Gym Class Heroes

Gym Class Heroes Go For Olympic Glory In 'Fighter' Video

25 Apr 2012 18:27:24 EDT

Band takes MTV News behind the scenes of upcoming clip, which stars Olympic hopeful John Orozco.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Hugh Swingle

In previous videos, Gym Class Heroes have shown off their "mutant powers," gone gritty, and even gotten in touch with their inner Lucius Blacks.

But in their upcoming clip for "The Fighter," they're taking a different tack: They're getting real.

"The video is part documentary-style, part-performance [and] it follows the life of John Orozco, a young, up-and-coming, hopefully gold medalist from the Bronx," GCH frontman Travie McCoy told MTV News on the set of the video. "Plus, an awesome, energetic performance from us and Ryan Tedder."

Orozco's story — from a talented Bronx gymnast to training at the U.S. facility in Colorado Springs to perhaps this country's best chance of snagging a gold at the London Olympics — has already caught the attention of outlets like the New York Times, and GCH are hoping their new video will only add to his profile. And provide a soundtrack to his success too.

"Ryan did his thing on the hook, he adds the extra punch," McCoy said. "And with the Olympics and stuff coming up, I think it's going to be the anthem for a lot of people to get pumped up to."

Of course, there are other benefits to having one of the most hotly tipped Olympic hopefuls star in your new video. Namely, you can let someone else stand beneath the spotlight, which, thankfully, takes the pressure off the Heroes and their less-than-stellar acting chops.

"It's great doing a video like this because I feel like a lot of other videos we shoot, we end up sticking to somewhat of a script and act," drummer Matt McGinley laughed. "And I mean, I'm a musician, so it's great to be doing what comes natural."

Are you looking forward to the Heroes' upcoming video? Tell us in the comments!

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Gym Class Heroes Call 'Ass Back Home' Video 'Gritty'

13 Dec 2011 16:05:02 EST

Travie McCoy says the clip, featuring Neon Hitch, shows the 'struggle' of a long-distance relationship.
By Christina Garibaldi

Life on the road can be tough for a musician — just ask Gym Class Heroes.

On Monday, the group premiered their video for "Ass Back Home," the third single from their latest album, The Paper Chronicles II. The clip was shot while the group was on tour and shows frontman Travie McCoy struggling with a long-distance relationship while spending his life on the road.

MTV News recently caught up with Gym Class Heroes at Z100's annual Jingle Ball concert, and they told us how they came up with the concept for their latest video.

"It's us on the road and it's shot really gritty," McCoy said. "So it kind of gives people a behind-the-scenes at what it's like to be on the road, traveling nonstop and also that tension, that struggle of trying to keep a relationship afloat."

Bassist Eric Roberts added:" I remember when I was watching some cuts of the video, I totally just lost thought of the song, and I was just paying attention. I was like, 'Oh, it's kind of like a movie.' "

Playing McCoy's love interest in the video is British newcomer Neon Hitch, who also sings the chorus. The electro-pop singer, who describes herself as a "free spirit," was the perfect choice not only for the song, but for the video as well. "They just thought I would fit the song perfectly," Hitch told MTV News. "So it just happened magically."

It seems like Gym Class Heroes couldn't agree more. "The song was actually produced by Benny Blanco, and Benny's worked with Neon in the past," McCoy said. "I think if anybody gets the song and as far as the message of the song and what the song's about, it'd be her, because she's kind of in the midst of all this. Not only did she go above and beyond the call of duty as far as singing it, but it's something that she can totally relate to, so it's perfect."

Last month, Gym Class Heroes were forced to cancel the remaining dates of their North American tour due to illness, but fear not, GCH fans: They are planning to get back on the road in the new year.

"We wrapped this year up with all the Christmas shows and top of the year, next year, we head overseas," McCoy said. "And then we come back here to destroy the U.S."

What do you think of Gym Class Heroes' latest video? Let us know in the comments!

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LMFAO, David Guetta Go 'Gaga' On Dream-Duet Lists

10 Dec 2011 11:21:54 EST

Z100 Jingle Ball stars reveal their studio fantasies to MTV News on Friday night at Madison Square Garden.
By Christina Garibaldi

NEW YORK — Fans got into the holiday spirit early on Friday night as some of the biggest names in music hit New York's Madison Square Garden for Z100's annual Jingle Ball concert. The eclectic lineup at the sold-out event included Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Pitbull, LMFAO, David Guetta and Demi Lovato.

Now, with all that star power under one roof, we couldn't help but think it might inspire collaboration between artists. So when MTV News caught up with some of your favorite acts on the red carpet, we asked them who they most wanted to team up with on the Jingle Ball lineup — if they could only choose one. And maybe it was no surprise, but it seemed as if everyone had their eye on Mother Monster.

"Probably Gaga," LMFAO's RedFoo said of a possible collaboration. "Let's do some dancing, let's do some partying, see what we can do, you know? Some fashion, come out there — it could be amazing."

And Grammy-nominated hitmaker Guetta was more than ready to hit the studio with the Born This Way star.

"Listen, I'm ready, you should ask her! That would be great, of course," he told us. "She's really a creative genius, and I told her the other day that I saw her last video ['Marry the Night'] and, again, amazing. I love creative people; it's what I live for. Obviously, she's really amazing."

But Gym Class Heroes had a rather interesting choice for a team-up, picking reality TV star Khloé Kardashian, who was one of the night's special guest hosts.

"We just want her to dance," Travie McCoy said, "be in the video."

So, would Khloé be up to the challenge?

"Do they know I don't have a singing talent?" Kardashian laughed. "They haven't seen me dance, but I love them."

While Khloé admitted she isn't much of a singer, she is a major music fan.

"I would love to sing, I have a passion for music. My dad, [Robert Kardashian], was in the music industry," the E! star said. "I used to always have to go into the studio and do all that type of stuff, so I love music. I love rapping too, I love all forms of music, but I would personally love to sing. But I can't whatsoever, so I'm not ever going to try that job."

Which Jingle Ball acts would you like to hear on a duet? Let us know in the comments!

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Gym Class Heroes Announce 'Solid' Papercut Chronicles II Release Date

09 Sep 2011 13:56:51 EDT

Frontman Travie McCoy tells MTV News delays leading up to October 25 release 'made the record better.'
By James Montgomery

Way back in March, Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy told MTV News that it was "definitely time" for a new album from the group. Of course, at the time, he probably needed to check his watch: In May, McCoy promised the new GCH album — the sequel to 2005's The Papercut Chronicles — would be in stores "by late summer," and, well, summer's just about over, and there's still not been a release.

But finally, the Heroes' time has come. On October 25, they'll release Papercut Chronicles II, and while it's not exactly summer, McCoy's not about to complain — in fact, he's just relieved that it'll finally be in stores.

"Like I said on the last record, [2008's The Quilt,] ' '08 is gonna be great/ Imagine 2011.' October 25, you will be able to purchase and enjoy The Papercut Chronicles II," McCoy told MTV News. "We finally have a solid release date, so ... right now, we're actually circling third and about to slide into home, and then it's off to be mixed and mastered, and then it's out for public consumption."

A spokesperson for Gym Class Heroes' label could not be reached to confirm the release date, and while McCoy played it, well, coy when asked about just what lead to the PCC II delay, he did say everything the group has been through has only made them — and their album — stronger. Mostly, though, he's just thankful he's not going to have to backtrack on his earlier claims.

"There were a couple setbacks that were kind of out of our hands, but we just took 'em in stride, and, in a sense, I think they just made the record better," he said. "And I'm super excited, finally, because I was going to have to bite my lip ... because I had all these people stoked about 2011 and about this record. ... So I'm excited we finally have a release date and that this album has definitely shaped up to be everything and more."

Though fans have already gotten a preview of PCC II with its first single, "Stereo Hearts," McCoy said they're going to be surprised with the musical direction on the new album. Sure, it's a continuation of the original Chronicles, but it's also a whole lot more. And it's definitely worth the wait.

"It's always hard to listen to a song off a Gym Class Heroes record and kind of get a vibe for what the rest of the record is gonna sound like, but ... to sum it all up, it's definitely a well-rounded album: It's not just a few singles here or there and some filler," he said. "It's got some reoccurring themes from the first Papercut Chronicles, musically and lyrically, and people who were in love with the Papercut Chronicles are gonna pick up on that. But to quote Jay-Z, 'If you want out old sh--, buy our old album.' Every album we put out, we try to push that envelope further, and this case is no different."

How do you expect the new Gym Class Heroes album to sound? Share your thoughts below!

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Paramore, Gym Class Heroes Pick Best Fueled By Ramen Releases

06 Sep 2011 18:57:17 EDT

In celebration of the FBR's 15th anniversary, the label's biggest bands rifle through its back catalog.
By James Montgomery

In 1996, Fueled By Ramen released the now-famous Take-Out Sampler, a cassette compilation that came packaged to look like it was ordered from your neighborhood Chinese restaurant. Last week, they released Cobra Starship's Night Shades, the 130-somethingth album to bear the FBR name ... and no, it wasn't available on cassette.

Still, that should give you a pretty good idea of just how far the label has come over the course of 15 years. And this week, FBR will celebrate its ongoing legacy with a pair of shows at New York's Terminal 5 — Wednesday night's show, featuring Paramore, the Swellers, This Providence, the Stereo and fun., will stream live on MTV.com beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

And we here at MTV News are doing our part to aid in the festivities. We've already brought you some of the label's biggest bands recalling the moment they signed with FBR, and now, those same bands are talking to us about their favorite albums from the label's rather expansive back catalog. From Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco to Jimmy Eat World and Discount, here are their picks. Cassettes not included.

Travie McCoy and Matt McGinley, Gym Class Heroes
McGinley: "I'm going to go with Take This to Your Grave, by Fall Out Boy. You might have heard of them. [It's a] super awesome record, and we definitely listened to it on repeat in the van all the time."

McCoy: "It's beautiful how they kind of hid such dark and demented lyrics in such happy and poppy punk music. Genius."

McCoy: "The Academy Is ... Almost Here. Front to back, it's an amazing, amazing album, and it shoots us back to when we used to tour with those guys all the time."

McGinley: "Panic! at the Disco's A Fever You Can't Sweat Out!"

McCoy: "I remember hearing some of the demos for that album, and I was blown away and when the record actually came out, it was like, 'Wow, these dudes are about to smash, and they tore it up."

Paramore's Hayley Williams: "A really awesome release ... was [the] Jimmy Eat World EP, and it had early versions of the Clarity songs. I think it makes this list because we love Jimmy Eat World so much, and it's so awesome that they released something on our label. We're really proud of that."

"My all-time favorite FBR release is the Impossibles' Anthology, it's sort of all the best Impossibles songs, and it's incredible. They're kind of like if Weezer were ska."

"When we were writing Brand New Eyes, I sent an email to some folks at the label requesting some music. I actually got back a Discount EP ... they did a cover EP of Billy Brag songs called Love, Billy, and the cover art was really cool, I remember liking that a lot. I just really like Discount. If you don't know who [they] are, you should check them out; I don't know if I'm allowed to say this or not, but it may or may not be Alison from the Kills and Dead Weather fronting a pop/punk band. It's awesome and there's so much cool, raw energy, and her voice is great. I love the music and I think it's very telling of that time in music for pop/punk music. Good stuff."

Help MTV celebrate Fueled by Ramen's 15th anniversary on Wednesday, September 7, as we present a live party featuring some of your favorite FBR acts, including Paramore. Check out MTV.com at 6:30 p.m. ET Wednesday to catch all the action!

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Gym Class Heroes Show Their Mutant Powers In 'Stereo Hearts' Video

11 Aug 2011 13:32:35 EDT

The brand-new clip, from the upcoming Papercut Chronicles II album, is a definite departure for the band.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

The Gym Class Heroes' brand-new "Stereo Hearts" video is a rather subdued affair — for them, at least — eschewing the hyperkinetic pacing and hyper-colored palette of previous clips like "Clothes Off" or "Cookie Jar" in favor of some good-old-fashioned shadow play and a decidedly (dare we say it) "mature" vibe.

It's a definite departure for the band, in just about every conceivable way. And when MTV News spoke with the Gym Class Heroes on the set of the video back in June, they let it be known that, while "Hearts" might be different, it's just a natural progression for the band. After all, with their upcoming The Papercut Chronicles II album, they've grown up, in more ways than one.

"Here we are, almost in our 30s. We started off as kids in a van, and now we're grown men, with families, and the same fans are still with us, and they have families," frontman Travie McCoy said. "It's amazing to sit back and see how far we've come over the years ... back [in 2005, when the band released the first Papercut Chronicles album] I couldn't even count [musical] bars. We were definitely amateur musicians; we've all grown as musicians and songwriters. So to attack this album with a whole new, I guess, set of skills and, dare I say, mutant powers, have a firmer grip on what we want to do musically."

So while "Stereo Hearts" (which features Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the hook), may find GCH exploring new territory, McCoy wants it to be known that the band hasn't forgotten their roots. If anything, they've just expanded on them.

"We worked with Benny Blanco on this single, and the chorus kind of jumped out at me, the whole metaphor for your heart being a stereo, lyrically, I played off that, just, um, kind of imagining my heart being inanimate objects like dusty records and old-school boom boxes and whatnot," he said. "The title Papercut Chronicles, it actually came from a mixtape that I made for an ex-girlfriend of mine. But it definitely went much deeper for me, because the first album chronicled about three or four years in my life that were some of the darkest years I've experienced; a lot of those songs touch on the things I was going through during those times. So, for me, titling this record The Papercut Chronicles II, in a sense, it chronicles what's gone on since we put that album out."

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Gym Class Heroes Get Shady In 'Stereo Hearts' Video

22 Jun 2011 18:33:47 EDT

First single from the group's The Papercut Chronicles II album features vocals by Maroon 5's Adam Levine.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Matt Elias

Gym Class Heroes don't exactly have a lot to do in the video for "Stereo Hearts," the first single from their upcoming The Papercut Chronicles II. Instead, it's their shadows that handle most of the heavy lifting.

"The video basically plays on the idea that we're sort of just being casual, hanging out, being ourselves and our shadows get wild and get loose," drummer Matt McGinley told MTV News on the video set. "It's kind of fun. I've always felt like my shadow has been trying to kill me for 28 years."

"That's just me," frontman Travie McCoy laughed, "creeping up on your ass."

So while the GCH guys were content to crack jokes and let their shadows have the spotlight on the "Stereo" set, they're taking the opposite approach when it comes to their new album. Because not only is it a sequel to their beloved 2005 album, it's their return to prominence after McCoy's Lazarus solo trek and a break that was, by all accounts, too long.

"We just played a show at the Nokia in L.A., and just to see how elated kids were that we were back together again, I almost cried, I'm not going to lie," McCoy said. "We've been away too long, and anyone who thought me putting out Lazarus was the end of Gym Class Heroes was definitely proven wrong with that show."

And with "Stereo Hearts," they're officially getting back to business. Produced by Bennie Blanco and featuring Maroon 5's Adam Levine on the hook, it's a prime-time slab of genre-mashing, sweat-inducing pop, the kind of song that may very well push GCH to summertime superstardom. And, in working with Levine, they've learned about taking the next step too.

"It's a fun love song at the end of the day, and it's definitely got a summertime vibe ... and having Adam bless us with his vocal stylings doesn't hurt much," McCoy said. "He just destroyed it. Watching that dude do [vocal] runs, and first he belts out the hook, and I'm like, 'OK!' then he does overdubs and he's like, 'Nah, I don't like that, I can do better.' Everything's just flawless and dude's so talented. Just getting into a song and pushing it, it was inspiring."

Are you happy to have Gym Class Heroes back? Let us know in the comments!

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Travie McCoy Says Gym Class Heroes Revisting 'Rawness'

02 May 2011 15:17:30 EDT

Band begins production on The Papercut Chronicles II.
By James Montgomery, with reporting by Steven Roberts

By now, you're probably aware that Gym Class Heroes are heading into the home stretch on their long-awaited The Papercut Chronicles II album (and if you're not, here's Travie McCoy talking about it in December 2009 and again in March 2011), but you might be wondering just why, after pushing boundaries with 2008's The Quilt, the band is headed back to their beginnings this time out.

Well, as McCoy explained to MTV News during this past weekend's Bamboozle Festival, they're doing it not to reconnect with fans who might have been mystified by the hip-hop leanings on The Quilt or to score another radio hit a la "Cupid's Chokehold," but to rediscover the reasons they started the band in the first place.

"I think I can speak for the rest of the fellas: We kinda wanted to revisit the innocence and the rawness that The Papercut Chronicles had," McCoy said. "They say you have your entire life to write your first album, and a lot of those songs were written when we were 16, 17 years old, so there's definitely this sense of innocence and urgency almost that we don't necessarily want to recreate, but revisit, and see where that takes us musically.

"For me, I went back and listened to the record for, like, a month straight, listening to some of the patterns that I was doing and just some of the crazy stuff. Because back then, I had no idea about song structure, we weren't thinking about being on the radio or being on television," he continued. "So, like I said, it's that innocence and that naivety, and within that, is just something that we wanted to kind of recapture and put on this record. Just us not being concerned with our songs being three-and-a-half minutes long, or not being concerned with our verses being 16 bars, you know?"

McCoy added that GCH will officially begin production on PCC II on Monday (May 2) and hope to have the album in stores "by late summer." And even though you might think the band is no longer his top priority — what with the success of his solo album, Lazarus — McCoy said nothing could be further from the truth.

"A lot of people think I took a break from Gym Class to do Lazarus, but even before it was finished, we were already starting pre-production on Papercut Chronicles II. So this entire time I've been out promoting and touring, I've also been pulling double duty, working on the Gym Class record, so there hasn't really been a break," he said. "We've been knocking out pre-production; we have close to 30 demos, and now it's time to lay all the puzzle pieces out on the floor and pick out the ones that'll make out the album."

What do you hope The Papercut Chronicles II sounds like? Tell us below!

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Travie McCoy Says 'It's Definitely Time' For New Gym Class Heroes LP

24 Mar 2011 07:19:48 EDT

GCH hope to have their long-awaited Papercut Chronicles II in stores 'before summer.'
By James Montgomery

When Travie McCoy released Lazarus last summer, he did so mainly to provide his fans with a soundtrack to their "good times." But then McCoy dropped "Billionaire," hit the road with Rihanna and Ke$ha, released a slew of additional singles and, suddenly, nearly a year after the fact, the "good times" still haven't stopped.

While he's still happy to let Lazarus breathe, even McCoy knows that it's time to turn his focus back to his other project, Gym Class Heroes. For more than a year, he's been talking about the band's next album, The Papercut Chronicles II, but now, it sounds like he's entered the homestretch, and he's happy to tell fans that they'll finally get to hear the record in 2011.

"We're about 30 to 35 demos deep now. We had a really awesome session right before this tour started, and we got a lot done. We're definitely in the stages now where we're definitely picking the cream of the crop. ... The songs are starting to take shape and come together," he said. "We just wrapped a song with Adam Levine called 'Stereo Hearts' that came out amazing, so you guys might be hearing that song a lot sooner than you'd think. It's definitely that time, regardless of how far or how much longer the Lazarus cycle continues to bring out the sexy MILFs, we're definitely looking to get this record out this year."

As the title implies, PCC II is a sequel to the band's second album, 2005's The Papercut Chronicles, and McCoy said the ties go much deeper than just the title alone.

"There's a song tentatively titled 'Kid Nothing and the Nothing to Kid Abouts,' and what's really cool is we're bringing back a lot of the themes that were on the original Papercut Chronicles, making the connection between the two albums," he explained. "And this song actually starts off where 'Kid Nothing vs. the Echo Factor' ended ... the outro of that song starts this song, and it becomes this crazy, like, Nine Inch Nails-sounding thing. Sonically, this record is going to be crazy. And these are just demos. Once we go in and give 'em the Gym Class treatment, it's a wrap."

And speaking of wrap, the goal now is to wrap up pre-production on the album and hit the studio — with "a couple of guys who I don't want to reveal just yet," McCoy smiled — where, at long last, GCH can put PCC II to bed.

"In a perfect world, after this tour is over, I have a couple commitments to take care of, but after that, I'm jumping right into the studio," he said. "So once again, in a perfect world, we're going to have this record out before summer."

What are you expecting from the new GCH album? Let us know in the comments!

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Travie McCoy Revisits Gym Class Heroes' Breakout LP For Next Project

17 Mar 2011 19:02:11 EDT

Frontman is 'trying to capture the innocence' of 2005's The Papercut Chronicles on in-the-works sequel.
By Aly Semigran

Whenever a group finds success with an album, all eyes — and ears — tend to fall on the records that follow.

But Travie McCoy, the frontman for Gym Class Heroes — a group that found heavy radio rotation in 2007, thanks to their Supertramp-infused single "Cupid's Chokehold/Breakfast in America" from The Papercut Chronicles — hopes fans have been paying close attention to the band's previous efforts.

McCoy, whose 2010 solo effort, Lazarus, spawned "Billionaire," the massive collaboration with Bruno Mars, discussed why Gym Class Heroes' past will be an intricate part of their in-the-works new album.

"If anybody who picked up our last record — [2008's] The Quilt — knows, there's a line in a song called 'Don't Tell Me It's Over' [in which] I say, ' '08 is gonna be great, imagine 2011,' " the singer said, adding, "So, get ready: The Papercut Chronicles 2 is coming."

And in case the title weren't indication enough, fans can expect a lot of the same vibe that helped the band become 2007 VMA winners for Best New Artist. "The new record — hence the name — is a throwback to our first record and just trying to capture the innocence that that record had," McCoy said.

"It was our first full album," McCoy said of the original Papercut Chronicles, "so, in a sense, we had our entire lives to create it."

Still, while the frontman revisited the 2005 record, it wasn't always an easy process. "I listened back to it a bunch of times to try and get my head in the zone I was in when I was writing that record. And it's hard for me to listen to it. ... I was so young and my voice was really high."

But it's not just listening to their prior work that's setting the wheels in motion for their fourth studio album. McCoy, who said they are looking to record their new material this summer, have "a good 25, 26 demos and they just keep growing." The singer and his bandmates will then "pick and pull from those songs and refine them and then create the album."

Are you looking forward to Gym Class Heroes upcoming album? Let us know in the comments!

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