Heroes Like Villians is a pop-punk band based in Columbus, Ohio. Consisting of David (vox), Josh (guitar), Dan (bass), and Ryan (drums) they just released an EP which you can pick up on bandcamp and are vying for a spot on the Cleveland stop of Warped Tour.

How was the band formed?

The current lineup was largely assembled through the use of the internet and social media. Our guitarist Josh founded the band and found our vocalist David through a local music scene Facebook group, and found bassist Ryan on Craigslist. We found our drummer Myles after watching him play with another band in the Columbus scene, and our other guitarist Dan was formerly the guitarist of Heroes Like Villains when we were more of a hardcore band several years ago.

Who are some of your musical inspirations?

We like to incorporate heavier instrumentals with smooth clean vocals. Instrumentally you may hear the aggressive riffs of ADTR, Four Year Strong, and the metal influences of Chunk, No Captain Chunk!. Our vocalist David looks up to the crisp vocals of Will Pugh of Cartel, and on certain songs you may even hear R&B touches akin to Chris Brown or Justin Timberlake.

Have you done any tours/Are there plans for one?

We will be departing on our first tour on May 28th! It is a 15-day tour that will cover 11 different states. Stay tuned to our website and Facebook for further details!

Have you shared the stage with any national acts? If so, who?

We have had the pleasure of sharing the stage with Broadside, Handguns, ROAM, Marina City, Forever At Last, and Knockout Kid to name a few! We also have an upcoming show on 3/31 with Forever Came Calling and Major League!

What's the local scene like in Columbus?

The local Columbus scene has been predominantly dominated by metalcore, deathcore, and hardcore for the past decade. With bands like Attack! Attack!, Beartooth, and Like Moths to Flames coming out of Columbus the city has been known for its heavier side. But there are up-and-coming acts that are bringing pop-punk to the forefront.

Who are some of your favorite local acts?

We are privileged to be a part of a rapidly growing local scene of pop-punk bands including We Are The Movies, Absolute Hero, No Dice, and Undergrads. All of whom we have the opportunity to share the stage with and hang out with. We are very excited to see what we can do together for the city and our scene!

You recently did an interview with 99.7 The Blitz on WRKZ - how did it go?

It was the coolest experience! We were in the studio with Hales who does so much for our local scene. She puts on a weekly show called "Local Stuff" that airs on Sundays at 10 PM. We were lucky enough to visit her in the studio, acoustically perform two songs off our EP "Amends," and give the people of Columbus a chance to get to know us better.

Does OSU (The Ohio State University) help or hurt your band?

It definitely helps! It's great having such a large body of diverse people in our hometown. The college scene has really helped our show attendance as well as helping us decide which songs will make it onto our future EP's and albums!

What's the response to your EP been like?

Honestly, overwhelmingly good. It has reinforced what we all believed going into the studio: that we were on to something special with our songs and our sound. We just had a release show for "Amends" on February 27 and it was amazing. The turnout, the energy... Everything about it made it one of our favorite shows we've ever played.

What's your favorite food, and where in Columbus is the best place to get it?

Three of our favorite local establishments would have to be Canado (home of the best tacos in town), Dirty Franks (amazing gourmet hot dogs), and Mikey's Late Night Slice (such pizza, much pop-punk!).

You can keep in touch with all their shows and big announcements on their Facebook account and can see their day-to-day activity on their Twitter or Instagram (@HeroesLikeVillians). All of their music and merch is available for purchase on their bandcamp which is linked HERE.