Nov 12, 2015 in Season 2

We had the immense pleasure to meet the talented Kobra Paige of Kobra and the Lotus and talk about opportunities and challenges that the new generation of metal bands are confronted with. Kobra definitely has a thorough understanding of how the music business has changed and works today. Great insights and opinions from one of […]

EPISODE 2.04: Reggie Washington about longevity, mediocrity, and leadership in music

EPISODE 2.04: Reggie Washington about longevity, mediocrity, and leadership in music

Posted on Nov 5, 2015 in Season 2

Reggie Washington is an established and versatile bass player, who has been making his mark with his remarkable basslines for decades. He was a key participant in the Modern Jazz revolution of the 80’s and 90’s and became known touring, recording and performing with Steve Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Cassandra Wilson, and more. We had the […]

EPISODE 2.03: Biohazard’s Bobby Hambel on the importance of playing live

EPISODE 2.03: Biohazard’s Bobby Hambel on the importance of playing live

Posted on Oct 29, 2015 in Season 2

Bobby Hambel is one of the founders of Brooklyn’s hardcore institution Biohazard, which is credited to be one of the earliest acts to fuse hardcore punk and heavy metal with elements of hip hop. Bobby and the band have had their fair share of ups and downs in their career, but were able to build […]

EPISODE 2.02: Melissa Etheridge and her perception of the music industry today

EPISODE 2.02: Melissa Etheridge and her perception of the music industry today

Posted on Oct 22, 2015 in Season 2

Melissa Etheridge has been an integral part of the music industry since the late 80s and early 90s. Even though she had been with the same record label for a very long time, she moved to establish her own record label and partner up with an independent music company. We had the immense pleasure to meet […]

EPISODE 2.01: Derrick Green of Sepultura on trends in the music industry

EPISODE 2.01: Derrick Green of Sepultura on trends in the music industry

Posted on Oct 15, 2015 in Season 2

Derrick Green is the frontman of legendary Brazilian metal band Sepultura. In our first episode of season two, Derrick shares with us how he started taking care of the band’s Facebook presence, engage with fans, and make sure that good and appropriate content gets shared. We also talked about crowdsourcing the art work for their recent […]

EPISODE 1.12: Product and brand extension the Chuck Billy way

EPISODE 1.12: Product and brand extension the Chuck Billy way

Posted on Aug 20, 2015 in Season 1

We present you the last episode of the first season of From Hero To Zero. Today’s hero is the legendary Testament lead singer Chuck Billy. Not only has he been an integral part of the development of the band and the thrash metal genre in general, he has also fought death (and beat it!) and […]

EPISODE 1.10: No Fun At All with Ingemar Jansson and the art of DIY

EPISODE 1.10: No Fun At All with Ingemar Jansson and the art of DIY

Posted on Aug 6, 2015 in Season 1

Swedish punk-rock legends No Fun At All sold over 250,000 physical copies in the 1990s, toured all across the globe, and became a synonym for European punk-rock. To this day, the band enjoys icon status and plays legendary shows in sold-out venues in various parts of the world. Lead-singer Ingemar Jansson elaborated on the different […]

EPISODE 1.09: How Tom Hunting is Bonded by Metal in Exodus

EPISODE 1.09: How Tom Hunting is Bonded by Metal in Exodus

Posted on Jul 30, 2015 in Season 1

Exodus drummer-extraordinaire Tom Hunting can look back on over 30 years of metal mayhem in Exodus. When asked where he sees the difference between being a musician today as compared to back in the 80s, the internet is not the only thing that has brought changes. Watch for yourself what Tom has to say.

EPISODE 1.08: Tito & Tarantula and romanticism in music today

EPISODE 1.08: Tito & Tarantula and romanticism in music today

Posted on Jul 23, 2015 in Season 1

Tito & Tarantula have come to international success through their cameo in Roberto Rodriguez’ cult movie From Dusk Till Dawn. Nevertheless, frontman Tito Larriva has been an established institution in the music scene since the 1970s and can look back on an extensive career. We sat down with Tito and discussed how the internet has […]

EPISODE 1.07: How Flotsam and Jetsam navigates the music business today

EPISODE 1.07: How Flotsam and Jetsam navigates the music business today

Posted on Jul 16, 2015 in Season 1

Today’s episode features one of the most underrated US metal bands: Flotsam and Jetsam​. Eric “A.K.” Knutson talked to us about how the band reinvented itself in regard to their business model with their 2012 release Ugly Noise, why they re-recorded their 1988 release No Place For Disgrace after 25 years, and how they navigate the stormy […]

EPISODE 1.06: Hamed Sinno of Mashrou’ Leila and how not to think binary

EPISODE 1.06: Hamed Sinno of Mashrou’ Leila and how not to think binary

Posted on Jul 9, 2015 in Season 1

Episode 6 is featuring the Lebanese high-flyer مشروع ليلى Mashrou’ Leila! Even though massively delayed due to some train problems on their way to Bern, singer Hamed Sinno was very kind to sit down with us before their gig at the turnhalle Bern and talk about the massive success of the band and its driving […]

EPISODE 1.05: Taking care of music business the Electro Deluxe way

EPISODE 1.05: Taking care of music business the Electro Deluxe way

Posted on Jul 2, 2015 in Season 1

Episode 5 is here! …today with the hottest music insider tip from France: Electro Deluxe. Frontman James Copley sat down with us and gave us his take on what it means to be an independent artist these days, how the band uses new media platforms while managing to retain the value of their music, and […]

ENCORE to EPISODE 1.04: Pasi Kauppinen of Sonata Arctica

ENCORE to EPISODE 1.04: Pasi Kauppinen of Sonata Arctica

Posted on Jun 29, 2015 in Season 1

Pasi Kauppinen, the sound-engineering bass player of Sonata Arctica talked to us about how he handles doing two different jobs for the Finnish power metal band, and how he grew up not watching MTV.

EPISODE 1.04: Tony Kakko and the pack of the Sonata Arctica

EPISODE 1.04: Tony Kakko and the pack of the Sonata Arctica

Posted on Jun 25, 2015 in Season 1

Episode 4 is here! Sonata Arctica mastermind Tony Kakko talked to us about how the music world changed since the band’s beginnings, possibilities for musicians to make a living, and technology. Great insights from a honest and true artist.

EPISODE 1.03: Ryan McGarvey and the do-it-yourself blues music venture

EPISODE 1.03: Ryan McGarvey and the do-it-yourself blues music venture

Posted on Jun 18, 2015 in Season 1

We met Ryan McGarvey, the self-made blues shooting star from Albuquerque, who’s been spotted playing at gigs of – or even with – greats like Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, and the likes. We talked about how he’s been developing his career without the help of a record label or management and why occasionally he’s been called […]

EPISODE 1.02: Black Milk talks being independent, branding, and analog

EPISODE 1.02: Black Milk talks being independent, branding, and analog

Posted on Jun 11, 2015 in Season 1

We give you Episode 2 with Black Milk, a self-made hip hop producer and artist who has collaborated with several different artists from different genres. We sat down with Black Milk during his #PlayLikeHellTour and talked about his artistry, why he has stayed independent, why many artists are single-driven instead of album-driven, and how he leaked a song […]

ENCORE to EPISODE 1.01: Roger Haemmerli, guitar player for Dog Eat Dog

ENCORE to EPISODE 1.01: Roger Haemmerli, guitar player for Dog Eat Dog

Posted on Jun 8, 2015 in Season 1

Roger Haemmerli plays guitar for East-coast metal band Dog Eat Dog. In this encore, Roger explains what, in his opinion, the difference between being a front-man and a side-man is, and how he experiences the music world today as compared to the early 2000s.

EPISODE 1.01: Dave Neabore, bassist and founding member of Dog Eat Dog

EPISODE 1.01: Dave Neabore, bassist and founding member of Dog Eat Dog

Posted on Jun 4, 2015 in Season 1

Today’s the day! From Hero To Zero premieres online. In this first interview of a series of twelve, Dave Neabore, bassist and founding member of East-coast metal band Dog Eat Dog, explains how nothing was ever planned in Dog Eat Dog, why the relationship with their former record label became rocky, and how he sees […]

It’s a wrap! – This is the schedule for the first 6 episodes

It’s a wrap! – This is the schedule for the first 6 episodes

Posted on Jun 3, 2015 in Season 1

We started pre-producing the first season of From Hero To Zero in April and interviewed 12 acts by the end of May. Artists from 3 continents, different music styles, and – especially – different backgrounds and attitudes towards the music business sat down with us and explained why they do things the way they do […]

Team

The curious nerds and music lovers behind this show.

Sebastiano Mereu

YouTuber. Digital marketing and content producer, researcher and lecturer. Genki Dama ftw.

- Sebastiano Mereu
Simon Kurt

Always somewhere between video, social media and music. Creating digital content for Digitale Massarbeit. No guts, no glory!

- Simon Kurt