Holding out for a Hero
Holding Out for a Hero
NYC electro soul band Street Hero is here to save the day!
By John Russell
The boys of Street Hero—Cyrus Baty, Eric White and Angelo Tursi—may not actually have super powers, but their music goes a long way towards making you think they do. Since bursting onto the scene this spring, the guys have taken New York by storm with their infectious blend of electro-rock, soul and pop. With their debut E.P., Dim Ho, available for free via the band's website (wearestreethero.com) and a new video on the way, we thought it was about time we had a little chat with Street Hero.
Your sound is kind of a hybrid. How exactly would you describe it?
Cyrus: The new Urban Epic. Electro and rock and soul.
I've read that Cyrus' original demos were much more soul oriented. How did you guys get from there to your current sound?
Eric: At first it was chaos. Our sound was all over the place. Then after a few months, we really honed in on what was making it all work together. Once we got that down and added Angelo, things really started to fuse and somehow make sense.
Cyrus, do you ever think about revisiting I guess what you might call your "soul moment?"
Cyrus: Yes, but it will never be straight up classic soul. It will be like more of the Alice Russell quirky stuff.
Eric, what's it like being the only lonely straight guy in the band?
Eric: Funny. Very, very funny. But they help me dress for shows, so that's cool.
What made you guys decide to release your E.P. for free through your website?
Angelo: At this point we really just want people to hear us. We wanna get people out to our shows and singing along.
I'm loving "Black Girls and Jesus." Just the title alone... Tell me all about that song!
Cyrus: Growing up gay in the all-white farm town where I'm from, I needed an excuse why I wasn't dating and sleeping with girls. Either I only liked black girls who were nowhere around, or I was so close to Jesus that I didn't want to have sex. Those were my excuses.
There's another song on the E.P. called "Brooklyn Boys." What's so special about Brooklyn boys?
Cyrus: I like their culture of creativity and ambition. People who come here to reinvent themselves, to pursue something. It's not easy here sometimes and it takes a special kind of person to "make it" here.
Do you have a favorite Brooklyn boy?
Cyrus: I'm sure I could hop on the L train and find another favorite each night.
I hear you've just finished up a video for the song. Tell us a little about that. When can we expect to see it?
Angelo: My friend Leo Hererra from San Francisco wanted to do a video for "Brooklyn Boys" for us. It's the first music video he has directed, but you wouldn't know that by watching it. It looks stunning. We just released it this week!
You've also got a full length album in the works. How's that coming along?
Eric: Yep. The songs are finished. We are just doing some more mixing and mastering. We will most likely release it in the spring.
You guys have had shows at mr. Black, The Hose, you're playing at one of the Spank parties. How are the gay boys responding to Street Hero?
Angelo: I've seen lots of asses shaking. Which is just what I wanna see.
Is it more fun playing a gay club than just a regular gig?
Cyrus: Drunk straight girls are hilarious and they don't take up as much room when they dance, unlike some queens. Although, I do like the prospect of getting laid after a show...
Do you have any plans to tour any time soon?
Eric: Yes! We hope to start around the time that the full length album is released.
Check out wearestreethero.com for more info and to download Dim Ho for free.
