INTERVIEW: All things Hammy New Year with Eric of Heart Attack Man.

Photos, interview, & transcription by Tyler Johnson.

It’s that time of year again. The leaves are shifting from their vibrant summer greens to the familiar warm reds and oranges of autumn. Outside, the air is crisp, the days are shorter, and the final weeks of the year are upon us, bringing with them a wave of holidays and shows to accompany them. I’m no stranger to the incredible holiday shows that flood December; I've had the pleasure of attending a few in the past, including Ho Ho Hot Mulligan and Cliffy Christmas. And this year is no exception, with an abundance of artists and bands announcing their inaugural or annual Christmas and New Year’s shows across the country.

A group very familiar with this concept is Cleveland's own Heart Attack Man, who recently announced their 2nd Annual Hammy New Year. Last year, the band mixed things up by stepping away from pairing with the usual pop-punk outfit and shared the stage with hardcore bands. This year, they’re continuing that trend, with an exciting lineup that includes The Dirty Nil, Spaced, and Sutor to name a few.

Curious about the origins of Hammy New Year and what it means to the band, I had the chance to chat with frontman Eric Egan. We discussed the conception of the event, the benefits of their well-earned time off, and what the band has in store for the coming year.

Could you share a little bit about how the idea of Hammy New Year came about? Do you plan on continuing the concept yearly?

For a handful of years we’d really only been playing Cleveland when we came through on national tours. Hammy New Year spawned from the desire to play a fun, end of the year, headlining show that didn’t have to be a part of a bigger tour and the pressures that come with that, that would also allow us to have our band remain in touch with our local scene—putting on regional bands and artists that we like. We plan on continuing it yearly, building it up more and more, and giving Cleveland an awesome show to look forward to every year.

People seem to be traveling from all over to come to HNY; how does it feel as a band to have this event that so many people come out for?

It feels amazing and we could not be any more grateful for the support. Traveling for a show is a commitment, especially when it involves missing work and making arrangements, so it isn’t lost on us how special that is. It also holds us accountable to make the show 100% worth it and not fuck up!

At this year’s Hammy New Year, you guys are going to be joined by more hardcore bands, opposed to the previous emo and pop-punk leaning bands. Are you planning on leaning more into the hardcore scene?

We just want to include any artists that we like that are down to play the show. We all listen to so much music, and hardcore music is definitely a piece of that puzzle that makes up our interests, so we’ll continue putting on for good hardcore bands if good hardcore bands are down to play with us.

Small follow-up;  Could you share your connection to the hardcore scene in Cleveland and your connection to the community?

The Cleveland hardcore scene is the first community I found where I felt like I belonged. I didn’t have a lot of friends in high school, so as soon as I got my drivers license in 2009, I was going to every hardcore show I could make it to. A lot of my core adolescent memories and stories, as well as a lot of people I know today stem from my involvement in that scene.

After Freak of Nature came out and a lot of touring followed, you shared that you’re taking a much needed break from being on the road. How has the break helped you as a band?

It’s been awesome. It’s allowed us more time to focus on our screen printing business and developing that more, as well as spending more time with our friends and families. Having more time to work on new music has been awesome as well. That being said, we do miss being on the road, but we’ll be back better than ever and we’ll appreciate it even more than we did before.

Within your break you've used this time to work on new music, what are you most excited for fans to see once your release timeline is fully worked out?

I’m most excited for our fans to experience the best incarnation of our band yet. Every band says their new stuff is their best music yet, but we all know that isn’t always true. We’ll let the fans decide, but I really believe we’ve outdone ourselves again.

The visuals connected to your albums, music videos, and even media from live events comes together into a very cohesive look and style. Is cohesion something as a band you strive for or would you consider it a happy accident?

That means a lot to hear. We definitely strive for it—I think it’s of critical importance that any artist finds their unique visual style and consistently commit to developing that along with their music because it’s all interconnected.

With the New Year around the corner are there any goals you are looking to accomplish as a band or individually within the next year?

We just wanna keep leveling the band up and continuing to nurture the gradual, organic momentum we’ve started for ourselves over the years. We wanna play more shows, make the shows better, travel to new places. I’d love to play Mexico City. In my personal life I’m really just trying to buy a house soon and maybe some more guns, that’s really it.

A big thank you to Eric for taking the time out of his busy schedule to chat with me and offer some insight on the conception behind Hammy New Year. It’s clear this event is incredibly special to them and is a way of giving back to their community in Cleveland.  

If you're planning to be part of this year's Hammy New Year, it'll be happening at The Roxy in Lakewood, OH, on December 28th, 2024. For tickets and more info you can find them here: https://mahalls20lanes.com/America/New_York/hammy-new-year-ft-heart-attack-man/