Meet Lera Heroine | Singer/songwriter, vocalist for BECOMING A HERO pop punk/post-hardcore band

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lera Heroine and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lera, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I feel like multiple things combined help people build a successful career. It’s never just one thing—it’s an artist’s skillset, personal qualities and circumstances altogether. For example, a couple months after I first came to the United States COVID hit, and it sure made things more complicated for everyone. It had nothing to do with me personally or anybody else. No matter how talented, or passionate, or persistent you are in your career, sometimes it’s out of your control. But it doesn’t mean you can’t be still trying to break through obstacles because putting an effort into your dream is the only thing that makes it possible—no matter what. I think that in my case it’s about the way I was raised. My amazing Mom put a lot of work into my upbringing. She has been there every step of the way to make sure I was getting properly educated—both in school and real world—so when life makes me learn another lesson I “put on” a student uniform and try to overcome new challenges again, simply because I know how since I am familiar with the “tech” side of it, and I’ve done it a million times before. I guess I’m never afraid to start over, and that’s one of the reasons why abandoning a successful music career in my native country and moving to the US never scared me. When I came to America, I immediately started participating in all kinds of music events including jams of musicians on the Sunset Strip where, by the way, I found my new bandmates. At first, I knew no one here, and I was a stranger to everyone, but I had to try and see where it takes me because I had already crossed the ocean, and there was no way back for me. I only move forward. always. Discipline, strength, and a habit of winning—these are the things that kept me going.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is my whole life. It is sincere and fragile but it is brave and strong. I write about what really moves me. I try to express my thoughts in a way that anyone can understand but at the same time metaphorically. I hear music inside me all the time, and I love being its conduit into this dimension. I hear tunes in my sleep, and I record those ideas that I hear sometimes in the middle of the night when I wake up—just like Dmitri Mendeleev did with his Periodic Table. I’ve always loved the styles of music which originated in California but I used to be far from the United States so my path was long and full of adventures. I started performing when I was 12, but my real big open-air performance took place in 2007 in front of 3000 people at a stadium back in my hometown. Ever since then I started doing big shows, tours, radio and TV interviews. In 2016, I think it was the biggest crowd I’ve ever had, my band and I were heard and seen by 200,000 people on the Red Square in Moscow that night. It was incredible and unforgettable. I am excited about getting on stage and every time I do I feel like I have wings. There is nothing else like it. I think stage presence means a lot when it comes to performing. Everything should be intact—banners, lights, moves, audio, photos, videos, vibe, style, palette, timing, attitude. The more things you take care of prior to the show, the less chances to fail. I have a lot of experience in band stage choreography, and I think that is what many artists don’t think about while they worry about only how they sound. The synchronicity must be present at every point of the time you spend on stage. If you and your bandmates are not synced, there is no way you’ll look as a whole. Above musical skills there should be so many things included in a successful performance that many people give up and quit in the process: it’s time-consuming and requires many sacrifices which not everyone is ready to make. I am super proud of my bandmates for nailing all of the elements of a great rock show. They are incredibly talented bus also ready to work non-stop. You know, I used to lead my own masterclass series at The US Embassy’s American Center in Moscow called ‘Musical Performance: Talent or Hard Work?’ And I would usually conclude it with one of my favorite sayings, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” And that pretty much describes what I think about all the work I do. When people compliment me, they usually say things like, “You are so lucky because you have this talent”, but knowing how hard I’ve worked for what I have now, I would say that talent has almost nothing to do with that. Was I gifted from the start? Yes. But is it my gift alone? I would say, it’s just a seed, maybe 10-20%. And everything else is the result of my work on myself. I had a very difficult time during COVID, as I already mentioned. But that’s not because I struggled personally. I couldn’t bring my original bandmates to the US because all the borders were closed—that’s why, mainly. Then some other circumstances like war stopped my musicians from coming here. So no matter how much I wanted to continue with them, it wasn’t meant to be, and I kept losing time. So I finally made the choice of inviting my new musician friends who I met in Los Angeles to join me. It was a hard decision but I had to make it. I met them all at The Viper Room’s Sunset Jam back in 2019. At that time, I had been in the States only for a month. I saw them and I instantly thought they were super cool in all the ways. And only a couple years later we became a team officially. I don’t have to tell anyone how hard it is to be a musician. It requires 100% dedication with minimum benefits at first, and that “at first” sometimes lasts for years. And not many people are willing to go on. That’s why music usually remains a hobby for many. But not for me. I sacrificed my entire life to come here, and I brought my dreams with me, because I think that no matter what you achieve in life you gotta go further and higher, and there isn’t supposed to be any limitations to how far or high you can go. I feel like my personality—shaped by my amazing Mom and monitored 24/7 by her—helped me move through life gracefully without “losing” my face but at the same time stay tough and resilient. Also, now that I have lived in LA for quite some time, I think I lot of my productive results come from the fact that I don’t do drugs and never have I done drugs. I don’t really drink either, maybe 2-3 times a year, on special occasions, but even that is not happening anymore. I am just not into that, I don’t have it in me, and that, I guess, is truly luck. I’ve witnessed many people throwing their life away. I am very sorry for them because they have a lot of potential but drugs and alcohol make them dependent and mess with their heads. I am all for sobriety and self-discipline. You have to give yourself a break, of course, but not too much. Also, I have my band to represent. I cannot fail them or our listeners by showing up drunk or late. My band is my brand. My brand is my face, my story, my life. My music is the only thing nobody can take from me—no matter where I go and where I end up. I want to inspire as many people as possible. I want to promote non-violence, peace and love through my music, and I hope I will be able to continue to do so, and I hope all of you will love what I’m about to present to you next.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When my best friend comes to Los Angeles, first of all, I will take him to the ocean so he can enjoy a Californian sunset. Probably to some rare waterfall hikes with beautiful views. To a forest and to a desert. Also, to the Hollywood Sign. Mmmmmm… Next: Natural History Museum, California Science Center, a lecture at Caltech, Griffith Observatory, Holocaust Museum. And, of course, The Sunset Strip. Mulholland Drive at night so he can see the view. Also, to Downtown because it kinda looks like New York lol. To Palm Springs. And… to Disneyland lol. We will go to vegan eateries like Crossroads Kitchen, Real Food Daily, Mr. Charlie’s, Alessandro’s Pizza Sunset. I also would like to show him San Diego. These are just a few of my favorite spots/things to do in LA, but I’m sure I will discover more in the future. Any suggestions? 😉

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I fully dedicate my shoutout to my Mom who is beautiful inside and out, and with the help of whom I was and still am able to accomplish the majority of what I’ve achieved in my life!

Website: music.apple.com/us/album/antisocial/1636609179?i=1636609457

Instagram: instagram.com/leraheroine

Facebook: facebook.com/leraheroine

Youtube: youtu.be/xhQkxVGiYwY?si=fgblqEUouXujXpLU