In the wake of the release of their fourth studio album, Hinder are taking the Freakshow on tour. I caught up with frontman Austin Winkler backstage at the Sands Event Center tour stop in my hometown of Bethlehem, PA to talk about the new record, the tour, and more. Hinder completed a brief acoustic tour late last fall, The Bare Bones Tour. The tour showed fans the softer side of Hinder, just before cranking things up again with the release of their new album. “We wanted to give fans the opportunity to see the songs how they were written in a very vulnerable spot,” Austin said. “Now, we’re back and plugged in, and it’s a lot of fun. The shows are goin’ really well. Good times.”
Back in December 2012, the band released their new LP, Welcome To The Freakshow, via Universal Republic Records. The album debuted nearly two years later to the day since their last outing, 2010’s All American Nightmare. “It’s been really good, man, there’s a lot of party-rockers and panty-droppers. I think our fans are diggin’ it and I think we’re getting some new fans out of it too.” In terms of the album’s lyrical content, Austin stated, “Everything that we write is based off our experiences and the way we look at life. I think that’s why people are really drawn to us. It’s all real.”
It’s been quite a wild ride for Hinder since their 2005 major label debut. I remember seeing them for
the first time in Atlantic City back in 2009 opening up Mötley Crüe, and now here they are on a huge headlining tour. I had to ask Austin his reflective thoughts on Hinder’s career thus far, and he simply replied, “It’s definitely a roller coaster, man. Definitely blessed to be able to do this…and pay my bills. That’s the only thing I can ask for, and I get to live my dream every night.” Rock ‘n’ roll, my friend.
Hinder garnered worldwide success with the release of their major label debut, Extreme Behavior, via Universal Records in 2005. The albums first single, “Get Stoned”, broke the band onto the rock radio waves. The second single, “Lips of An Angel”, was a massive worldwide hit for the band, and has become one of their signature songs. The album went on to be certified triple-platinum, and in 2007 Hinder was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame, their home state. In 2008, the band released their much anticipated sophomore effort, Take It To The Limit, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 and sold 81,000 copies in it’s first week of sales. That same year, the band headlined the Jägermeister Music Tour with support from Trapt and Rev Theory.
In 2009, Hinder provided direct support for Mötley Crüe on their Saints of Los Angeles Tour along with Theory of a Deadman and The Last Vegas. Later that same year, Hinder would support Nickelback on their Dark Horse Tour. In 2010, the band hit the studio to begin writing and recording new material for their next album, All American Nightmare, which was released later that year. Overall much heavier than their previous outings, the disc includes the hits “Hey Ho”, “Put That Record On”, “Striptease”, and my personal favorite Hinder song, “What Ya Gonna Do”; a great track about not letting life get away from you, ’cause one day you’ll turn around, and you’ll have lost everything. Now, Hinder are back with a new round of rock tracks. Be sure to grab a copy of the new album, and get your tickets to see the Freakshow live, loud, and in-person. – by Matt Bishop (Photography by Matt Bishop)