02/14/2026
Xero Hour
February 2026
Interviewed by:
Laura Williams
Vinyl Lollipops
Teej Leit - Singer and occasional rhythm guitarist.
Andrew Luebbering - Drummer, we call him Drummer 99% of the time, haha.
Butch D, Snyder - Bassist
Thomas Wilkin - aka Chum - Lead Guitarist
Laura:
Thank you for your time. Please give us the backstory about how and when your band was established.
Teej:
I had jammed in some friends' bands off and on for years. I went over to my brother's friend's place with him, and we all jammed one day in 2016/2017. Afterward, I thought, what if I did this my way? Start a band and pursue my ideas exactly as I want without anyone else's direction or interference. So I put some feelers out on social media, and met up with a few drummers and bassists. I ended up meeting with one guy and started writing some riffs and songs. About a year later, another guy who played bass joined us and started jamming. We started doing some local shows with other local bands. Butch joined in fall 2021, Drummer came on board in spring 2022, and Chum joined us in summer 2024. We haven't looked back since. The 4 of us truly embody what I envisioned for "Xero Hour." The energy, the music, all of it, is this incredible force.
Laura:
How would you describe your music-making process?
Teej:
Usually, I come up with a riff and start writing to it, or come up with lyrics and a melody. Then I bring the idea to the band. We sometimes break it down and rebuild it, or we run with the idea and adjust a few things along the way. One of our newer songs we just recorded, titled Echoes, I called up Thomas and sang the melody while kinda playing a riff. He liked it, said he was going to shower and would chat later. 10 minutes later, he's sending me videos of him playing different versions of the riff haha! We took a bit with it, but it's definitely one I am excited for people to hear musically and lyrically. So really, songs come together in so many ways, and I apply Bruce Lee's philosophy: Be Water. So always keep flowing and creating. Lyrics come to me from life in general, and most of the time I come up with them while hiking in the woods. For recording, we went to our friend Rick Andress who runs Group Effort Studios in Covington, KY. He's such an awesome guy, and he understands us and our sound. He isn't afraid to push us or guide where a song needs to go, either.
Laura:
Do you have a favorite song you like to perform the most? If so, can you please explain why?
Teej:
“UFO” is one of my personal favorites, haha! It's a fun song but so many don't realize it's based on true events. We put the full story out on our Patreon recently too, for the 1st time.
Drummer:
“Black Flag/Teach.” It allows us to give the fans a different experience throughout the song and shows our range as a band.
Chum:
“Breaking Away!” I like how the tension builds leading into the chorus!
Laura:
Can you please spill some behind-the-scenes details about how you prepare for shows?
Teej:
I like to "disappear" for a while before shows. I like the quiet, it helps me focus and relax. Then, about an hour before our set, I start to hype myself up by listening to some Godsmack and Heilung. About 30 minutes before we go on, I like to get the band together, and we get ready to go rock!
Drummer:
For me, it's all about quieting my anxiety. Double-checking my gear is packed (which usually leads to over packing) is the first step, then it’s just a matter of going through my warm-up routine to ensure I'm loose and won’t hurt myself.
Chum:
Jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, get the blood flowing.
Laura:
What genre of music do you consider Xero Hour to be?
Teej:
I categorize us as Hard Alternative Rock with grunge metal vibes.
Laura:
Why call the band “Xero Hour?”
Teej:
One day, an old member and I were discussing names. It included things like "Tea Drinkers" and "Failures to Society," and other names that didn't stand out to me. Then he sent "Hour Zero." I suggested we flip that, so we did. Later we realized there is a more well-known band named Zero Hour, so we dropped the Z and put an X in front. Xero Hour has a few meanings. One is a military term meaning: "Go Time." Over the years, I feel XH has really made that true for when we take the stage, but I also consider it to mean "0 F***s" about what anyone else thinks, because I am doing things my own way."
Laura:
What should fans expect to experience at a show?
Teej:
One hell of an experience, haha! Really though, a night of loud, heavy hard rock music that anyone can relate to, if they choose. We touch on very personal things, from relationships to history with Pirates and Witches. It's a ride through time and space. In those 45 minutes to an hour, we're going to take you on a journey.
Drummer:
You should expect to hit a sound wall that requires investment from both your body and brain, leaving you tired by the end.
Chum:
Sounds that move them!
Laura:
Typical question here. Who has influenced you the most via music?
Teej:
Sully Erna of Godsmack, Tom Delonge of Blink 182 and Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin.
Drummer:
This answer changes all the time because I go back and listen to albums and artists from all across my life, but the ones that are always there are Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, and Rush. Recently Soundgarden, 311, STP.
Butch:
Robert Trujilo, Geezer Butler, and the legendary Cliff Burton.
Chum:
The Doors, Jim Morrison's lyrics.
Laura:
How can fans and future fans locate, listen to and buy your music?
Teej:
Check us out on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. Our webpage www.xerohourband.com
and Patreon has behind the scenes stuff and early announcements. Then, of course, all streaming platforms: iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and others.
Laura:
Is there anything else you would like your fans to know?
Teej:
We are finishing new music for our album, *Salem Burns*. The self-titled track is out now, and we're excited to release these songs and start performing them at shows. The music video for our song "Bend the Knee" is live and streaming on our YouTube channel. Also live is the video for our song "6 Ft", which features Randy Webb of Saving Abel on the track and in the video as well as our friend Rocco of the Boondock Saints films! Both are great friends and people, and it's really cool that things have led to us being friends with these guys!
Laura:
What’s coming up next for Xero Hour?
Teej:
We are heading out west on tour in late April, early May. We will be hitting places like Dallas, TX, Albuquerque, NM, Scottsdale, AZ, and Reno, NV, just to name a few. The full tour announcement will be in March, and we also have other things happening with our friends at Rock Rage Radio. So keep an eye out for all those announcements coming up!
Laura Williams
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