How would you describe your sound? What style of music do you play?

Ben: Our band is made up of two lead singers, one man and one woman – which is great because that means we can cover a wider repertoire – along with a guitarist, bass player, keyboarder and myself, the drummer! To begin with, we focused more on rock and punk, but these days we also throw in a bit of pop. Since we formed the band, our line-up has more or less stayed the same so we’re definitely a tried-and-tested ensemble by now.

Would you describe yourselves as a classic cover band?

Ben: A cover band, yes, but I wouldn’t use the word classic because we put our own twist on the songs. Our style is funky and rocky. One thing we’ve learnt when choosing the songs we perform is to appeal more to the partygoers in the audience rather than just playing our own favorites. As a result, we’ve also added hits by the Backstreet Boys, MGMT and The Weeknd to our set list because a lot of people know them well and they’re perfect for parties. And that turned out to be a good idea because they’re all brilliantly produced tracks. If someone had told me a few years ago that I’d be playing songs by Britney Spears one day, I probably would have laughed to be honest. But it’s definitely been worth leaving my comfort zone. Basically, I cover a huge bandwidth of styles because as well as the HoC Band, I’m involved in another two music projects as a drummer, producer and multi-instrumentalist and we play everything from rock to electro.

I bet it’s a great feeling being able to get your colleagues up dancing…

Ben: Of course – that’s the best feedback we can get as a band. As soon as we take to the stage, we can sense a special kind of hype in the audience because they know that, in our everyday lives, we are all part of the same company! And people often tell us that it’s much more exciting to see us up there rather than an unknown cover band that’s been hired for the evening. That also contributes to the great atmosphere at our gigs.

But you have a completely different role in your day job...

Ben: Oh yes, I started out as an Office Manager, but eventually ended up taking on more and more responsibilities. Together with a colleague, I am now part of the Client Development team, and I’m also a Facility Manager here in Vienna. Both divisions are working flat out and there are actually quite a few overlaps in that we need both creative solutions and strong teamwork. There are always new projects that I can get involved in, but it’s precisely this variety in my work that I enjoy – that’s what keeps the job challenging and varied.

Have you had any obstacles to overcome as a band?

Ben: We still do because our biggest challenge has been the whole-time management aspect. Two of our members are managers who obviously have very busy schedules. That’s also why we often start planning our rehearsals months in advance so we can find dates when all six of us can take part. We first discuss which songs we want to play and then we get together to rehearse once to twice a week. Recently we’ve only been managing to meet up in the evening after work because it’s difficult to get away for a few hours at lunch, even though it’s a lot of fun.

Does your passion for music influence your work in any way?

Ben: On a professional level, music has taught me over the years how important it is to be well prepared, something that also really helps me in my professional role. Music also teaches you to be creative and to work as part of a team. To achieve harmony in a band, all members have to be perfectly in tune with each other and contribute their own individual strengths. This is something that can also be applied to our professional collaboration and the development of new projects.

And are there any overlaps on a personal level?

Ben: I would say that combining music and work allows me to have a deeper relationship with my colleagues. We’re no longer just work colleagues – it has since developed into a real friendship. When you’re in a band together, you talk about totally different things and get to know the people behind their professional roles. We all work in very different positions and are from very different age groups, which is actually a really enriching experience. And where else can you have more fun with your colleagues than in rehearsals and on stage? That’s something I haven’t experienced in any other company.

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us, Ben!