The month of love may be over for some people, but as February turns into March, Iron Hero decided to give back to the community that helped it release its first album two weeks ago.

The band members – Lawson Grice (guitar, keys), Sam Gunn (guitar, vocals), Nick Hasty (drums, bells), Ben Simpson (bass), Jimmy Taylor (vocals, guitar, keys) and Thomas Wilcox (drums) – always have been friends.

“We were always in bands, but never in one with all of us together,” Wilcox said. “All of our music tastes varied so much that we never thought of combining them together.”

But eventually they did, and Iron Hero was born.

“Lawson is a brilliant songwriter,” Wilcox said. “He was doing some stuff on his own at the time, and then the rest of us formed a band around that.”

Gunn said developments with the band have always been chaotic in a good way.

The same can be said for the latest album, which was released two weeks ago.

“We got drunk one night at a bar in Macon and Lawson decided to call Josh McKay (from the band Macha) at 2 a.m. to see if he could help us produce an album,” Gunn said. “We didn’t know Josh that well at the time, it was just a pipe dream, but then Josh answered the phone and was like ‘I’ve been waiting for this phone call.’”

That phone call led to the production of Iron Hero’s first album, “Safe as Houses” produced by McKay.

Hasty and Wilcox said they have meticulously analyzed the songs to avoid anything too pop-y or weird.

“We’re a bunch of music nerds,” Hasty said.

But that’s not all.

“Everyone’s real passive and laid back,” Taylor said. “The atmosphere is very democratic – we can all have a place and some input in all of the songs.”

Taylor is referred to as the “true iron hero” by the band.

He was hit by a car a little while ago and has had about 15 surgeries since. He lost his memory for a short time and couldn’t play instruments.

Taylor doesn’t let this small inconvenience get in the way of the music – he still performs at shows.

“Adrenaline is the best medicine,” Taylor said. “When it kicks in, you can’t feel anything.”

Iron Hero will join local artists Heidi Hensley and hope for agoldensummer in a benefit show at the 40 Watt Club Saturday to raise money for the Sexual Assault Center of Northeast Georgia (SACNEGA).

The Center raises community awareness and provides services for men, women and children who have suffered sexual abuse.

Saturday’s show will be SACNEGA’s third annual Barlight fundraiser. Its purpose is to raise money for the Sexual Assault Center and to educate the community about sexual violence.