What made you decide that music is a thing for you?
Hades: Oh wow, I have such a cliche answer for this.. Ever since I was a little child and could comprehend music I loved it, the depth of it.. The story songs would tell.. it was an escape for me. Especially growing up in a pretty broken home alongside getting bullied, A LOT. Music was my safe space.. Gave me my escape into a different world.
Mars: Music, specifically singing, has always been something I love. I think I started singing around 3 years old. Growing up being half Filipino, singing is such a huge cultural thing (karaoke) so I just feel like it has always been a normal part of my life. I remember my mom was taking vocal lessons a lot too when I was younger, she loves to sing.
Ginx: I have always been involved in music since I was a kid although there is one moment in particular that decided it for me. I was at a 30 Seconds To Mars show with my girlfriend and we got called up to go on stage in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,000 people and do some crowd work with Jared Leto. At that moment I knew that I wanted that feeling of being on stage forever and called Johnny the next day to start our professional music journey.
Johnny: I was going to school to pursue a career in law. I was so dead set on trying to make a difference but seeing how dirty the system is, I realized that I was never going to be happy dedicating my life to issues that were going to outlive me. There’s nothing in this world that matters more to me than music.
Introduce us to the members and your musical history.
Hades: My name is Hades(Hay-dz) Morningstar and I play bass for Hex Date. My whole life I would always try to play anything I could from piano to marching tenors hell even the saxophone but the one thing that stuck was the Bass.. I just loved the deep heavy tone it could produce. I’ve bounced around a few projects, nothing ever serious but when I met Mars and these guys I knew we’d make something incredible.
Mars: My name is Mars, I sing for Hex Date. I started singing around 3 and then started playing piano at 6 years old. I dropped piano around 10 years old and focused on singing. My first band I was ever in was formed in 2012. It was called Innovations. We were a post hardcore/metalcore band that really never did anything or went anywhere. We were all 14-17 years old so we just didn’t know how to seriously get things done.
We showed up for band practice, jammed, wrote, then went home. We really thought we were killing it. We started recording a song in a studio that we never even finished, that’s how I knew this wasn’t a real band. From then on around 18-20 years old I would sing on some of my friends tracks, some metalcore still, some EDM but it was a one time thing. I then moved forward to another project formed in 2019-2021.
We made an EP, it wasn’t really what I wanted to make but I was just happy to sing. We just silently parted ways afterwards. I don’t think that project was for me and I think my music partner at the time felt the same. I then found my band members from Hex Date really quickly afterwards and I seriously wasn’t even looking. We just connected easily on not only a musical level but on an easy friendship level as well.
Ginx: I’m Ginx and I play guitar for Hex Date. I’ve been playing guitar for around 10 years. I’ve been playing music professionally for around 5 years. Johnny and I have been together from the start 10 years ago playing in middle school and then now into the big leagues.
We’ve played through countless bands in Hollywood and have played every venue on the Sunset Strip looking for the right band that we can call home, getting coined “the hollywood whores” in the process. Thankfully we found Hades and Mars and started this journey together.
Johnny: My name is Johnny Hex, drummer for Hex Date. I started with guitar but that really only lasted maybe a year until I was introduced to the drums at the age of 10. In high school I took a deep dive into drumming, I wanted to play drums any and every second of the day. I joined the marching band and played the bass my freshman year but then moved to the snare for the rest of high school. Joining a jazz band helped immensely to learn different rhythms.
Then later on, I played in the rhythm section of a Polynesian dance group named Tamalii. In college I was still in a couple bands that weren’t really going anywhere. I was really hitting a stand still. And then like clockwork, I got the call from Ginx. He basically called me an amateur and asked if I was ready to go pro. I quit every project I was in and we both chased this head on.
What was life like for you before music?
Hades: in short, Miserable and boring.. I’ve had a pretty rocky past especially growing up with an abusive alcoholic mother and stepfather, music was and still is a lifeline to me.. Without it, It’s safe to say I probably wouldn’t be here. Music and writing gave me a way to express my emotions and thoughts in a way I wouldn’t be punished for doing, it also provided a platform for me to connect to people who felt the same or lived in a similar way. It was my gateway to a world full of people just looking to belong.
Mars: Uh well I was a toddler so I don’t really know. No I’m just kidding but it was OKAY. I have many passions in multiple art forms like painting and dancing. Doesn’t compare to singing though.
Ginx: Life to me before music felt incredibly empty. I never went to college and hated school so I had no idea of what I wanted to do hopping from job to job. I felt like I didn’t have a purpose but I knew I was meant for much greater things which is a very hard set of emotions to bear.
Johnny: This is such a funny question because I quite literally can’t remember!
What was the first song you heard that steered you into a music path?
Hades: damn… that’s a hard question. If I really think back it was when I was listening to all my real Father’s CDs driving around. Bands like AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Mötley Crüe and Alice in Chains. Just the feeling it gave you.. Blasting Live Wire by Mötley gave me a euphoria I still get to this day and all I wanted to do was be like them.
Mars: In super early days, when I started singing into my hairbrush in front of the mirror is when I knew. So that music definitely was either Fergie, Destiny’s Child, or Panic! At The Disco. Can’t remember what came first as I know all the words to at least one or 2 full albums from each.
Ginx: I can’t just do one song that wouldn’t be fair but I can simmer it down to one album. Appetite For Destruction by Guns n Roses. Growing up in a religious household it was nothing like I had ever heard before and it blew my little adolescent mind. This resulted in me staying up all night for weeks learning every single song and getting hooked on everything Slash.
Johnny: Fucking easy. Paddle Out by Sublime. Up until I was maybe around 6 or 7 I had only heard Spanish music. The first time I heard this song, my Tia Elizabeth had burnt a cd that we were playing on our way to Mexico, and it was all of Sublime’s greatest hits. It was like the 4th of fucking July in my brain. Neurons firing like crazy. I had never heard anything like them. I wanted more, so much more. My Mom had burnt me a cd that had everything from the Gipsy Kings to Nirvana. It was off to races after that.
Where do you feel you currently sit within the music industry?
Hades: We are definitely one to watch out for if I’m not being too bold.. Obviously being an unsigned artist is difficult, nothing about this business is easy and that’s why I believe a lot of people get off the ground but don’t continue to rise, this sh*t takes effort and if you’re not willing to put in work you’ll never grow. We are definitely hungry and I know we have a sound that’s going to make a major impact in the Alternative scene.
Mars: Although we are newer to the scene as a whole band, I really do believe in us. I sadly can’t predict the future and can be a bit of a pessimist/over realistic person most of the time; but I truly do think we are off to a great start.
Ginx: In my mind we’re already at the top and the world just has to catch up now. The amount of raw talent, knowledge, drive and commitment this band has is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Especially in an age where solo artists have taken over the industry I predict there is going to be a new wave of bands coming into the scene by storm and we’re going to be at the front of that.
Johnny: I think we’re a force to be reckoned with. We’re going to take the music industry by storm. It’s going to be interesting to see how others follow.
What’s the biggest thing you have learned from someone else in the industry?
Hades: Not to conform and to play to your strengths. This is a competitive market yet it’s also an art form and I think too many people forget that, that’s why you see so many artists hopping on genre bandwagons. Especially in a world that’s controlled by what’s “trending” or “relevant” I think to make an impact you need to be different, you need to stand out and give people something they didn’t know they needed.
Mars: The biggest thing I have to get over is when trying to write and create, you can’t just sit on the first idea. Let your mind flow and just let it all out. That’s something I need to still work on. The most cliche saying of “don’t judge a book by its cover” is also the most real thing to keep in mind.
Ginx: A sentence that’s been said for decades in Hollywood, It’s all about who you know. I’ve seen time and time again people with no drive and no talent get into positions that talented musicians are busting their asses over just because they were able to rub elbows with the right people. That being said, as a musician, this isn’t the 80’s anymore. When you get off stage that’s when the real work starts and if you’re too f***ed up and make a fool out of yourself, you just lost out on an insane amount of opportunities that could have gotten you 10 steps ahead or in some cases even a record deal (true story i’ve seen this actually happen).
Johnny: You can’t fake it til you make it in this industry. Your audience will sniff out a poser faster than you think.
Tell us Two truths and a lie about you.
Hades: This is great. Let’s see.. I was a high-performance mechanic for 8 years, I was born in Seattle WA, and I used to be a raging Heroin addict. LOL
Mars: I was born in the Philippines, I have a 2-year-old brother, and my mom used to be a paranormal investigator.
Ginx: I’m a certified diamontologist, I speak italian, and I love cats
Johnny: I’ve got a thing for hot moms, I’ve been arrested for grabbing the gun out of an officer’s holster, I boxed my grandpa (and lost)
If you could wish for one thing to aid your career what would it be?
Hades: More time to write music and stay in the studio without money or time being an issue AKA a label supporting an EP.. Also having the second half of my band living in the same state.. *COUGH COUGH GINX AND JOHNNY COUGH COUGH*
Mars: A label to help really kick us off an EP, more time in my life, and a solid full team.
Ginx: I would love to work on music with the people that inspired me the most. Getting into the studio with some of the legends of the scene would not only aid my career but check a few of my boxes as well.
Johnny: Absolutely a label to really help get us going. Who knew recording good music was so expensive huh?
Do you ever worry about people taking things the wrong way or cancel culture? Discuss….
Hades: oof don’t get me started.. In short, yes, I think nowadays people are so quick to just get angry and hateful and not have a constructive discussion about what may or may not be a sensitive subject. But unfortunately, I don’t make the rules.
Mars: I’m terrified of cancel culture, to be honest. Nightmare fuel. The whole “you shouldn’t care what people think” simply cannot apply anymore. There is no freedom to express yourself. It’s like being unique, being yourself, expressing yourself, but under all these guidelines and conditions or else you’re a super offensive piece of shit. And God forbid you said something super stupid that you didn’t understand that it was wrong when you were like 10 years old…canceled now x amount of years later for saying that.
Ginx: Cancel culture doesn’t scare me at all. There’s always going to be someone that’s going to take what you say wrong and in the business of rock and roll if you’re turning heads and starting conversation for the right reasons then you’re doing something right. With this being said, most people don’t take into account that there are consequences for the things you say. Even though we have free speech, remember, before you go out and say something ridiculous, think about what you’re saying, who it affects, and is the right message.
Johnny: There’s no such thing as bad publicity, just spell my name right.
Do you sign up to any conspiracy theories? If not why not?
Hades: HA! Again DON’T GET ME STARTED.. I’m going to leave this one pretty short, yes I do. I think there is so much about this world and life in it that we do not understand and possibly don’t have the mental capacity to understand, I’ve been telling people “aliens are real” for YEARS I’ll leave it at that.
Mars: As I said in a previous answer, I am a very realistic person. I can be quite the skeptic too to certain things. Especially conspiracy theories. That being said, Brittney Spears is dead, and she has been swapped for some weird double. Period.
Ginx: Oh absolutely. This world is so vast and full of things that we don’t understand so why not read into a few? You never know if it might be true.
Johnny: I’ve signed up for a few conspiracy theories. I mean, I was Catholic once. Haha
What was the worst experience on stage?
Hades: Oh god, playing this mansion party in Hollywood Hills (more like a big house lol) and 3 minutes before going on my strap to my bass broke and I didn’t have a back up so I had to run around and try to find one from the opening bands to borrow, tune to our key, and adjust my tone.. All in 3 minutes! Then when playing our second to last song this older lady bum rushed us with her iPhone recording and bright as f*ck flash on getting all up in my face, the drummer’s face and the singer, Ruining the vibe and the song. I felt like I got flashbanged… (I still have a video of it)
Mars: Musically I actually have yet to perform. However, I have been on stage many times for acting and plays. I forgot a couple of my lines one time and this other character knew them and just jumped in and finished my lines for me, terrible.
Ginx: Definitely the time I fell off stage and my guitar broke a glass that this girl was holding and a shard sliced her hand open which led to lots of blood on the floor and somehow her boyfriend coming on stage to sing the last song with us. I was fine though thanks for asking.
Johnny: Playing at the Troubadour, I left my laptop on stage, which had the backing tracks for our show that night. It included every one of our songs that was lined up to a metronome. When we got off stage from soundcheck, the backing tracks had been tampered with. I didn’t realize this until I was on stage and ready to play the show.
When I pressed “play”, every click from the met was completely off. So much panic ensued internally, I just took out my in ears and played it live. Exactly the opposite of how I rehearsed it. Show went great though! I was happy to have been wearing sunglasses the entire time, it helped hide the panic.
Tell us something about you (each member) that you think people would be surprised about.
Hades: Well this gives away the truth from the question above, I used to have a severe drug problem that almost cost me my life. I was horribly addicted to any and everything to be honest but heroin was the one that broke me down the most, I still thank god every day for another chance and am happy to say I’m 3 years sober and counting!
Mars: I have this insanely annoying fear of heights and the dark. The fear of heights is all physical. Mentally I don’t think I’m scared of heights so I go up to whatever and do these crazy things and then my body is physically trembling and I get all clammy, all while my mind is still like “yeah this is cool”, kinda annoying they can’t come to an agreement there.
The dark, however, no thanks. You know how when you as a kid would need to go get something in the garage or basement, then turn off the lights and have to go up the stairs in the dark super quick because you felt like something was chasing you? Well that something still is. I’m well aware that I’m a full grown-ass woman but you got the wrong one if you think the pitch-black dark is okay for me.
Ginx: I actually quit music when I was around 17 years old. I led worship for a large church every Sunday. My experience made me hate everything about organized religion and unfortunately guitar as well. Luckily I was able to regain my love for music through rock and roll which got me back where I needed to be.
Johnny: All of my favorite foods are considered “peasant” foods?! Enchiladas, chilaquiles, tacos. Fucking bullshit.
What makes you stand out as a band?
Hades: Aside from the fact we are all hot as f*ck? LOL, just kidding I think that we stand out for our sound, we really want to defy genres and make something that no one heard using some of our favorite qualities from our personal favorite genres, for example, I really love Metalcore, and the tones and styles from that 2010 era, in specific the intricate bass lines and the real punchy “cut through” tone. So I try to match that and adapt it into my own style to blend into the sound we have now.
Mars: For starters, I think having us all be intelligent, funny individuals is a good thing personality wise for starters. Secondly, we definitely aren’t ugly. Thanks to all of our parents for at least being in love while they made us. Also thanks to some bullying in school mixed with some horrible break ups to make sure we get that revenge glow-up. But mostly, our sound IS unique. And will continue to be. I want to send people on a cinematic experience in every song, not just an auditory thang.
Ginx: Our look is a huge factor. Anytime we step out as a band we get a barrage of looks on the street or we get approached at events with people interested in whatever we have to offer. Above all, the music speaks for itself. It’s a blend of so many different influences and talents that come together to create something that’s timeless.
Johnny: We’re a scrappy group of people. We love to love and we love to fight. Artists through and through who love to create and make music that not only speaks to you, but makes you wanna fucking move. Like Sam Rockwell.
I hear you have new music, what can you tell us about it.
Hades: We just released our debut single and got to work with some amazing people on this, we had the song fully produced and recorded with Matt Malpass (known for Blink-182 and MGK’s grammy nominated album), singer-songwriter Colin Dieden (The Mowgli’s and Little Hurt) and I worked closely with Skyler Acord (Bassist of 21 Pilots and Issues). I think this song provides the perfect taste for everything we will be releasing in the future. I can say that we have three songs working right now, one of which is definitely leaning into a much heavier sound.
Mars: It’s dark, it’s sexy, it’s for the girls, it’s for the boys, it’s for everyone. It has a really cool grungy vibe with still those modern elements. There are lots of hidden little sounds in there that can really grab the ears. Take the song however you want, but all I’m hoping is you’ll enjoy the journey as you listen.
Ginx: The debut single sets the tone of the band bringing a high-energy instrumental with Mars’ ethereal vocals giving its unique sound. Lyrically and melodically the song guides you through the journey of being stuck in a treacherous addiction of lust and love.
Johnny: We really wanted to make something dark and twisted with layers of sex appeal. I think as a band we’re all already on that frequency. So putting the pen to paper was as natural as breathing.
What was the recording process like?
Hades: Recording was amazing like I said, we got to work with some incredibly talented people and received a lot of amazing feedback during the process. We took this song from an unstructured demo and made an amazing track with some amazing people.
Mars: I was just so excited to hear it come to life. I struggled to see the vision with this song. I knew I liked it when we wrote the demo. As the pieces started to come together I loved the direction it was going in.
Ginx: We created the demo of the track pretty bare bones as a band and then it really got brought to life with the help of producer Matt Malpass. He really understood the vision and took us exactly where we needed to go.
Johnny: Being in the presence of grammy nominated Matt Malpass was a surreal experience. We were very fortunate to have him help us with this track. I’ve never seen someone put everything they have in helping us record this track.
What was the biggest learning curve in writing the new tunes?
Hades: I think our biggest thing was just learning how all of us create and work as well as using our diverse musical background to make something that showcased all of us in a unique way.
Mars: For me personally, I have huge trust issues. I have been burned a lot. So sitting back and allowing people who actually love and care about you, take the reins for once. I had to just allow myself to be vulnerable for this song and it was hard. Writing music is so much more than just putting the track down.
Ginx: Given this is our debut single, the biggest learning curve was figuring out how each member operates and how to communicate effectively. Then the fun part of figuring out which of your demos you’re going to produce and release as your debut to represent what you’re going to be as a band.
Johnny: Ginx and I have written our fair share of demos, so as for communicating on what gets put on the track, we had our language down. When we met with Hades and Mars for the first time for a writing session, we all had to learn how to communicate what goes down on the track. A whole lot of “brrap du bop” “hugaduh hugaduh”’s getting tossed around to get the job done.
Would you change anything now that it’s finished?
Hades: I think it’s safe to say that almost anyone in the music industry will say after a song is released and they are in the promotion phase hearing it all the time everywhere, they would change a lot, but overall without being super SUPER picky I wouldn’t change anything on this I think it is a perfect intro into what this band has to offer.
Mars: This is a great first song, she’s out there, she’s ready, she can’t be changed. I’m just ready for what’s next.
Ginx: Absolutely not. I’m a firm believer that once a song is released it’s not yours anymore. It’s whatever the world is going to decide that it’s going to be. Mentally I’m already onto the next song.
Johnny: Nothing is ever done with an artist. Someone usually has to tell them quite literally when to stop. I’m proud of this song as it stands. Don’t ask me that if we’re in the studio though lol.
Is there anything else you would like to share with the world?
Hades: WATCH OUT! Hex Date is here and we have some incredible music coming soon, I would definitely add us on any social media and streaming platform to not miss out on our future releases. You are gonna want the bragging rights of knowing us “before we make it.”
Mars: I’m just so excited for this journey and really hope for you to join us. We are going to grow together and I am so pumped for that.
Ginx: Everyone is going to be in for a real shock on the next single being released. Make sure you keep up so you don’t get left behind.
Johnny: This is the next big thing, my babies. We’re just getting started.
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