T.E.N. got to participate with other journalists from all over the United States in a teleconference interview with Austin Winkler and Cody Hanson. Austin and Cody along with Joe “Blower” Garvey, Mark King and Mike Rodden are members of the extremely successful band Hinder. Their sophomore release “Extreme Behavior” had such chart-topping hits like; “Get Stoned, “Better Than Me” and the massive ballad “Lips Of An Angel” which is still in heavy rotation today.
The way this interview worked, each journalist took a turn asking a couple of questions and then finished that series to let the next journalist ask some. When I was ready to ask a question, I typed in a number sequence and the moderator put me on the line with Austin and Cody. This was really cool because not only could I listen to the other journalists’ questions and the answers that were given, (which saved the band from having to answer a possible repeat question if done individually) but it was a first for me in doing this type of an interview.

The guys discussed their upcoming release “Take It To The Limit” as well as a variety of other topics and the teleconference lasted two hours. Below are T.E.N.’s questions and answers from the transcript that I received after the interview

Moderator- Okay, we have a question from the line of Troy Neff of The Entertainment Nexus.  Please go ahead.

Journalist- How are you guys doing today?

Austin- Good.  How are you?

Journalist- Fine.  I caught your show at The Grill in Newark, Ohio.

Austin-  Awesome.

Journalist- Yes, the WNCI show.

Austin- Oh, that little appearance.  Yes, that turned into a show.

Journalist- Do you prefer the smaller venue-type things like that or the larger arenas to play out?

Austin- I’d say both.  I mean, they’re different, but we enjoy it either way.  As long as the fans show up and they’re ready to have a good time and party with us, man.  It’s cool either way.

Journalist- That’s cool.  How does the new album compare to Extreme Behavior?

Austin- As far as, you know, sonically it sounds better.  The songs are better.  It’s just, it’s a step up.  We’re taking it to the limit, if you will. 

Journalist- Was there any pressure from the record label to produce another smash hit like “Lips of an Angel?”

Cody-  Well, I mean…label didn’t want “Lips of an Angel” on the first record, so we didn’t really feel any pressure at all because we know we would deliver.  We would do our thing and deliver the best album we could and we did, and actually, the album artwork is being, I don’t know.  People don’t like it as much.  They don’t want to print it because it’s too “rock and roll”, I guess.

Journalist- That’s cool.

Cody-  Yes, so we’re having a little tough time with that just because we did, like, three versions, like a PG version, an R rated, and then an X rated, and they’re having a little tough time printing the X rated one because it’s got a couple naked girls in there.

Journalist-  That’s pretty cool, guys.  Alright, thank you.

Cody-  Thanks a lot ….

 

Moderator      Okay, our next question is from the line of Troy Neff from The Entertainment Nexus.  Please go ahead.

 

Journalist- Hello, guys, again.  How are you?

Austin- Good.  How are you?

Journalist-        Since blowing up on the music scene, how have you adapted to your newfound fame?

Austin- Wow, fame.  I don’t know.  You have to ask somebody who has fame. 

Journalist- I mean you guys are everywhere nowadays.

Cody-  It wasn’t really, like been an adaptation process needed yet, I don’t think.  No, we just kind of do the same things we do and the same things we’ve always done, I guess, and if there are more people that want to come and party with us, then that’s cool too.

Journalist- That’s cool.  Who has been the most fun to tour with?

Cody-  Whoa, that’s a good question.  That’s a hard question.  I tell you what, when we did the “Girls Gone Wild” tour, the band called Rev Theory, we had an awesome time on that one. That was fun. 

Journalist- That’s cool.  How do you feel about music file sharing, you know, for free? 

Cody-  That’s always a sticky question, man.  It’s tough because it does take a lot of money away from us, but at the same time, it gets our music out there to more people, so it’s kind of a tough one.  But I think, eventually, the music business will catch up and figure out a way to get musicians compensated, I guess, so we’ll figure it out eventually.

Journalist- Hopefully before it’s too late.

Austin- Yes, no kidding.

Cody-  Absolutely.

Journalist- This question’s for Austin or Cody or both.  Tell me something disturbing about yourself that you’ve never revealed before.

Austin- Disturbing about myself?

Journalist-      Yes.

Austin- Man, I don’t know. 

Cody-  That’s a good question. 

Journalist- You know…something that you’ve never told anybody or any reporter before.

Cody-  Wow!

Austin- And you’re the first?  Dude, I want to say there’s nothing disturbing about myself, but I don’t know, man.  That’s a tough one.

Journalist- Alright, man.

Cody-  You stumped me, dude. 

Journalist- Alright, that’s cool.  Well, hey, I just want to thank you, guys, for answering my questions and for taking pictures with my Web site logo shirts in Newark.

Austin-Oh, absolutely.

Cody-  Of course.

Journalist-Alright.  Take care, guys. 

Austin- Take care, man.

Journalist- Peace.

I would like to thank Austin and Cody for taking time to field a ton of questions from all involved and Greg Cortez for setting up the interview.

For more information on Hinder, visit their link in the Artists section.