Fri, 27 Nov 2009 9:01p.m.
Hypernova started out just like most other indie-rock bands - a group of young musicians got together and started to play music.
But not long after they formed, the Iranian government began enforcing strict laws with regard to Western-type music and the band was no longer legally permitted to play or record their particular brand of punk art in their home town of Tehran.
Raam, the lead vocalist and only member to have previously spent time in the United States, says that the band was hampered both by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's rigid restrictions as well as a lack of up-to-date equipment and technology.
"I had to sing through a guitar amplifier because we didn't have a PA. We didn't have speakers or anything, so I was just screaming in the microphone into this distorted sound," but he admits that the frustration this engendered added to their shows' energy.
"Yeah, you know, there was a lot of anger, a lot of intensity, especially to the underground shows we had back home in Iran. You know these parties are all illegal. They're underground. There's fear of being caught by the police."
The group recorded a CD illegally in Iran and continued to play private shows.
And then, one day, Raam submitted an application to play at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.
To their great surprise they were accepted.
They travelled to the United Arab Emirates to apply for visas (there is no American embassy in Iran) but were refused.
Raam, who uses a derivation of his real first name for security reasons, as do all the band members, says it wasn't an easy task. However, with the backing of New York Senator Charles Schumer, they were granted artist visas.
They planned to come to the United States for two weeks but have stayed for three years.
They finally got to play at South by Southwest this year and last year opened for Sisters of Mercy.
Hypernova is now getting ready to release their debut album Through the Chaos, which is set to hit stores in early 2010.
Kodi, who joined the band when he was 16 says, "It's quite an honour to be the first Iranian band to ever get signed to an American label. I think we do represent the youth of Iran, the underground musicians and we're sort of building this bridge where other musicians can actually have this dream of coming outside of the country and making it."
Although they are measured and diplomatic when discussing their country's politics.
"You can only stay silent for so long. You really have to stand up and fight for what you believe in, especially if it's the most fundamental basic thing, like human rights and freedom of expression," explains Raam.
"We've risked so much to get to where we are and our families are all very aware of that and hopefully being in the context of a more cultural and artistic thing, we try to sort of avoid becoming labelled as a political band - I mean obviously there are political themes in our music but at the end of the day I think we can do much more good just by being good musicians and making good songs."
APTN