An Evening at Beat Kitchen with Jared Hochberg of Robot Heart Throb!
Article and interview by Waverly Cayo
The schools don’t teach you as much about ‘sax’ as they used to, so sit back, relax, and let Chicago’s own Robot Heart Throb show you the works!
Last Saturday, I sat down with Jared Hochberg — the lead vocalist of the band Robot Heart Throb — where we discussed Midwest emo, the 2007 film Juno, and whether Naperville is considered a Chicago suburb! (Spoiler alert… the verdict was “no!”)
If you’ve been looking for a lead singer who can speak with a saxophone, deliver spoken word, and draw an anatomically correct vulva on the back of a crowd goer… then look no further! Hochberg has already managed to wow the audiences of dozens of Chicago’s most iconic venues — from Schuba’s to the Subterranean, and now, Beat Kitchen — in less than two years. As of November 2024, Robot Heart Throb now has over 50 shows under their belt.
But their most recent show turned heads like never before, where they delivered what audience members described as a “wacky,” “show-stopping,” “off-Broadway production.” While performing electric songs like ‘Breakup Party,” Hochberg even switched back and forth between the microphone and the saxophone.
Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music appear to fight over how to categorize Robot Heart Throb, with some classifying Hochberg’s music as ‘folk’ or ‘dance’ — others claiming ‘soul’ or ‘blues.’ However, on social media, Hochberg has coined the term ‘genre-fluid’, which seems to capture their essence perfectly.
“I think that people have to really listen to us in order to get the flavor,” Hochberg explained. “I think that at the end of the day, we’re just ‘Robot Heart Throb.’”
Though Hochberg is by no means new to the saxophone, his singing career is relatively new — spanning less than just two years. Growing up as a band student and a jazz lover, the saxophone became a huge part of his life. Soon enough, singing became an inseparable complement to the saxophone, and that combination would foster the project we know today as Robot Heart Throb.
“I felt like I couldn’t express everything I wanted to with just the sax,” Hochberg exclaimed. “Sax is very emotional but I also want to be able to say ‘I am mad’ just flat out! And that’s when the vocals came in.”
It quickly became evident that the harmony between Hochberg’s vocal and instrumental performances tells a larger story — a tribute to both the young saxophone player who fell in love with music and the adult who keeps that fire alive.
Hochberg explained that he often keeps that younger version of himself in mind, reminding himself that adolescent Jared would be so proud of the milestones he’s reached over the last few years.
The ridiculously vibrant soul behind Robot Heart Throb is impossible not to pick up on, for every interaction I had with Jared revealed how special his love for music is. From the stage to your headphones — Robot Heart Throb creates a performance that can’t be beat.
To keep up to date with the latest Robot Heart Throb related news, head over to @robotheartthrob on Instagram! And for a taste of their music, be sure to search Robot Heart Throb on all streaming platforms.