Home Town Hero

by MacKenzie WilsonHome Town Hero's Aaron Bruno (vocals/guitar) and Drew Stewart (guitar) were teenage pals while attending SoCal's Westlake High School in the mid-'90s. They were also big fans of those who made that town a music scene years before -- Rancid, Operation Ivy, No Doubt -- and relished in '90s grunge heyday of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Green Day. Bruno and Stewart opted to form a band out of their love and passion for music. What started out at the Ice Monkeys would later be tagged Insurgence with the additions of Todd Burnes (bass) and Ray Blanco (drums). At first, they were a hardcore foursome, however playing shows at the famous Whisky-A-Go-Go and the Roxy allowed the band to shape up personally and professionally; while recording a homemade EP, Insurgence christened themselves Home Town Hero. Various dates on the 2000 and 2001 Vans' Warped Tour allowed for national exposure for Home Town Hero as well as a major-label deal. Madonna's Maverick captured the band in 2001 and prepped them to work alongside the likes of fellow post-grunge hipsters such as Hoobastank and Onesidezero. A self-titled debut album was issued in May 2002, and single "Questions" was a smash hit among major-market radio stations.