Clothing and music go hand-in-hand, as the common spirit of creative innovation is well expressed through music and print design. Bands love seeing their logos and designs rumbling through a crowd on the backs of loyal fans, while simultaneously these fans are proud to identify themselves with an artist who has connected with them through beat or lyric. Legionnaire Apparel stands in a prime position to optimize these relationships as its founders Joe Moxley and Mike Herrera (of MxPx and Tumbledown) have a wealth of experience between them and as a company they have already been active in sponsoring bands both nationally and locally. If you live outside of Oregon, you may have seen their feminine line in Zumiez stores or any number of their stellar designs on several of their faithful friends such as nationally known bands as Kutless or local rising stars like Tallboy. Join Rob Van Winkle (aka Vanilla Ice) and the rest of the Legionnairre Army as they continue to spread the Legionnairre goodness one torso at a time. A hearty hurdcore thanks to Joe for taking the time to share about his journey and vision for Legionnairre Apparel.

How does Joe of Medford, OR hook up with Mike of Bremerton, WA? How long have you known each other and what was the process/discussion like when you ventured into making apparel together?
JM Jason Hanlin of Guru Screen Printing introduced Mike and I about 4 years ago. Mike was on tour with MxPx and Jason and I were going on Taste of Chaos Tour with my older clothing line Meddy Clothing. I hooked up Mike with shirts and stayed in contact with him. Over time we talked and put our heads together and Legionnaire was born!

Legionnaire was recently picked up by Zumiez and being distributed in their stores up and down the West Coast (apparently not in Oregon?!), what does this deal mean for you and how did this come about?
JM Ha, yea. Zumiez did a test buy with the gals shirts nationwide. Not in Oregon because they wanted to see how it will sell outside of people we know. So far so good! We are super stoked that larger stores are starting to hear the buzz about Legionnaire so this is a huge step for us.

When did you and Mike make their official start as Legionnairre Apparel?
JM The launch of Legionnaire was in January 2007.

From your initial start, what has the journey into the fashion world been like for Legionnairre? What have been some of the biggest challenges along the way and what have you learned as you continue to build your empire?
JM Right away we had a great response because of all the loyal Herrera fans! I believe the biggest challenges are that Mike and I both have other jobs! Its tough to run a business on a few hours a night. We have learned if you take care of your customers that they will take care of you. Legionnaire fans are Legionnaire! Without them we would not be where we are now.

Who have been some of the key supporters from the beginning for Legionnaire?
JM Friends and family! Legionnaire has such a strong friends and family base that that is really how we spread the word on Legionnaire. So many bands to thank for showing Legionnaire Love and really supporting us by wearing out designs! Tumbledown, MxPx, S.A.T.O.R.I., YouHangUp, TallBoy, Kutless, Amber Pacific and even the great Vanilla Ice just to name a few.

What artists are you working with now as promotors/sponsors?
JM We are working with YouHangUp on a shirt design that will be a Legionnaire/youHangUp shirt that will only be found on our site. They are a newer band that is starting to blow up and sitting on drums is Frankie Muniz. We also are always working with the band S.A.T.O.R.I. This band has been with us before we had a clothing line. Great guys plus I manage the band so ha I guess I better sponsor them right?

Other than Joe and Mike, who is Legionairre? Where do you get your designs, are they all in-house?
JM For the last 3 to 4 years mike, Jason Hanlin (Guru Screen Printing) and I were pretty much the only ones designing. Now we have branched out just a little…ha Jeremy Hanlin has done a few of the new designs (ArrowHead, Love with Tear us Apart) Great Artist! We also just started working with Kay Boak. She is a super talented tattoo artist here in Ashland Oregon! You will see her designs real soon on our site and in many tattoo magazine.

What is the most difficult part of the printing process?
JM Printing is easy, it’s coming up with designs that we believe in and want on our site that takes time.

If I had an extra $50,000, the first piece of equipment that I would purchase for the business is A store front – time to open another store where we can also book bands!

Is there a current fashion trend that you have noticed that you will never join?
JM Skinny Jeans! I just don’t have the legs for it.

Currently reading Facebook for dummies, listening to Tyler DeVoll and watching Modern Family.

How about the best book you’ve ever read, what makes it stick out to you?
Who Moved My Cheese. Ha sounds lame but I really did get a lot out of it! Makes you want to be a go getter.

What are the top 5 songs in your personal ipod right now?
JM 1) Tumbledown – Butcher of San Antone; 2) S.A.T.O.R.I. – Hey; 3) Digital Underground – Humpty Dance; 4) Tumledown – Drink to Forget; 5) When we Were kings – What a Beautiful Fight We’ve Had

What are some of your best and worst experiences hawking apparel?
JM [BEST] Meeting the great people that support Legionnaire. [WORST] Seeing other clothing company steal your designs!

CHECK out all the Legionnairre Apparel designs for men and women’s clothing on their WEBSITE or MYSPACE

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music concert tours. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues, tours and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, acoustic, thrash, indie, heavy metal, organic, progressive, funk, death metal, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook Hurdcore is open to partnerships to promote local arts, music and entertainment as well as advertising opportunities – hurdcore@gmail.com – be specific in “subject” line.

Tallboy is a band generating a lot of momentum for themselves right now. With accomplishments such has as playing live to large crowds with known national acts the likes of Papa Roach, Hinder, Kotton Mouth Kings and Floater. Refreshingly, these Medford, Oregon rockers manage to keep enough down-to-earth presence to remain connected with their local following. As well they should considering that this fan-base helped boost them, via frequent request for their song “Taken Back”, into regular airplay on rock station 96.9 KROG The Rogue. With their renewed commitment to music and each other, Tallboy ought to be a band to keep your eye on as they blaze a rock trail of mayhem through Oregon and onto the National heavy music scene.

It’s the start of a new year, what are some of your favorite memories from 2009?
TB (Kevin) Favorite memories would have to be our fans have become more of our family than just a fan! Hiring Jimmy and Brandon, then sharing the stage with Big names like Papa Roach, Hinder, Kotton Mouth Kings, and Floater.

What are the origins of Tallboy?
TB (Justin) The funny thing is that 3 of the 5 members of Tallboy have known each other for years, but have been in other bands, so we never had a chance to jam with each other. The opportunity arose for Kevin, Angel, and Justin to jam together, and with our previous singer, the first incarnation of Tallboy was born! Members have come and gone, but we feel that the 5 of us are now the “dream team” of musicians we could find.

If we were flashing on the life of TallBoy, what differences would we notice most between the infantile TB and the current TB?
TB The new Tallboy is better lyrically and musically. Our musical abilities have evolved immensely in the last year, where as is in the first year this was very new. (Kevin) I had never been in a successful band before…never played in front of more than 50 people. I also figured out how to “rock-out” and play at the same time.

As recently as August of 2009 you were getting regular play for your single “Taken Back” on local 96.9 KROG. How were you able to accomplish this and how has that exposure affected your band?
TB (Angel) We were able to accomplish this with a great recording, a competition we were involved with, and fan requests. The Exposure has been phenomenal!

How would you describe the sound of Tallboy? TB Energetic, Inventive, Fist-pumping, Aggressive Rock, Complicated, Melodic, and Driven by passion!

What do you believe sets Tallboy apart from other bands?
TB (Angel) Our stage presence and unique sound get our crowds going. We’re always trying to write new and creative songs that keep the fans entertained and interested. Going beyond the boundaries of the normal, and involving our fans more than you would expect!

Does your name have any particular meaning or significant history?
TB (Justin) At first it was just based on a Tallboy of beer, then it was discovered that the name is based on a World War II Bunker Buster, also called an Earthquake Bomb. We thought that encompassed our sound pretty well.

Who have been some of the funnest bands, venues and people to work with?
TB Six Ounce Gloves, A Single Second, Dryseason, Holdfast, and Hired Gun. Playing with Papa Roach & Hinder at the Lithia Amphitheater was the biggest rush we have had in our entire life. All of the local and touring bands we have worked with have been great, and an absolute pleasure to share the stage with. Some of our favorite venues have been Lithia Motors Amphitheater, Medford Armory, Shenanigans, and the Rogue Theatre.

Live local hardcore concert with Oregon band Tallboy

Can you pinpoint the moment when you knew you wanted to get serious about being in a band?
TB (Justin) From the very beginning, something amazing was happening. The songs we were writing were the most complex, and entertaining that we had ever personally played. On top of that, we had never had an easier time writing the music… it seemed to write itself!

Who has been the greatest influence and/or support in getting you to where you are now?
TB Our Fans, Our Family, Our Passion for what we believe in.

What were some of the key lessons that you learned as musicians that helped you get to this point?
TB Don’t ever give up! Trust, Determination, Confidence, Practice, Practice, Practice. When you’re done practicing, go practice some more.

What were some of the key lessons that you learned as performers and businessmen that helped you get to this point?
TB (Jimmy) The more into the music you are, the more the crowd is. Being respectful to your fans, and business owners, and thanking all of them for the opportunity to share our music with each and every one of them.

As a band, would you say that there is an underlying philosophy or core values that create the foundation for Tallboy?
TB (Justin) We all love playing music and are really good friends. We all want to be successful and would love to turn this into a career when the right opportunity arises. Passion is the core of our band!

For you, what are some of the essentials to a good show – both from the performance aspect as well as the behind the scenes?
TB (Angel) Rock out as much as possible without screwing up your parts. Also, know your limits with alcohol…although, for some reason Kevin is the best at getting drunk and playing. Knowing the demographic of the venue, what track record does the venue hold, how popular is the venue. What other bands would be a great fit for a night out for the fans, what type of sound does the venue have.

What do you hope that fans will receive from your music?
TB (Jimmy) We hope they get excited when they hear our music…maybe brightens their day a bit. We usually get inspired to write music when were listening to music, so our hope is someone will listen to our songs and get inspired to write something as well.

What is one of the coolest stories you have heard from a fan?
TB (Angel) One of our fans was having a bit of a hard time with her life. We didn’t know this at the time, but when we had one of her favorite songs done we sent it to her in an e-mail as a surprise, just for being a great fan. So then in turn she sent us an emotional e-mail back saying, “Thank You, you don’t know how soon this could have come to me in this desperate time of my life, your song ‘Let Go’ just saved my life!” There was more to the e-mail than we will say, but you can get the point that she was relieved and very emotional because this song meant so much to her.

Have you had the chance to tour yet?
TB Not a major tour, as we all do have jobs, some of us have kids, but we do try to get out of town as much as possible and spread the music.

Any funny/crazy stories you’d like to share?
TB (Angel) Kevin stinks and is a ninja farter! Also, on one trip I had to stick my head outside of the van because our defroster doesn’t work in the snow and freezing rain! That sucked! Just fun times doing weekend trips. (Kevin) I’m pretty sure that I claim every fart that I produce…its not my fault Angel feeds me fast food and doesn’t provide any Gas-X. I thought it was pretty cool getting to meet Jakobi before the Papa Roach show. He was behind the main stage fishing and we just sparked a random conversation with him.

What are the chosen weapons of the trade for TB?
TB Kevin: Schectre C-1 Hellraiser (drop D tuning), Godin LG HB (drop C tuning), Peavy Triple X Half Stack, Boss DD-5 Delay Pedal, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal.

Angel: 2 Yamaha RBX474 4 string basses (different tunings) Ernie Ball Slinky’s, Carvin BX1200 watt amp, Carvin 8×10 cabinet, Sony instrument wireless system.

Justin: Premier Percussion 5 piece hand lacquered drums, Zildjian A Customs, Z Customs, Tama Hardware and Pedals, Ahead Sticks.

Jimmy: Shure SM-58 Wireless Mic, Behringer 1000 watt Mains, Nady 4×15 subs, and a whole slew of other outboard gear.

Brandon: Peavey Wolfgang Guitar, Peavey Classic 50/50 tube amp, Peavey cab w/ custom Sheffield 4×12 cab.

If you had an extra $1000, what is the first piece of equipment you would purchase for TB?
TB (Kevin Says) “I have been getting the itch to get a new guitar recently. I’m going to try out some PRS guitars and maybe a Gibson SG (hopefully with EMG pickups).” As for the band, we probably would get Recording Hardware, and Updated Software! Maybe replace worn parts of instruments, and or purchase more merchandise.

As a fan of music, who are you digging right now? What would be on the top 5 of your ipod playlist?

TB We are getting really excited for the new Fear Factory album coming out in February. The new Mudvayne is sick. A Day To Remember, Austrian Death Machine, As I Lay Dying, Dethklok, In Flames, Lamb of God, Straight Line Stitch, Breaking Benjamin, Pillar, Chevelle. The list goes on and on and on and on!

*Thanks to Tallboy and Caitlin Siobhan Photography for sharing their awesome pictures for this article. Tallboy wanted to be sure to thank their sponsors: Legionnaire Apparel (clothing from Medford local Joe Moxley and MxPx’s Mike Herrera), Brett Helfrich and Eads Furniture, Creative Concepts and Monster Energy Drinks (Local Sponsorship)

For more information, interviews and updates for live local music. Local bands, artists, concerts, venues and events from rock, hip-hop, metal, pop, punk, hardcore, alternative, indie, organic, progressive, rap and more. Stay tuned to hurdcore.com, friend us on myspace and join us facebook

Hurdcore.com is still working as an internet resource with tentacles stemming from our web-based operations that bring our audience a unique peek into the entrails of local music. For our latest local artist interview, we call to your attention an Oregon grown local group reading to bring rock to a neighborhood near you. Obscure poetry and five dudes from Medford (Oregon) residing for over a year in a living room somewhere near Oregon State University form the petri dish and catalyst for the musical life spawn known as Her Death and After. HDAA has endured lineup changes, interstate relocation and the financial constraints of aspiring artists to continue their run at making a mark in the music world.

Your name, Her death and After, is a nod to a Thomas Hardy poem of the same title written in 1898. A poem, as you say, that exemplifies the inevitability of beauty after tribulation, could you elaborate some on that concept?
HDAA Our band came together in the fall of 2006 with a totally different line up. Along the way we’ve had a lot of personal struggles as friends and band mates. As a result of all of our conflicts, Her Death and After is our “beauty after tribulation”. We have finally assembled five guys who share the same goals and are willing to sacrifice anything and everything to make our dreams come true. Even when that has meant the whole band living on a friends living room floor for a year.

Have the writings of Hardy always been a part of your lives or did this poem just happen to resonate at a specific time in life?

HDAA At first, when the name was chosen we didn’t realize how much it would ultimately mean to us, but as time has passed the meaning behind “Her Death And After” has become more and more personal to the band and ourselves as individuals. So yes! We guess you could say it did resonate at a specific point in time but everyday since then we come to realize how well the name really fits our band.

The current persona of Her Death and After was formed in 2007 from the involvement and death of several other ventures. What is different about the current HDAA that sets itself up for a long term run at making a mark locally and nationally?
HDAA Well first off, we don’t suck anymore and of course our stamina in the bedroom has increased….by about five minutes. Ha! but really, one of the biggest reasons we can see ourselves making a long term run is because of a lot of improvement on communicating with each other. Like we said, we spent a year living in a two bedroom apartment and we’ve really learned each others boundaries. It pretty much all comes down to the fact that we’ve grown up. We are stronger than ever and we’re all here to see this band through no matter what gets thrown our way.

For those who are unfamiliar with your set, how would you describe yourself? What can we expect from a Her Death and After show?
HDAA Super sweet dance moves, bad jokes and Sean.

Her Death and After is based out of Medford (Oregon), was in Corvallis for a time and now back in Medford? What brought you to Corvallis and what takes you back to Medford?
HDAA Our drummer Andrew was accepted into OSU and we knew that if we didn’t follow him to Corvallis the band wouldn’t be able to continue. So one by one we all moved up. As time went by we discovered all the perks of being on our own. The freedom, the nice practice space and being secluded from all distractions back in Medford. After a year of writing and partying we found out that a huge part of being in a band requires money that we didn’t have. We looked for jobs and found nothing. So we had a band discussion about what our next step should be. The conclusion was that Medford was our only option because of the fact that it’s our hometown and we knew it would be the best financial step for the band.

Do you notice any difference in the local music scenes from Medford to Corvallis and even Corvallis to Portland? How often do you play locally?
HDAA It’s hard to say because Medford and Corvallis have two very different vibes. But we can say that the Medford music scene is growing and we know that we will end up growing with it. It’s pretty much the ultimate foundation for our band right now. As far as Portland goes we don’t have much experience in that music scene.
Our local and state wide shows are going to be growing exponentially in the very near future.

You recently parted ways with your guitarist (and Kevin’s younger brother?), Mike, have you been able to recruit and fill that position or does HDAA proceed as a fourpiece?
HDAA We recently filled that position with one of our long time friends, Aaron Hammericksen, who thankfully for us also happens to be an outstanding musician.

The bands most recent recording is the Living Room Wars EP, is the recording out yet or still in the works? Is this your first recording, what did you learn from this process of being in the studio?

HDAA Living Room Wars is our 4 song EP that you can find on our myspace! This isn’t the first time we’ve recorded but Living Room Wars was our first professional recording. We practiced a lot before we headed into the studio so the process went very smoothly. One positive lesson we learned from that experience was that having legit recordings gets you so much more respect. So we recommend spending the extra money to sound professional.

What are some of your early influences that got you into music? Who were some of the influences that helped you launch HDAA?

HDAA Almost all of the band shares a very similar music background. Blink-182 was probably one of the most significant influential bands for us. As far as HDAA goes we didn’t have any certain bands in mind while writing our new material. Our sound has evolved from all of our personal inspirations.

Where are you currently grabbing inspiration from and how has this been affecting your music?
HDAA New opportunities, new albums and [other activities]. That seems to be workin’ for us.

Where can those interested best connect with you to find out about news, releases and tours?
HDAA www.myspace.com/herdeathandafter

What do you enjoy most about the local music scene? Who have been some of the funnest bands and venues to play with locally?

HDAA The Broadway Waxers Music Hall in Coos Bay [Oregon] was an awesome venue! As far as bands go we recently played a show with a band called ” Hit em’ where it hurts” from Chico [California] and they were really awesome guys.

What are the weapons (insturments) of choice HDAA?
HDAA Present Gear – Kevin: AKG mics; Sean: Jackson DXMG, Peavey 5150 II and Marshall Cab; Aaron: Ebanez RG, Peavey 6505 + (half stack); Josh: Mark Hoppus signature precision bass;
Andrew: 4 piece Pearl kit export series, 18 inch A custom fast crash, 21 inch Zildjian Aedius, 18 in Zildjain Oriental China, 13 in aax zildajian hi hats. 23 in A custom ping ride (i wish)

Favorite place to eat in Medford? If we were coming to a show in your hometown of Medford, and arrived a little early what is one place/site in town that is a must see before departing?

HDAA Muchas Gracias! we recommend the chicken fajita burrito!!!

What have been some of the most important lessons for you as an aspiring artist? Any words of wisdom for those wanting to pursue their dreams of music stardom?
HDAA We still have a long way to go and a lot more to learn but communication is one of the biggest things we’ve learned keeps our band together.

UPCOMING SHOWS:
November 28, 2009 10PM – Rooftop Show Downtown Medford. $5 – message HDAA for show details.

Her Death and After will be at Riley’s Bar & Grill in Albany, Oregon with fellow hurdcore alumn Abandon the Shore on Thursday, December 10, 2009 @ 7PM ALL AGES!!! 124 SW Broadalbin St, Albany, Oregon 97321