Hinder: they’re no angels

(Credit: Florian Schneider)

Influenced by bands like Mötley Crüe and Guns N’ Roses, Hinder hit big in 2005, but not with the hedonistic guitar-shredding of their heroes. Instead, it was “Lips of an Angel,” an epic display of sensitive rock balladry, that catapulted the Oklahoma-bred group from obscurity to sales exceeding three million copies for their debut album, “Extreme Behavior.” They’ve been determined ever since to counteract any notions that they’re soft by trying to enjoy the Sunset Strip, rock-star lifestyle as hard as Axl Rose or Tommy Lee ever did.

On the eve of dropping sophomore album “Take It to the Limit,” Hinder’s amiable lead singer Austin Winkler and drummer Cody Hanson joined a media conference call to explain why a sophomore slump isn’t even on their one-track party minds. Lock up your daughters, and Carrie Underwood: the Hinder boys are coming to town.

Tell us about the video for the first single from the new album, “Use Me.”
Austin Winkler: That was a very fun video to make. It was just a big party and it was all real; everything you saw was real. We got some girls, “Playboy Cyber Girls,” to come up and party with us for the video. So that didn’t suck, for sure.

I’ve had people say, “Oh, did you hear the new Guns N’ Roses song, ‘Use Me?’” and I’m like, “I think that’s Hinder.”  Was there a Guns N’ Roses element when you started putting that song together, especially the guitar sounds?
AW: Yes. I mean, I think so. On this record, we just let our influences show a little more, and as a collective whole, Guns N’ Roses is probably our biggest influence as a band.

Is there another musical genre you’d like to explore if you were ever done with the hard rock?
CH: I’d definitely experiment with country music.
AW: Oklahoma gangster rap. Just kidding.

Did you ever want to do something other than be in a rock band?
CH: Whenever I was younger, I wanted to open up a strip club, actually. That was my goal, so now it’s kind of worked out nice. I just get to do that every night on the bus, so it works out all right.

You guys seem so bold, but do you have any secret fears, like spiders or crowds?
CH: I hate spiders, and people in masks scare the fuck out of me too.
AW: The Jonas Brothers.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? You’ve already worked with Mick Mars from Mötley Crüe. Maybe Slash from Guns N’ Roses?
AW: Yeah, maybe Slash. I’d like to collaborate with Carrie Underwood. Not for songwriting, though.

Do you have any pre-show traditions or rituals that you do as a band or individually?
AW: We make what we call “blombs,” when Blower [guitarist Joe Garvey] makes a shot of Jager and Red Bull and we turn up the music offensively loud and party.

Do you ask for anything crazy on your tour rider for backstage?
CH: No, but I think you just gave us a good idea.
AW: Well, we put stuff on there, not to be funny, but people would probably think that they are. Our bass player, Mike, slips Depends on there quite a bit. But it’s not a joke. He just can’t control himself when he gets so hammered.

There’s been a lot of talk of your partying fortitude. Have you ever toured with any bands that have impressed by out-partying you?
AW: No, there’s no chance in hell.

No? You’re the masters?
AW: Yes, and if there’s anybody out there that wants the challenge, bring it on.

What do you do to prepare for this sort of warrior-like stamina?
AW: It’s just something you start whenever you’re, like, 15 or something.

OK, when was the last time you got super debauched?
AW: I’ll tell you a story that happened last night. Blower passed out at the Rainbow in L.A. and we carried him back, but then we couldn’t go any further and so we couldn’t get him to his room. So we proceeded to drag him by his feet and tuck him into bed, and he woke up this morning with rug burns all over his chest.