Things are really beginning to come together for drummer John Sullivan. He’s recently married to a beautiful wife and his heavy metal band, Loudmouth, is taking the country by storm with the hit single “Fly” off the Chicago quartet’s debut album. Set to release the next single, “No Heroes,” soon, Sullivan is loving the success he’s received.

“We’ve got the next single coming out August 9th, and so hopefully that will kind of jump things up a little more,” Sullivan said from his Chicago home. “We’re happy just to have a chance to get out there and do this. It’s something we’ve all wanted since we were pretty young. It’s nice to get to live it for awhile.”

Sullivan along with singer Bob Fedderson and bassist Mike Flaherty grew up together and had many bands along the way. They met guitarist Tony McQuaid through friends at a guitar shop and have been together ever since.

Although Sullivan and company started off playing shows for friends in his bedroom as kids, they soon found themselves in neighborhood clubs perfecting their sound.

“In the city, a lot of bands were starting to take off, like the Pumpkins, so we wanted to make sure that once we started playing in the city we’d really have our chops together,” Sullivan said. “Once we got really good we all basically moved into the city and started playing where the actual Chicago scene takes place.”

Sullivan learned the drums from watching his uncle perform in blues bands. When his uncle gave him an old set of drums, he took off from there, guided by bands such as Kiss, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Motley Crue.

When he’s not keeping the beat with the band, Sullivan likes to help out with his local church; he and his wife are born-again Christians.

“We do a lot of stuff with our church. We try to get involved with kids who don’t have a lot of income and try to help them out. Our church does a lot of things where you go out and get kids immunized,” he said. “A lot of poor kids don’t get that and then they get sick, so we try to keep on top of that and give other people a chance.

Sullivan’s church is also very involved in helping a sister church in Russia.

“In America you’re really lucky to have anything. Even the worst conditions in America are nothing compared to what’s out there. We try to look out for the other guy,”he said.

When he’s not concentrating on helping others in need, Sullivan keeps busy writing songs for the band in his home studio decorated with a Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster.

“Bob and I do most of the writing. It’s kind of open, though. If anyone ever has anything, they’re welcome to bring it in. Tony wrote ‘Maybe’ on the record, and that’s actually one of my favorites,” Sullivan admitted.

He describes Loudmouth as a classic heavy rock band, citing multiple influences including Black Sabbath, Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and the Doors.

Sullivan said that his band wears its influences on its sleeves, and a listen to the album shows that as the band’s style reaches back into classic ’70s psychedelia and rock in the same fashion that the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Gish” album did.

Sullivan relishes in the fact that heavy music is on the up and up once again.

“I think it’s good that heavy music is coming back. There’s a lot of bands out now that personally I’m not fans of what they do. I’m not a fan of funky, rock, rappy type things, but at the same time I like Kid Rock. I think it’s good that it’s heavy, but it’s always gonna come back with a different twist,” he said.

“In any way that it comes back, it’s good because pop music is so mindless,” Sullivan said. “Anyone can write pop music. It’s three chords, you write a song about how you love some girl, and you’ve got a song.”

“Heavy music you’ve gotta go a little deeper and play a little more aggressively,” Sullivan said. “The idea’s gotta be aggressive, and the trick is not to be negative. That’s why I really like Kid Rock. He’s got a really cool vibe.”

Sullivan’s ideas of writing and playing aggressive music made for some pretty big goals for the band to reach on the debut album co-produced by Sullivan and Joe Barresi (Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age).

“We wanted this record to be a big record and really put the band on the map. We have four singles to come out of this record and I hope that each one definitely builds. We’d like to hopefully go gold,” he said.

Sullivan is excited to get back on the road, having taken a week off to relax and spend some time kayaking with his wife. He said his favorite thing about touring is playing the music.

“I like to play every night. I like to go out there and rock. I have no problem playing five nights a week,” he said

Sullivan is also very pumped to share the stage with bands like Megadeth and Orgy this weekend, and also holds a special affection for fellow Chicagoan, Mancow, the host of the Lazer Luau.

“Aww, the Mancow,” he crooned. “He’s awesome. He tells everyone he discovered our band, but that isn’t true. He has helped us out a lot, and I’m grateful for that.”

For now, Sullivan has one thing in mind for Loudmouth.

“We’re gonna pound this thing out. If you live in a city that is actually on the map, we’ll probably be in your town at some point,” he said.

Loudmouth plays Mancow’s Lazer Luau this weekend at the Ankeny Airfield. Other mainstage bands slated to perform include Videodrone, Machinehead, Fear Factory, SlipKnoT, Orgy and Megadeth. Static X and 35″ Mudder will head up the second stage. Tickets are $23.00.