Sonic Leap

Have you ever felt like you were born in the wrong time? For HERO THE BAND, a musical group of four blood brothers from Atlanta, 2020 just isn't their year. Poised on the verge of their debut album and a summer festival tour, a global pandemic leaves them wondering if they've simply missed their era. That's when a mysterious music mentor - played by Anthony Anderson - teleports them back in time to 1985, where they have a chance to meet their musical destiny as 80s rock gods...and their teenage parents. One song could change it all for this unlikely band of heroes, in a first of its kind musical podcast, with an original score featuring co-stars Trippie Redd and Blanco Brown. It's SONIC LEAP, baby!

Our adventure begins in 2020. Covid-19 has derailed the rising music career of Hero the Band, and brothers Justin, DJ, Jerramy and Nicky are in a real funk. Jerramy learns he’s going to be a dad, and the band is on the verge of a breakup. Out of work and out of sync, the brothers receive an invitation to record in the vintage studio of Leo James, a mysterious music aficionado. Upon visiting their father’s grave, the brothers decide to pay a visit to Leo at his studio. Once they plug in and record, Hero The band find themselves hurtling towards the past. They arrive in 1985 and walk out of Leo’s studio into a very different world.

Lost and confused in 1985, Hero The Band explore their hometown Decatur. A chance meeting with their teenage mother, Holly, lands them back in high school where they seek out the music teacher, a young Leo James. A music room jam session catches the attention of bad boy rich kid Cade Hill - played by Trippie Redd - who hires them to play his epic house party Saturday night. Leo then introduces the boys to a shy baseball star and guitar whiz by the name of Willie Barnett, their long lost father - played by Blanco Brown.

Hero The Band investigate why they’re in 1985 and how to get home to 2020. They return to school with Leo, where Cade Hill recruits them to be his backing band in the upcoming talent show, and Justin becomes smitten with the substitute art teacher, Irene. The brothers follow their father Willie around town, and learn he’s not only a great baseball talent, but also a gifted musician who suffers from a bad case of stage fright. Maybe unlocking Willie’s music career is the key to changing their destiny? And just when things couldn’t get any stranger, Jerramy’s son, Emmit, and wife, Nicole, arrive in 1985 along with her iPhone.

Hero The Band go their separate ways to explore 1985, and Leo enlists high school science teacher Dr. Lazar to experiment with Nicole’s iPhone, possibly unlocking clues to time travel. Meanwhile, Justin and Irene’s romance begins to heat up and he writes a classic song for her. Be sure to listen to the Sonic Leap original soundtrack anywhere you stream good music.

Hero The Band set their sights on getting their mom and dad together in 1985, and Leo orchestrates a memorable jam session. Justin learns Irene’s brother plays with the legendary funk band Parliament Funkadelic, so she offers to get him an audition for George Clinton. High school science teacher Dr. Lazar uses the iPhone from the future to perform an incredible experiment, unlocking the potential for time travel. Cade Hill steals the iPhone, and plots his own time leap. Be sure to listen to original music from the Sonic Leap soundtrack anywhere you stream good music. Justin learns Irene’s brother plays with the soon-to-be-legendary Parliament Funkadelic, who have a concert in Atlanta this Saturday. She offers to get him an audition for George Clinton. The science teacher Dr. Lazar uses the iPhone to perform an incredible experiment, unlocking the potential for time travel. Cade Hill overhears and sneaks into school to steal the iPhone, traveling to 1999 with the stolen songbook of Hero the Band.

Hero The Band are joined by Sonic Leap co-creator and Audio Up CEO, Jared Gutstadt, about the origins of this project during the early days of Covid-19, collaborating with Trippie Redd and Anthony Anderson, and the making of this one of a kind sci-fi podcast musical extravaganza.

Hero The Band follow Cade Hill back to the future and discover an alternate 2020, with no Covid-19. Cade has successfully risen to music stardom by performing the stolen songs of Hero The Band, and used his enormous wealth to thwart the invention of smart phones. Plus, he’s married to their mother, Holly, which means in this 2020 Hero The Band doesn’t exist. The brothers threaten to expose Cade’s extramarital affairs, until he comes clean and agrees to let Hero the Band return to 1985 with the iPhone and prevent any of this from ever happening. Cade offers them a million dollar recording deal and the chance to be superstars in this version of 2020. Be sure to listen to original music from the Sonic Leap soundtrack anywhere you stream good music.

It’s the day of the high school talent show, and Hero the Band recruit their father Willie to join them on guitar in hopes he can overcome his stage fright. Meanwhile, Justin is in love with Irene and wants to stay in 1985 to audition for Parliament Funkadelic rather than return to 2020. Be sure to listen to original music from the Sonic Leap soundtrack anywhere you stream good music.

Welcome to the final installment of Sonic Leap. It’s Saturday and Hero The Band have a gig performing at Cade Hill’s house party. Justin breaks his big date with Irene, offering his Parliament Funkadelic concert ticket to Willie in hopes that a backstage audition for George Clinton can spark his music career. At the party, Holly catches a philadering Cade in the act, Hero The Band perform their new song “Might Find Love”, and Holly and Willie finally kiss. With things set right in 1985, the brothers return home to the year 2020…where they encounter a few more surprises. Listen to original music from the Sonic Leap soundtrack anywhere you stream music. ~~ Sonic Leap is a production of Audio Up Media, brought to you by Sirius XM. Visit AudioUp.com to learn more. And check out some of our other shows: Stephen King’s Strawberry Spring, Halloween In Hell, and Make It Up As We Go. Follow us: On Instagram @AudioUp On Twitter @AudioUp