WTF Is Up With Herobust [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW]

Herobust @ Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO – 2/1/2019
Photos by Dan LaDue

As phase 2 of his WTF! tour continued at the Ogden Theatre in Denver this past Friday, Herobust delivered yet another evening of bone-rattling and adrenaline-pumping bass music.  We had the opportunity to sit down with the Trap Caesar himself before his set to pick his brain about what he’s been up to, where he’s going next, and what’s cooking behind the scenes.

Neil with Festival Squad: I’m here with Hayden, aka Herobust, thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with us!

Herobust: Thanks for having me!

FS: Congratulations on your WTF tour – we’re in phase 2 now, and you got to do a little bit of international traveling recently, all over Australia in particular – what was that like, and did you have any favorite stops on the tour so far?

Herobust: Every show is awesome and unique in that the energy you share with the crowd is different every night.  I’m not big on favorites, but I will say it is amazing, no matter where I am in the world, no matter what the native language is, to hear a crowd of people yelling “WHAT THE FUUUUUUU!”  It’s wild.  It’s crazy with the English speaking crowd, but it’s even crazier otherwise…just wild.

“I’m not gonna sit there and play music until YOU start to respond to it, I’m gonna enjoy myself until you start to think ‘oh this must be dope, because he’s having a great time’.”

FS: You’ve played a variety of festivals over the last couple years.  Everything from Shambhala to Lollapalooza to Lost Lands.  Where would you say you feel most at home?  Is there any festival in particular people should try to catch you?

Herobust: I don’t know where I feel most at home.  I know crowds like Shambhala and Electric Forest are exciting to me because I know that it’s a crowd that’s looking to hear something a little bit different.  They’re a little more on the cutting edge and they want to hear those IDs they’ve never heard before, and for me as a performer, that means I have a little more wiggle room to show them something cool.  So I really enjoy playing for that. 
In terms of where to see me, I’m not so sure it matters – I’m really proud of the show that I put on, and I think every night I’m focused on having a good fucking time.  And I think when you see a performer that’s having a good time and putting that energy out there, then that’s what’s up!  That’s what makes for a good show, and that’s what the crowd responds to.

FS: So you’re just doing your thing, regardless of where you are.

Herobust: I’m doing my thing, but I’m having a good time no matter the circumstances, and that goes such a long way in terms of dictating to the fans…I’m leading by example: we are partying right now, and this is how we’re doing it.  I’m not gonna sit there and play music until YOU start to respond to it, I’m gonna enjoy myself until you start to think ‘oh this must be dope, because he’s having a great time’.  So I think it doesn’t matter where you see me because I’m bringing that attitude everywhere I go.

FS: WTF has become a staple track recently, and people LOVED your Jurassic Park – WTF intro at Lost Lands.  What was it like having DJ Diesel aka Shaq play your song?

Herobust: Shaq has, for a long time, been ending his sets with the song, and it’s like…first of all, it’s crazy that Shaq is playing dubstep in the first place.  But to be acknowledging me, and making it a pivotal point in his set, it’s really cool.  It’s not a milestone I ever saw coming, I don’t think anyone saw him doing this, but it’s wild.

FS: So your fans call you the Trap Caesar, and obviously bass-trap is your signature, but do you dabble in any other genres?  Anything you’ve been playing around with lowkey?

Herobust: For sure, I like all of it, and I have plenty of VIPs that are bass house and stuff like that.  My upcoming EP is gonna have G-House, and plenty of bangers, and riddim, and trap, and all that stuff as well.  But I’m of the belief that an artist is the sound that they bring to whatever genre they approach.  NOT: an artist is the genre they choose to approach.  And I think not every artist has the luxury of having a signature sound that is so unique that they can display that across a lot of genres.  But I think I’m one of those artists, and I’m proud of that.  So I want to make everything!

FS: Is there anyone you haven’t had the opportunity to collab with yet, but would like to?  Anyone you’d like to name-drop?

Herobust: Yeah, for sure…Andre 3000!  I mean, that’s a given.

FS: Hahaha, that’s a fair answer!  Any collabs you’d maybe like to tease?

Herobust: I wish I could tease Andre 3000…

What’s crazy is fans don’t realize how often artists start collabs with each other.  It’s like this fun thing where you’re like ‘oh shit, I’m a fan of you, you’re a fan of me, we’re halfway fanboying out at each other, let’s start something!’  So it’s really common that we start songs, I’ve started songs with like all my favorite artists, especially when I was a newcomer, when you have the sauce, everyone wants to soak it up.  So I had so many collabs, and still have so many collabs with other people, but you never know what’s actually going to get finished.  Because you’re all living on the road, playing 100-200 shows a year, you just never know what’s going to get finished.  So it’s hard to speak on until you know for a fact, ‘we’re gonna finish this one.’  Compared to how many get started, it’s actually pretty rare they get finished.

FS: So we’re in the mile high city, and I understand you were here recently and learned how to snowboard.  How was that experience?

Herobust: It was fucking awesome.  I think I’m a goddamn natural.  I’m not gonna lie, I’m sick.

FS: Do you think that’s a hobby you’d pick up and roll through Denver more often?

Herobust: No…I don’t like being cold.  I never wanna be cold again, ever.  (laughs) I love snowboarding, and I hope to snowboard again, before I forget everything I just learned.  But I’m more of a beach person…I’d rather put that time into like, surfing, which is similar.

FS: Concepts might transfer over.  You’ll be good!

Herobust: Maybe they will, maybe they won’t.  But I can’t handle the cold man!

FS: Herobust, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting with us.  Have a great show tonight, and we wish you an amazing rest of the tour!

Herobust: Thanks so much for having me!

Herobust still has several stops left on his WTF tour – get your tickets now!  https://herobust.com/

Thu, FEB 07 – Wooly’s – Des Moines, IA
Fri, FEB 08 – The Bourbon – Lincoln, NE
Sat, FEB 09 – The Granada – Lawrence, KS
Fri, FEB 15 – Royale – Boston, MA
Sat, FEB 16 – WESTCOTT THEATER – Syracuse, NY
Fri, FEB 22 – 1015 Folsom – San Francisco, CA
Sat, FEB 23 – Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez – Mexico City, Mexico
Fri, MAR 01 – Republic NOLA – New Orleans, LA
Fri, MAR 29 – Transbordeur, Le – Auvergne-rhne-alpes, France