ION Indie Magazine ' s Gary Carota , recently sat down with one of the most popular unsigned touring bands in the southern US , the band KELEN HELLER . Band members , BRANDON MOORE and EFRUM FERGUSON gave us some GREAT answers about what the band ' s been up to , and what ' s in store for their fans in the near future . As a disclaimer from Efrum , I must say that NO WORDS WERE SPOKEN by Efrum Ferguson during this interview and all his answers were recorded on paper .
ION : For somebody out there , who doesn ' t know who Kelen Heller is , tell us where you ' re from , how long you guys have been together , and how it all started for Kelen Heller ?
Brandon : Hi everyone ! We are Kelen Heller from upstate Greenville , South Carolina . The group formed in 2009 , so we are now entering our 7 th year as a band . Like most bands , it took a few years to find the identity of the group and also the right lineup . I was the last member to join in 2011 , but we had all been friends and known each other for years . It was definitely easy for me personally to feel at home right away . I like to think of us as very motivated musicians who have always been serious about doing this for a career . Having a band with like-minded individuals who are driven , is always a tough gem to find . I feel like we have the total package .
ION : There ' s a lot of mystery around Efrum ' s mask and his silence . How did the whole mask " thing " get started , and is there some ' hidden ' meaning behind it ?
Brandon : I love this question ! I think different people react to it--AND him--in different ways . Some are scared , some are intrigued and curious , and some are confused . Those who don ' t know Efrum , might also consider it nothing more than a " gimmick ". I really think that is a shame , and they are missing the point . But , if they do meet him , most likely by the end of their encounter , they will be in tears from laughter and think differently . He is actually one of the nicest , down to earth and genuinely loving person you ' ll ever meet . Does he speak ? Well , have you ever heard him talk ? Personally , here is what his mask means to me : selflessness . In a business that is full of egos , Efrum only wants to remain incognito . I think that says a lot about his values and what is important to him . That was also the beauty of KISS in the 70 ' s and only added to their mystique . When people ask what he looks like , I know that they haven ' t really experienced him yet . After all , if you knew , wouldn ' t that ruin it for you ?
Efrum : The most beautiful thing we can experience in life is the mysterious . Without mysteries , life would be very dull indeed , yes ?
ION : After the release of two successful EP ' s , the last in 2013 , which now contains all the bands hit songs , there were plans to tie it all together , and release a full-length album in the summer of 2016 . Did that ever happen , because we can ' t find anything on it , or any place to buy it ?
Brandon : Yes , those plans are now coming into fruition ! Unfortunately , a couple events kept pushing the release back for us . Being unsigned , we do everything ourselves , so sometimes it takes a little longer than it would a signed band with financial backing . Thankfully , our fans have pre-ordered copies of the new album to help us fund the project . We also wanted to reward them with the best product and packaging possible . We definitely feel like we accomplished that , and that it will be worth the extra wait . A release date will be announced very soon ! You should also sign up at www . kelenhellerofficial . com to be the first to get all the new album news .
ION : Looking back over the past 7 years , and all the shows and tours you ' ve played on , is there one in particular that stands out as your most memorable ?
Brandon : For me , the one show would be opening for SEVENDUST . Anytime you can share the stage with that band and feel like you held your own , it ' s a good day , ha ha ! My favorite tour would definitely be with the guys in SALIVA . Those guys had taken us under their wing and treated us like gold from day 1 . I ' m happy to call them all friends .
ION : If you guys had the opportunity to play with any ONE band out there , who would it be and why ?
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