Lost Hearts on the Sunset Strip and Beyond

Lost Hearts on the Sunset Strip and Beyond

Lost Hearts is a pop rocking band from Nashville who are making an indelible impression on music fans all across the country.  The band recently played a star making show at the world-famous Whisky A Go-Go on the Sunset Strip, opening for Roxy Blue and SteelCity.  Songs such as Hate Myself and Night To Remember are well worth seeking out and should be all over the worldwide radio airwaves.  Highwire Daze interviewed founding member Max Frye a few weeks before their standout Whisky performance to find out more about the amazing band on the rise!  Read on…

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Lost Hearts, and how long the bands have been together.
My name is Max Frye. I play guitar and sing in Lost Hearts, and the band has been together for probably three months now. So it’s fairly new.

Where are you guys based and what is your local music scene like there?
Well, we’re based out of Nashville. The local scene here is kind of all over the map. Obviously, you have country, but you have rock – and a lot of young rock people live here and choose this as their home base. I feel like today it’s kind of either LA or here as far as music and what choice you want to make. But I love Nashville. I think it’s probably one of the best places to be if you’re a musician. So, we love it here.

What bands or projects were you in prior to Lost Hearts?
Before Lost Hearts, I’ve been more of a kind of hired gun guy. I’m about to turn 20 this month, but ever since I was 14, I’ve been playing for just anybody. I started off playing with this guy Little Ozzy when I was 14 and it was an Ozzy tribute and we traveled across the country. That was my first road experience. Then I did some work for a ton of other artists and tribute bands and original bands and you name it, just playing for anybody and getting my name out there. I had a great time doing that. But of course, I’ve always wanted to start my original band, so that’s why this is new and exciting for me to be fronting a band and playing my songs. I’ve been playing other people’s music for six years so I’m really enjoying it.

You have a new single out called Hate Yourself. What’s the inspiration behind that song?
To be honest with you, the song came about very naturally. I just wrote it about that feeling of being in a toxic relationship, and not being able to really get out of it or get away from the whole situation and that kind of thing. I feel like everybody’s been through stuff like that.

The song was produced by Johnny K, who has worked with 3 Doors Down, Plain Whites T’s Disturbed, all kinds of credits. What was it like working with Johnny K and how did he become involved?
Well, it is funny because I’ve heard of Johnny for a couple of years. I heard of him through a friend, and she told me about him.  I had a phone call with him a couple of years ago, and I was going to work with him on some stuff with another band I was doing. Then it just didn’t end up working out at the time, and that was probably at least over a year ago. Then I have some other friends and I would kind of keep hearing his name.  So, when we put this together, we decided to call him, and he came over to the house and we just talked. The first time when I talked to him, he was living in Chicago, but he moved here to town now – so he’s in Nashville.

He came over and we talked, and we talked music and everything, and we played him all the songs we had at the time – and Hate Yourself was one of them. I think we all thought Hate Yourself stood out from the rest in terms of it was just better. But we played everything for him and we didn’t say what we thought.  And he said the same thing that he thought – Hate Yourself was the best. So we started to work with him and we really enjoyed it. We’ve really enjoyed working with Johnny and he is a great guy and obviously a phenomenal producer. We’ve been working with him and we’ve already got the next song recorded and done with him, and we’re starting on the third one.  We’re just doing singles right now which seems to be the way everybody’s going in terms of non-albums and that kind of thing.

You recently did your debut live show at a club called The Rim. How did that show go and what were some of the highlights and were you nervous about debuting your own stuff?
I would say yes, I was kind of nervous, but at the same time I really enjoyed being at The Rim and it was such a cool kind of atmosphere. It’s in the sort of middle of nowhere in West Virginia, but they’ve built a really cool venue out there and the community is amazing. It’s like a private club and I think you pay a membership fee. It’s pretty wild but the guy, Brad is his name – he just created a scene out there where there was nothing. And so it’s pretty impressive. And everybody came out and everybody was partying and having a great time. It was just a great atmosphere. And I said that to the guys, “I don’t think there would be a more perfect show for our first one.” It’s not like we’re getting up and there’s a ton of pressure. Everybody was so supportive and had a blast.

One of your members is in a band called Native Sons. How did he wind up joining your band?
So the guys were in Native Sons. They’re not anymore. They were with that band, and I actually filled in with that band at one point.  Funnily enough, how we met was I guess they had their guitar player quit or something last minute, a week before they were doing this show called Monsters on the Mountain. Victor is the guitar player. Victor and I had both played for these two tribute bands. I was doing Van Halen and he was doing Def Leppard, but it was all the same guys in the band besides us. So we heard of each other but we had never met. So when that happened he was like, “Well, let me call this guy. We need somebody to play a show.”  He would have like a week to learn all these songs and get up on stage.

So, he called me, and I learned the songs and I did it, and had a blast doing the show and we’ve been probably best friends ever since, man. We’ve done a lot together, man. We traveled the country and he’s my brother.  JT as well – I met him later through Victor and he was also in Native Sons and so it all started naturally. I don’t even think we were really trying to start a band. We were all hanging out. I’m always hanging out with Victor, he lives with me. Then JT started coming over to the studio and we would write some songs and stuff, and then it just came like, “Hey, let’s start a band.” And we found Mitch on Instagram and there you go.

What are you looking forward to the most about your upcoming show at The Whisky with Roxy Blue?
Man, I guess just being out there and obviously The Whisky is the legendary venue. I’ve gotten to play there once.  It’s kind of crazy because the first time I went out to LA was a year ago, and I was playing at The Whisky with another band called Band Inc. And that was a lot of fun. And they’re actually going to be on the bill too, so that’ll be cool. It’s like a full circle moment from a year ago because it was NAMM is going on. We went to NAMM last year and we’re doing the same show. So it’s kind of cool, but this time I’m doing it with my band and so I’m really excited about that. Obviously, there are friends on the bill and there are friends that are going to be there, and it’s going to be very exciting.

For those of us who haven’t been yet, what could one expect from a Live Lost Heart show?
Man, we’re definitely trying our best to put on what they say, like a stadium show in the clubs. I think we’re all very present and very active on stage. There’s nothing I can’t stand more than a band just looking at their fret board or looking at their feet or whatever. That drives me crazy. Although we’re a new band, everyone has played together before and so it’s like everybody is very fluid on stage and I’d like to think we’re not boring. We have our songs, and our songs are pretty poppy, so I think you’ll have a good time.

What was the experience playing with Tony Harnell from TNT?
Oh man, I love Tony. He’s a great guy. What happened was I was at this event put on by Tyson Leslie, who’s a guy here in town. He plays with Vixen, he plays keyboards for them. And so he does this show out here called Rare Hare. I’ve always played those and that’s actually what made me want to move to town, because I saw the scene and how cool it was. So, I’ve played those and there was one they were doing with Dave Ellefson from Megadeth. I was playing with him and we were playing Paranoid by Black Sabbath at that jam night. I was in the dressing room and everybody was in the dressing room from the day. And Michael Sweet was there from Stryper. I was playing my Flying V – it was this black Flying V that I have and I’m just kind of warming up, getting ready to go on stage. Michael was like,” Hey man, what guitar is that?” And I’m like, “Oh, it’s a V.” And he’s like, “Come here, come here.” So, we started talking.

And then he saw me play and him and his wife saw me play and they invited me to actually be a guest. At this time I was about 16. So they invited me to play: “Hey, Stryper is coming here a few months later, do you want to come on stage and play a song?” And I’m like, “Of course. thank you.”  So, I talked with them about it and then it just so happened that Tony was going to open.  I didn’t meet Tony that night, I didn’t meet him until later, but it just so happened that Tony got on the show and asked a friend, “Who would be a good guitar player?” And he said to me.  It wound up happening that I was guesting with them and opening the show, completely unrelated and we had a great time. It was not easy. The music is difficult, but we pulled together the show in about a month and we all had a great time.

Chris Jericho 0f Fozzy, what’s that connection that you have with Chris?
Well, man, it’s funny. Like I said, we play for those tributes and there’s a Def Leppard and a Van Halen, and the boss of that band is a guy named Jason Dozer. He’s a professional mike stand guy. He’ll be there at the Whisky, but he makes everybody’s mike stands like Prince and Robert Plant and all that. And the other guitar player in the Def Leppard tribute beside Victor is this guy Billy Grey, the guitar player for Fozzy. So we’ve always known him and of course, been cool with him. And I’ve seen the other guitar player, Rich Ward around Atlanta and stuff too. But Billy’s our main connection in Fozzy, and so he invited us up to the show in Kentucky and we went and hung out and met Chris. Man, he was super cool, and we ended up hanging out and listening to KISS backstage. We were listening to the KISS Crazy Nights album. Because I mean, the whole band is massive KISS fans, me and Victor especially, as is Chris. So we were just all hanging out back there, talking about KISS and talking about bands and just partying and having a great time until like I don’t know, 3:00 AM. And then we drove back from Kentucky to Nashville, which is two and a half hours, got home at 5:00 in the morning, went to sleep, woke up at 7:00 to leave for West Virginia the next day.

If you guys could open for anyone either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Oh, man. There are a million bands. It’s hard because there are the bands that I would want to open for just because like KISS or Motley Crue or Def Leppard or any of those bands.  And then there are the bands who I think we would really fit in with better. If we’re talking just dream that, I would love to open for KISS or Guns N’ Roses or Def Leppard or any of those bands that I love from the eighties or seventies or whenever. But if you’re talking about somebody that we would fit in with, I would love to go open for The 1975 or YungBlud or somebody more modern like Måneskin.

If your Music of Lost Hearts was a donut, what kind would it be and why?
I’m going to have to go with the pink frosted one was sprinkles. That’s my favorite. You’ll hear it in our next song too. We have a very kind of pop sound to us and of course, there’s rock there, but we’re not trying to hide it. We’re not trying to be cooler than we are, or trying to be something we’re not. We write very pop songs and sort of basic – and just the good old pink strawberry frosted, but everybody likes it. Everybody likes that donut. So, what’s the problem? (Laughs)

What’s up next for you guys once the Whisky show is all out of the way?
April 28th is our second single – Night To Remember is coming out. So, we’re excited about that. Then we have of course, April 12th at The Whisky. April 14th at the Count’s Vamp’d with Enuff Z’Nuff. May 5th, we’re going up to Detroit and we’re opening for Great White. June 1st, we’re headlining the Star Bar in Atlanta. On June 15th, we’re doing our first headline show in Nashville. And so, we’re super excited about that at The Eighth Room. And yeah, we’re in the studio and traveling and doing the thing, man, trying to get it off the ground…

Lost Hearts is:
Max Frye: Vocals and Guitar
JT Shea: Guitar and Bass
Victor Adriel: Guitar and Bass
Mitch Arnholt: Drums

(Interview by Ken Morton – Photos by Joe Schaeffer)

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