According to a recent press release: "Hard Rock band Year of the Locust- YOTL has announced tour dates with Devour the Day and Sons of Texas. The tour will kick off on June 27th in Monroe, LA at Live Oaks. In addition the band has released The "MOVIN" ON" music video made from tour footage in 2017 alongside Puddle of Mudd, Saving Abel, Tantric and Saliva while traveling across America.  New York’s Year of the Locust is doing things the old fashioned way. Rather than relying on false accolades and manufactured hype, the band has taken their furious live show and stellar songwriting to the masses directly. Extensive touring throughout the country has endeared the band to fans and peers alike." We get guitarist Peter Hellers to answer our 10 Quick Ones about the new release, their influences, and more...

1. Tell us a little about your latest release. What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets the band put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Well that depends on whether you play it in reverse or not!   As far as nuggets, we don't hide much of anything, we like to leave it all out there for our fans.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

I grew up on a healthy diet of blues and classic rock music thanks to my family.  When I was a teenager I got into more contemporary and modern rock and metal.  I got my first guitar for my 18th birthday and took to it like a natural and I thought, I can do this!

3. Who would be your main five musical influences?

Only five?  Wow.  Ok... Helmet, Sevendust, Cher... (joking. Mostly.) Alter Bridge, Henry Rollins and 2 Live Crew!

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be?

Lzzy Hale from Halestorm.  Hands down.

5. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before?

Its the rock music you've been looking for to complete your catalog!

6. What’s the best thing about being a musician?

The feeling of being up on that stage, playing not just for your fans but for the last person in the house, be it 10 or 10,000.  There is no feeling like having the crowd in the palm of your hand. Also, the moments when fans come up to us after the show and tell us how much a particular song meant to them.  The song "22" on Devolver is about the veterans who commit suicide every day in this country.  After a show we had someone come up to us who was a vet and told us that he has since lost 8 men from his unit to PTSD and eventually suicide.  When he told us how much the song meant to him it just blew our minds.

7. When the band are all hanging out together, who cooks; who gets the drinks in; and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Scotty or Ray usually wind up doing the cooking/grilling, Fred and Pete supply the alcohol, and Tyler will usually get to the guitar first if Scot doesn't!

8. If you weren’t a musician, what would be your dream job?

President!  If Trump can do it why can't we???

9. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over”?

There's no such thing as a misstep, just an opportunity to learn.

10. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Jimi Hendrix's Are You Experienced? For sure.  I'd wanna see how they were able to achieve the sounds he had in his head and were able to produce in a time when technology was far different than it is now.  Second choice, any Prince album because that dude was a genius.

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