Hed PE’s Jahred Gomes Discusses Nu-Metal

When Hed PE‘s Jahred Gomes joined Chuck Armstrong on Wednesday’s edition of Loudwire Nights (April 3), he admitted that it took a couple of decades for him to take a step back and reflect on the band he built.

“It wasn’t really until COVID came and for the first time ever I had to sit home,” he said. “I really took a breath and reflected on the whole thing, to be honest. I kind of had a good time with that, so I’ve kind of been absorbing it all in, you know?”

2024 marks the 30th anniversary of when Gomes formed Hed PE, so the opportunity to continue reflecting on the band’s career was well-received by him.

“When we started, there was no name for it,” Gomes told Chuck about the style of rock Hed PE were creating. “We were influenced by Nine Inch Nails in the ’90s, Dr. Dre, things that were banging back then. Rage Against the Machine and stuff like that.”

Gomes remembered also being influenced by Korn, Deftones and 311 before they ever got signed to record labels — even though he admitted that fans may not recognize those bands in Hed PE’s music.

“You may not hear it when we play, but those were the bands we loved.”

Regardless of influences or even their unique sound, eventually Hed PE would be labeled nu-metal. Fortunately, that distinction never really mattered to Gomes.

“Nu-metal was really frowned upon,” Gomes said. “[Then] emo came in and kind of changed styles in the same way fashion does.”

READ MORE: 10 Best Rock Ballads of the 2000s

And just like fashion, fast-forward a couple of decades and all of a sudden the nu-metal genre seems to be embraced by more fans and viewed, generally, in a positive light.

Gomes is totally fine with that.

“It’s good for me … I’m an old geezer, right? I remember when hair metal went away and was taken over by Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots and [Pearl Jam] … Time just does spirals, like fashion. Things come back with a twist.”

What Else Did Hed PE’s Jahred Gomes Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• Why their new album is called Detox: “[COVID] took a toll on me. I started drinking too much red wine during that time. I’m recovering from that.”
• Why he loves the music video for Hed PE’s latest single, “Waiting”: “We’ve always wanted to stand up for the little guy and equal rights across the board.”
• How he has evolved creatively over the last 30 years

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Jahred Gomes joined Loudwire Nights on Wednesday, April 3; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.