"It takes a lot of cold hard want to just persevere and continue believing in rock n' roll. And if it is dead and we're just fools on the sinking ship, that's fine! We're happy to go out that way," said Tim Skipper from House of Heroes. 

 

Pressure is the element that separates the men from the boys in this industry. When it's do or die, sink or swim, the truly special bands are the ones who emerge from the furnace not just intact, but as gold. Conceived in fire, Cold Hard Want is House of Heroes' most urgent, most tangible, and most undeniable artifact in their marked career. Known for their creativity, House of Heroes has always taken pride in their ability to blend the experimental and the quirky into hooky, classic-rock-influenced anthems. 

 

But with Cold Hard Want, the band has taken the gloves off. Every song has an unavoidable, magnetic chorus. Every moment is desperate. Every track is modern rock that is hopelessly candid—in the best possible way—complete with bombastic beats, shredding leads, and triumphant riffs. However, make no mistake about one thing: House of Heroes has not placed their hopes on the fickle fortunes of rock n' roll. These four realize the fate of their souls cannot be hinged on something so mortal. Faith is—and always has been—the crux of their creation. I had the great opportunity to interview lead singer Tim Skipper about "Touch This Light."  

 

Please share the background message behind the song "Touch This Light." 
 

For this song, I actually had the musical hook for the song for a couple of years on the back burner and we didn't know what to do with it. We were going through a bunch of ideas for songs, and we decided we really liked the hook and wanted to develop it into a song. The original version of the song wasn't as driving as the final song turned out. The first version was a lot more chill. I remember playing the original version of the song for Stephanie, and she said "It's good, but is this record going to sound like House of Heroes or like that?" So we went back to the drawing board and gave it the driving drum beat and more energy. AJ wrote all of the lyrics, and it turned into one of our favorite songs on the record for sure.

 

1 John 1:5-9: "This is the message that we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.  If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

 

How can listeners apply that message in their walks as Christians when they listen to the song?

For me, and I know for a fact when AJ was writing the song, the idea of "Touch This Light" is based on all the mysteries of God that we can't fully wrap our minds around. I know I am obsessed with some things that I'll never understand. The chorus says, "I can see You there, In a rain of fire, Reaching out for me, I can touch it," but God's not really tangible. These are the spiritual times when you cry out to God and you can feel Him at work. But you can't go to an non-believer and explain about God's presence. It's not the prosperity Gospel where you tell someone if you do this, you'll get a brand new car. This is the way to deal with anxiety, doubt, unrest and a lack of peace. This song is about how to set your heart at ease with God. The song sums up the mysterious way the minute you start to pray, your heart begins to soften. It touches upon the mystery of God's presence and how we can feel Him guiding us. 

 

Honestly, the words of this song hit very close to home for me. The lyrics in the bridge, "If I just pushed through the crippling fear, Then I would run with the raging wind, Then I would live again," are words that mean a lot to me. I'm engaged to be married now, and I've always wanted to get married. I don't think I ever took it as seriously as I should have.

As I've examined the reasons why, I've enjoyed the idea of appearing to be a pretty decent guy on the outside. When people really get to know me deeper than that, and see some of the ugly sides I know are there, I start to pull back. I found myself doing that in my dating relationship and about a year ago my fiancée Stephanie said, "I love you and I'm going to love you no matter what, but you have to let me see your heart." I had to stop and pray to God for week or two that I know He loves me no matter what, but I didn't know if somebody else could. I felt led by The Holy Spirit to take that leap of faith. I got back with Steph and said my heart has an ugly side, but when I proposed to her, I told her nobody on Earth has ever known me as well as she knows me.

The fact that she still loves me anyway is the greatest example of Christ. That's how I've personally lived out those words of pushing through "crippling fear." It was preventing me from having any real relationship with anyone. To be honest, the only way I could get through that was to know that the Lord was enough for me, and that someone who could walk in His footsteps could have that "perfect love that casts out fear."

 

 

I have had the privilege to see the band in concert twice and heard them perform their standout songs "In The Valley Of The Dying Sun," "Lose Control," "Burn Me Down," and "God Save The Foolish Kings." If you like what you've heard on their incredible albums, don't miss out on seeing them perform live. With their incredibly tight guitar riffs and amazing harmonies, House of Heroes is the real deal.

Cold Hard Want is without a doubt one of the top punk rock albums of 2012. I can't get enough of this album. The lead single "Touch This Light" includes everything I've loved about this band since I first heard "The Invisible Hook." That song, which was from their 2006 album Say No More, includes the lyrics "I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles, Give us a guiding light, Give us a guiding light, Give us a hope in the night."

The newest single keeps that theme going with the great lyrics: "Make a run, make a run. Touch this light. If I could see what you see in me, If I just pushed through the crippling fear, Then I would run with the raging wind, Then I would live again" If you haven't jumped on the House of Heroes bandwagon, don't wait any longer. This album will stay in heavy rotation for me, and although I didn't think it was remotely possible to match the intensity and brilliance of The End Is Not The End, or the follow up, Suburba, after many listens, I'm now convinced that this is their best overall album and one of my top albums of the year. 

As the Bible says in 1 John 1:5-6: “This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.” Like previous great songs by House of Heroes, this song gets me excited about my faith and challenges me to think about whether I’m living out the words of 1 John 1:7: “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” Amen!