HARLINGEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Breaking out of the local band scene into consistent touring across the country is a dream for most musicians.
All those hours spent practicing in the garage and dealing with the same crowds at the same local venues finally feels worth it when you start seeing success off of your music.
Brownsville’s I Am Heir is starting to see things materialize in their music career.
The deathcore band has already toured across America in their five years together and now are amped up for another tour that’s taking them to cities all over Texas.
“We want to get back out there touring consistently now that people are coming out to shows again,” said Matthew Klein, vocalist.
Klein formed the band in 2016 with some of his friends that he had written songs with when they were in high school.
After a few lineup changes, the band settled with Klein on vocals, Anthony Leasgang on guitar, Joseph Bakri on bass, and Djxyn Jaxsyn on drums.
The band has released three EPs in their career, Uncondemned (2017), The Resistance (2018), and Legacy of Death (2021).
While the material on I Am Heir’s first two releases categorized them as a Christian metal band, members say their latest release opened their horizons.
“This used to be a ‘Christian metal’ band, but I had [Klein] step out of his comfort zone and write about other issues,” said Leasgang. “There’s political stuff and other things that people need to hear about.”
Legacy of Death is a hard-charging five-track EP that shows I Am Heir means business. Each song features simplistic distorted guitar riffs, growling vocals, and blast beat drums that are synonymous with deathcore.
The EP was released in August and has garnered good attention from an array of critics and fans of the band.
To promote the release, I Am Heir booked a six-date tour that’s taking them all over Texas.
I Am Heir’s first stop on the tour landed them in Harlingen at The Spot on Jackson Street on Friday.
The band headlined a five-band show that featured other local acts Archangel A.D., Red Hour, Secrets Told in Silence, and I Am Heir’s bassist Bakri’s solo rap project.
A large crowd showed up at the event to see I Am Heir play and send them off on the tour.
This isn’t the first time the Brownsville band has set out on a big tour. In 2018, I Am Heir played over a dozen shows on the East Coast, and in 2019, they played a similar number of concerts on the West Coast.
For many bands, getting to play shows across the country is a dream. I Am Heir says it’s all about commitment to the product.
“You have to be willing to take risks, know that people might not show up sometimes but you have to keep pushing and keep going,” said Leasgang.
“Keep your foot on the gas,” said Klein. “If you stop the momentum then you’ll have to start all over later on.”
With I Am Heir putting their foot on the gas across Texas, they look to keep touring and planning bigger dates.
I Am Heir can be found on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube.
You can follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
