Hermano has entered a new and active phase again in recent years. The band’s classic albums have been remixed and reissued, and a few fresh songs and studio recordings have also surfaced. In the spring of 2026, the group will return to Europe, performing in several cities — including Vienna — much to the delight of their fans.
Hermano’s founder, Dandy Brown, is not only the driving force behind the band but also one of the defining figures of desert rock. As a producer, songwriter, and musician, he remains active in several projects — most recently contributing to the debut album of Lorquin’s Admiral, a record featuring members of Luna Sol, Yawning Sons, and Sons of Alpha Centauri, perfectly blending the emotional depth of stoner and desert rock with the psychedelic atmosphere of the ’90s.
(*We previously wrote about the Lorquin’s Admiral debut album here: https://stoner.blog.hu/2025/07/05/supergroup_rising_lorquin_s_admiral_and_the_return_of_desert_rock_majesty.)
Now, we turn our attention back to Dandy’s most recognized band — Hermano — to talk about the past, the present, and what keeps this group alive and inspired more than twenty-five years later.
Hermano has been getting a lot of attention again lately. What inspired this renewed activity and energy around the band?
Brown: First of all, thank you for your interest in the music and for all you do to support the bands you enjoy. We certainly wouldn’t be able to get the word out on what we are up to without folks like you who enjoy what we create and let others know about it . . . so, thank you very much.
One of the most wonderful things about Hermano is the lack of pressure any of us feel to do anything other than what we want to do when we want to do it. That has always been one of the most attractive and interesting things about what we do as a band. While we have worked together as a group for the last 27 years, there have always been relatively long stretches where we haven’t done anything musically together at all. The most important thing to us has always been the friendships we have with each other and the support that we give to each other whenever one of us is doing a project outside of Hermano . . . and there are always a lot of projects that we are all involved with.
It is definitely a tremendous thing that we have found an open window of opportunity over the last few years to come back together for some new music, remixing and remastering our catalog, and being able to find time to get out and do a batch of performances. It has also been inspiring to find that there is still quite a bit of interest in Hermano after not being very active over the last decade. I mean, Hermano has never disbanded or called it quits at any point, and I think we have always been comfortable with coming to the table knowing that we do everything on our terms and not because we feel any pressure from an industry standpoint.
So, to give you the brief answer to your question, we are immensely grateful for the opportunity to get out and do a handful of shows in the spring of 2026, and for all the continued interest in Hermano. That alone is always an inspiration to continue doing what we do. We definitely are going to have an awesome time hanging out and playing music together, and we are certain that those who are able to come out and see us are going to be pulled into the fun.
Looking back, how do you see the creative chemistry between you, John, and the other members — what made Hermano unique compared to your other projects?
Brown: Every group has its own dynamics for sure. I’m not sure how to define Hermano’s unique chemistry, though. Perhaps one of the most unique things about the band is that the first time everyone met was when I brought them all into the studio for the recording of Only a Suggestion. While John and Dave knew each other from the brief time they had spent on the same label in the early 90’s, Steve Earle and Mike Callahan had never met either John or Dave. So, you can imagine just how amazed we all were regarding the instant musical bonds that developed between us. Honestly, when I first wrote the initial riffs that would become the foundation for the first album, I knew that the people I had chosen to play on the record would take the demos I made to extraordinary new heights. What I hadn’t predicted, though, were the strong bonds of friendship that immediately developed between us and have lasted for well over twenty seven years.
The albums ...Only a Suggestion, Dare I Say..., and ...Into the Exam Room each have their own distinct character. Is there one that represents Hermano’s spirit the most for you personally?
Brown: Man, every album that we have done is filled with special moments and terrific memories, but certainly the first Hermano album will always hold a very important place in my heart. Looking back on Only a Suggestion, it was such a unique moment in time that we were able to capture during that session, and definitely for me it was a time when so many things in my life were both ending and starting. I don’t mean to diminish any of the events we have experienced along the journey with Hermano because there are songs on every album that resonate with me on numerous levels. What we discovered during the sessions for Only a Suggestion, though, set the foundation for everything that we would do afterward.
Hermano has a European tour coming up in 2026. What can fans expect from these upcoming shows?Brown: I can’t think of any batch of shows that we have ever done when we didn’t bring everything we’ve got to the stage. That’s just what this band does and I think that anyone who has ever attended one of our shows sees the genuine love we have for performing together. Of course, we are going to play a broad selection of songs from all of our albums, and, of course, a few new songs that we’ve had the opportunity to release over the last couple of years. I believe that if you ask anyone who has ever attended a Hermano show what it was like, they would tell you that the love we have for performing together is absolutely contagious and that it is an experience of being immersed in both powerful rock music and watching a band that absoutely loves having the opportunity to entertain everyone who comes to see us.
Let’s go back to the very beginning — what made you start Hermano in the first place? What were the emotions or musical ideas that pushed you to create this band?
Brown: Toward the end of the 1990s, it just so happened that I suffered a broken ankle that laid me up in a cast for a couple of months. During that time, I spent quite a while sitting in my apartment in Covington, Kentucky, with a Les Paul and a four-track recorder. I ended up recording a batch of heavy blues riffs that I thought sounded pretty cool, and I began to daydream about a lineup that I imagined would make the songs sound enormous. Really, on a total whim, I decided to reach out to those musicians, and see if they would be interested in coming into my studio to record the songs. That, of course, would eventually develop into Hermano. Honestly, there wasn’t much more to how I put it all together than that.
You’re involved in so many projects, plus family life — how do you find the time and energy for everything? It feels like your days must have at least 30 hours!
Brown: I can’t recall any part of my life where I wasn’t interested in creating something. That outlook has really been the central focus of my life and how I have always projected my energy. I have been extremely lucky to have been surrounded by people with the same perspective, so it isn’t as though I’m having to sacrifice other things in order to make art. It’s just what I enjoy doing. To tell you the truth, I often feel guilty when I’m not using the time I’m given in this existence to create something. I am also very fortunate to have a spouse who views life the same way. Dawn and I are entirely simpatico in our views about art and music, so there’s never any conflict regarding how we want to dedicate our time and our lives. I mean, it’s not as though we have to conjure up the energy to focus upon our art. It’s just who we are and how we act upon the compulsion that resides within us.
After all these years, how has your attitude toward music and creativity changed — both musically and on a more personal, emotional level?
Brown: I don’t think my attitudes and emotions toward music and creativity have changed at all. I still love creating and performing, so I don’t imagine my outlook about art will ever change. The things that do change for all of us, though, are the elements of our physical existence and the limitations that time and age throw our way. Even as the light begins to dim and the window begins to close, though, I will be toying around with more riffs, or trying to write something interesting, or looking for unique colors in the sunrise and sunset. I simply cannot imagine living any other way.
AMEN!
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