Celebrating the band’s one-year anniversary and the release of killer second EP Outrun You All, the foundations have been laid by House Of Protection. Now, with a summer festival run and massive Architects support slot on the way, the duo explain how they’re continuing to raise the roof…
For a band as simpatico as House Of Protection, its two members are displaying markedly different energies this morning. It’s 9am in Los Angeles and Aric Improta is sitting in his car, bright-eyed and bushy-ponytailed, reflecting upon the duo celebrating their first year as a creative force – having both quit Jason Aalon Butler’s FEVER 333 in October 2022 – as well as the release of their second EP, Outrun You All.
“We are incredibly grateful that so many people are interested and willing to hear something that we had no idea how it was going to turn out,” offers Aric, who’s also been a member of LA rockers Night Verses since 2012. “We’ve never sung in a project before, and starting a new band isn’t an easy task, so to have so much support off the bat, from fans to friends offering us tours, isn’t the kind of thing you can plan for. That’s the most shocking thing for me – that and the fact we work so much harder than I would have thought.”
Despite this statement, Aric’s bandmate, guitarist and co-vocalist Stephen Harrison, formerly of Georgia hardcore punks The Chariot, is taking things at a more casual pace. They’ve got rehearsals in a couple of hours, but he’s only just beginning to greet the day. There’s no need to hurry too much anyway, as their technical approach, which both agree is best described as “small but sophisticated”, necessitates a lengthy set-up when it hasn’t been used since HOP’s last show, a month ago.
“I’m really proud with the progression of our live show,” says Stephen, returning to the topic at hand, his voice chasm deep and his yawns causing sunlight to glint against the gold in his teeth.
He thinks back to the band’s support slots with Bad Omens on Australia’s east coast, as part of a bill completed by Poppy (whose 2024 album, Negative Spaces, was co-written by Stephen). On the first show of the tour, Houses Of Protection had, by Stephen’s estimation, “played hard as fuck”, but they felt improvements could be made. So the two men did something you’d expect from a sports team rather than musicians and watched that opening night’s show back, play-by-play, to see what they could do better.
“We took a lot of notes,” he explains. “And since then we watch footage from every show.”
It’s a fascinating and unexpected insight; House Of Protection seem to thrive on chaos, or at least an intensity it’s difficult to wrangle, and yet there’s a fastidious method in the madness. So what sorts of things were Aric and Stephen jotting down during these debriefs?
“I think it’s finding the balance of our new roles,” suggests Aric, who performs co-vocals from behind his drum kit. “Because we’re used to being behind a singer where we can run out of breath just throwing our bodies everywhere. And we don’t ever want to lose that energy by any means – this wouldn’t be fun without that – but at the same time, when you’re playing two instruments instead of one, you’ve got to pick your moments when you’re going to refine something, vs. just letting loose and shutting your brain off. There’s this Buster Keaton quote where he talked about physical performance, that he’d have 50 per cent figured out and 50 per cent open to improvisation.”
Three days from now, House Of Protection will be able to put what they’re continuing to learn into practice with a show at The Roxy in West Hollywood. What’s more, it’ll be in celebration of the release of their second EP, Outrun You All, once again produced by former Bring Me The Horizon man Jordan Fish.
“There are vibes this EP has that the first one [2024’s GALORE] doesn’t,” teases Stephen.
“We’ve talked about this [EP] being the nighttime counterpart to the first EP,” elaborates Aric. “It’s an interesting scenario to have two releases this close together, so it was a natural progression to think, ‘What did we not get to accomplish on the first one?’ With GALORE, it was the first impression and you don’t have a lot of time to waste. But with this one, we had the luxury of getting a little bit moodier and experimenting with stuff that requires a little more patience from the listener.”
Certainly, where GALORE was propulsive and rushed to infiltrate eardrums, which it achieved brilliantly, Outrun You All isn’t always in such a damn hurry, as illustrated by the Nine Inch Nails-meets-trip-hop-isms of I Need More Than This. It’s deeper, darker and stranger. Much of this widening of the weirdness is thanks to the record’s returning producer.
“Jordan isn’t a producer who says, ‘Why don’t you write lyrics over one of my 10 songs,’” explains Aric. “What he’s exceptional at is hearing a really obscure idea, whether it pisses him off or not, and finding a way to turn it into a real song. [The track] Afterlife was like that. We brought a verse with a stabbing guitar and this whip sound snare drum sample. We knew we liked it but didn’t know where to take it as a song, but Jordan would sprinkle in the production and help us bring out the chorus. He would sit there and loop something for 18 hours until he finds the answer that does the artistic concept justice but still becomes a satisfying song.”
As if launching an excellent new EP wasn’t exciting enough, the day of the Roxy show, May 24, just so happens to be both Aric and Stephen’s birthday. Thankfully, they don’t have to worry too much about getting one another presents, as their tour manager/video director has already taken care of some unsurpassable offerings – for Aric, a signed copy of Bjork’s debut album, while for Stephen, a Shining Mew Pokémon card (a Japan-only version).
“It’s gorgeous and my favourite card ever made, but I’ve never owned it,” beams Stephen.
“It’s one of the craziest gifts I’ve ever got in my life,” adds Aric, still in disbelief.
Awesome gifts taken care of, then, all attention is on the show, which will provide good prep for HOP’s multiple forthcoming appearances in the UK, at Download Festival, Reading & Leeds, and a support slot on Architects’ European tour in October.
“To be able to perform these songs in front of our friends, family and most dedicated supporters is great,” says Stephen of this springboard to the bigger shows he loves playing. “Playing festivals in the UK is great because people are there to have fun. I feel they’re different from American festivals. There’s just a vibe to them that’s more welcoming.”
Aric, meanwhile, thinks the difference goes further.
“There’s an enthusiasm in the UK for a new act, while in America they prefer to go and see what they know,” suggests Aric. “In the UK, it seems you can stumble upon a stage of people you’ve never heard of and, if it’s exciting, the crowd stays and builds. For us, that’s exciting, because we like the idea of grabbing people who have maybe never heard of us before, so to see that excitement vs. people waiting for a legacy act, is something special.”
Keep your ears out, then, because House Of Protection are looking to get their hooks into those trudging past on a festival site this summer. And no amount of suncream is going to spare them the scorching they’ll receive when they do…
Outrun You All is out now via Red Bull Records
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