The Heroic Enthusiasts

“Challenging yet innovative… a sound that feels equally nostalgic yet future-facing.”
—Clash Magazine

“Striking. Cinematic. [The Heroic Enthusiasts’] creative collaborations deftly merge the intellectual and emotional.”
—Post Punk

“A rich and textured soundscape…with layers of synths and driving drum beats that toe the line between classic and refreshing.”
—Earmilk

The Heroic Enthusiasts’ final stand-alone single ahead of their forthcoming record Illuminate arrives February 27th. Stephen Hague, one of Pop Music’s foundational producers of the last half-century (New Order, Pet Shop Boys, Peter Gabriel), has co-written and co-produced this powerful song and track with band members James Tabbi and Thomas Ferrara, delivering a propulsive single that demands recognition equal to its pedigree.

“In the spring of 2023, Stephen Hague approached us with a song idea that he felt we might be interested in,” says The Heroic Enthusiasts’ guitarist Thomas Ferrara. “Once we heard his song sketch, we knew it would fit right into Illuminate’s musical lane. I told James we could make it ours, and as I dug into working on a pre-chorus and chorus, James dug into the lyrics. Stephen ran with us, and voila, ‘Jaded’ was born.”

“Jaded,” and its accompanying music video (directed by Sports Illustrated photographer and filmmaker Taylor Ballantyne), continues a meteoric rise for The Heroic Enthusiasts. They’ve amassed a fanbase on four continents and nearly 700,000 streams across the release of previous singles “All I Want,” “Wake Me When It’s Over,” and “Clear,” along with two critically-acclaimed EPs, two groundbreaking covers of 80s classics, and two stunning remixes of Lesley Gore’s classic “You Don’t Own Me.”

Lead singer James Tabbi addresses the dichotomy of their success coming during a time of global upheaval and uncertainty. “It’s been striking to experience our rise during such a dark time. I’ve wanted to make it clear that we can’t give up, in fact, that we must make our own light.” Indeed, Illuminate (out April 11th) acknowledges the darkness Tabbi describes, and offers a ray of hope in a world on fire. “Sometimes,” adds Tabbi, “when the world conspires against you, you just need to go out and dance.”

The pair’s ascent over the past two years is as remarkable as it is refreshing—evidence that musicianship, songwriting, and studio expertise still matter in today’s all-too-often jaded music world. Tabbi and Ferrara initially bonded over a shared love of Brit-pop, New Wave, and Post-Punk, following solo efforts and as founding members of bands Eleven Pond (Tabbi) and Bullseye (Ferrara). Their almost two-year working relationship with Hague has grown into one of mutual respect and friendship, and the duo now finds themselves collaborating with the visionary music maker whose sound defines not only the duo’s own influences, but pop music’s past five decades.

Clash Magazine hails The Heroic Enthusiasts as “Challenging yet innovative… a sound that feels equally nostalgic yet future-facing.” Post Punk calls the duo’s work “Striking, cinematic… creative collaborations [that] deftly merge the intellectual and emotional.” Earmilk adds, “A rich and textured soundscape… with layers of synths and driving drum beats that toe the line between classic and refreshing.”

The Heroic Enthusiasts’ “Jaded,” co-written and co-produced by Stephen Hague, is out February 27th on Meridian (ECR Music Group).