One of my favorite bands, House of Heroes, has a new album coming out this July. I just found out about it this week and I’ve had their pre-release lyric video on repeat for the last three days. Here it is:

I’ve been hooked on House of Heroes since I discovered their amazing album “The End is not the End” a bunch of years ago. On that album, their creativity mixed with a World War II theme was enough for this history buff to get excited. It’s one of my all time favorite albums.

I love this new song of theirs too. They have tremendous musical hooks and wonderful lyrics. How do I know they are wonderful? Well, for me, whenever I tell myself, “Huh, I wouldn’t have thought of that phrase. That’s awesome.” I’m hooked. There are plenty of artists out there who have the most annoying banal lyrics who still make millions! I don’t get it. I mean “Lemonade” – wow – originality there. Sorry Beyonce.

Anyways, seeing HOH release their new song got me thinking once again how we need to show the respect for creative artists. They are putting themselves out there. And when they release a new song, if it isn’t what the public or listening (or reading) audience is expecting, it can tank and pull down a whole year’s worth of creativity with it.

I’m not saying we have to like everything or even be nice about everything. I’m sure there’s a citrus fruit reference above that proves that point. But artistic endeavors, thinking with our minds, creativity, originality, should be respected and honored. They are as tangible as building a brick wall. They’ll probably last that long too. They also offer our souls a comfort and different type of protection, a glimpse at the intangible, a speck of the unseen, a glimmer of what it really means to be human.

It’s a scary thing – putting yourself out there. HOH has done it admirably and I know I have a new album to buy this July.

Find the artists you like. Buy their stuff. Respect their effort. And enjoy.