Meet Dropout Heroes | Pop Punk Band
We had the good fortune of connecting with Dropout Heroes and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Dropout Heroes is a Pop Punk band based in Pasadena, California. The band originated in 2018 by lead singer and guitarist, Nathanael Sabatka. Amber Mullins joined on bass and backing vocals in 2021, Scott Horváth joined on drums in 2022 to complete the line up. Since then they have played multiple shows across LA County and in Anaheim and recently released their new single “Never Ending Story” on October 27th, 2023 on all major music platforms.
One of the challenges we face is balancing our personal lives with keeping the band moving forward as much as we have. We all have different work schedules to coordinate through, as well as Scott and his wife Jaymie raising their 1-year-old son. Despite our busy schedules, we have found time to consistently rehearse and perform. We’re very proud of our tight dynamics and live sound, which are a testament to our chemistry as a group and individual talent.
Over the summer, we began production on our new single “Never Ending Story”. We are beyond excited for its release because it will be the recorded debut of Amber and Scott joining the band. The song is a catchy anthem about being there for your friends and loved ones who struggle with depression and hard times.
Nathanael spent countless hours learning about audio engineering and recording production to self-produce and mix the track, leading to many long nights on work days and entire weekends focused on it. Amber’s strong bass playing drives the rhythm of the track, along with her incredible harmonies that sweeten and add depth to the vocal hooks and melodies. Scott’s drums are tight with powerful impact, bringing gravity to the song’s emotional intensity. We can’t wait for everyone to hear all of our hard work we’ve put into the track!
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hello, You’re Welcome
-Great coffee and donuts
Taix
-Amazing French cuisine
Mandarette Cafe
-Great Chinese Food
Casitas Del Campo
-Excellent Mexican food and atmosphere
Guisado’s
-The best handmade tacos
Arlington Garden
-Intimate garden with lots of character. Great place to meet up with friends.
Descanso Gardens
-Large botanical garden with art installations
Gallery Nucleus
-Rotating artist showcases, always stunning
Hollywood Walk of Fame
-Fun first introduction to LA
Griffith Park + Observatory
-Fun hiking in the park. Wide view of the city at the top. Awesome place for learning, fun fact: it’s free!
Rose Bowl Flea Market
-Unique finds for yourself or gift-giving
Santa Monica Pier
-Experience the beach while enjoying food and rides.
The Echo
-Smaller venue with good sound
The Belasco
-Large theater with gorgeous ceiling
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Nathanael Sabatka:
My shoutout goes to my close friend and audio engineer, Mark Lindsey. He has been a vital mentor over the past 12 years, teaching me so much about music production. We have collaborated on almost all of the music projects I have been a part of since I started playing. He is the Mastering Engineer on Dropout Heroes’ EPs “Cool EP”, “Coming Clean”, and “Right Here Right Now”. He also mixed the latter two EPs. I watched the process of mixing recorded music over his shoulder during all of our collaborations, taking notes and pointers. For Dropout Heroes’ new release, “Never Ending Story”, I handled the mixing process myself for the first time and Mark finished it off with his professional Mastering. I will be forever grateful to Mark for everything he has taught me and continues to.
Amber Mullins:
My shoutout is to a string of people who have inspired me to sing, play, and write music from childhood through today. My older sister Amanda (currently of Little Dreadful) and I started writing songs together from the ages of eight and 10 and had a group called The Vixens. In our early teens, our dad, Lynn, former bass player and back up vocalist of The Floyd County Boys, took us to his cousin’s studio where we first experimented with recording.
At age 16 and 18, our friend since junior high, Larry Ford, currently of Piston Ready, put together a band asking me to be the vocalist and Amanda the bassist. My mother, Candice, was a singer in the ‘60s in a duo group called The Cookie Fairies, who had a song ghost written by Gene Clark. While growing up, she was instrumental in supporting all of our musical endeavors, including allowing us to have a band room in the house for practices. Eventually my sister and I developed another band, Honey Tree Lane, with dual vocals and songwriting. Amanda’s creativity helped shape me. She inspired me to learn to play bass by ear and to start writing songs of my own. While playing in Portland, Oregon, years ago, we met the band Lava Diva when booked on a bill together. We hit it off immediately. They are one of my favorite bands and not only encouraged us but made moving to Los Angeles a reality. They have been so supportive of my music and are in my life to this day. Throughout this year I have guest performed on harmony vocals at their shows.
Scott Horváth:
My shoutout goes to my father Joe and brother Joey. I played drums for my dad’s blues group throughout my childhood, along with Joey.
Website: https://linktr.ee/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Youtube: https://youtube.com/@
Other: Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/
Image Credits
Amanda Mullins
Matthew Hart
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