I N T E R V I E W

Interview Joe Hottinger (face to face)

Thank you for answering some questions for auxportesdumetal.com

Thank you!

Your success came quickly with the releases of your albums, what is your recipe for success?

I think it's really hard work, it's about keeping momentum and growing as a band, and continue to play as much as we possibly can. We've been very fortunate along the way with people we've met who have worked hard to help us get where we are. But to grow, you have to continue playing, all the time. Always play music. I think a lot of bands, maybe they stop around three years after, they have not been signed or something like that. That is their doom. We've been a band for ten years now, so we must keep playing.

What are the great influences of Halestorm?

Hum, there's so many music... jeez, that's a hard question, jeez I don't even know! I personally... we all love the Beatles and all these bands, you know, the classic rock bands. There not just one, that's for sure.

So that's Rock in general?

Even more than rock, I think t's just good music, we love old songs, we love R'n'B, we love country, we love metal, everything that is genuinely good music is good to us.

Which bands do you like to listen these days?

Hum, I listen to the new Pearl Jam album, I like it a lot. I've always been a huge Pearl Jam fan, so I’m enjoying that record very much right now.

And what are your Halestorm favorite songs?

Hum, I really enjoy playing "I Miss The Misery", the crowd really seems to like it and when we play it live, we extend the end of the song, and it's kind of turning into a jam session, that's a lot of fun.

What does it change to have a Grammy award?

That was just amazing, the beginning of a wonderful year that we'd had. We were, to be honest, thrilled to be nominated, and the fact that we won it, we could not just comprehend it, it was so amazing. It's quite an honor to be recognized by peers and it really means a lot to us, and we hope we can be honoured like that again, it was quite amazing.

Has it change your way of being as a band?

Oh yeah, we are devious now, totally (laughs). Hum, no, I mean, if anything it has made use more hungry, we want to continue to grow as a band, and we want to continue making better music, and to become the best group that we can be.

Some people describe you just as "A rock/metal band with a girl who sings", what do you think about that?

It's totally true. (Laughs) No, no I think we're very fortunate to have such an amazing, and talented frontperson and we're also very fortunate to have such an amazing and talented drummer. The two of them, brother and sister, it's in their blood to be entertainers, performers, and every night they give it one hundred percent, and they have a true talent.

You released a lot of EPs between your albums, why?

It's fun, it's an easy, no not easy, it's a quick way to release extra music out there, for our fans, before we finish a tour and go back to the studio! We enjoy that very much, it's like a music lesson almost, to master these songs and try to make these our owns. It's a lot of fun.

Some people sometimes mistake Halestorm for Alestorm, do you think it's funny?

Yeah it's hilarious. I hope we can play with them someday, I hope there can be an Alestorm and Halestorm tour (laughs). It would be awesome, yes.

I have a friend, who will be at the concert tonight, and he thought it was an Alestorm concert (laughs) do you have a message for him?

Hum, enjoy the show! I don't think it will be disappointing for him, I think it was a good mistake, and (laughs) I don't know, do some research before you buy a ticket, buddy! (Laughs again)

How do you write your albums?

Lzzy usually writes the lyrics, and gets the songs' ideas, and then she approaches us, with very simple ideas, and then the three of us, the four of us kind of bring it up and create a song out of it. That's generally because we've done it in every way possible, from a drum groove, to a bass groove, to a guitar riff, we have written songs in different ways but I think in this album in particular, it was Lzzy, kind of maturing a bit, and being a little bit more honest, lyrically speaking, opening it to people, and I think it's part of this record and the direction of this album.

The lyrics are very personal, was it a conscious choice?

I think so, I think, you know, we started to write the album with songs like "Love Bites", and very hard things, and halfway through, Lzzy came up with a lot of personal things. It was difficult to combine the two, but, it is something we wanted to do. I think it matures us and makes us grow as a band, and to be honest, it's like, to put your experiences in your songs and getting better and better at it, I think.

You are touring a lot, is it only good times?

It's almost only great time; we all get along so well, we're such a family, that makes wonderful times. There is always a downside to anything, there is no perfect life, but this so close to be... (Huge mess with the rest of the band, the drummer throws something at his sister... Joe to the rest of the band: you guys are so fucking special!). This is my family (laughs)! Yeah, you know sometimes you get homesick, and I think this is the best job in the world, but if maybe I’m sick, but I have to play that night, you can't call out sick, you have to play. And ultimately, it's a good remedy to go on stage and play, it's such a positive thing, but yes, it's so much fun!

So you wouldn't change anything in your life?

Not a damn thing!

Most of the critics think that your second album is not as good as the first, is it going to influence the writing for your next songs?

What the critics think? No, not at all. I think we're going to create, and what we're going to release is gonna be what we truly like, and everyone can have his own opinion, I'm glad they liked the first album, but we have to go on stage every night, and if we're not comfortable with what we're playing, it's not gonna make our job easy. So, I don't think we're gonna be influenced by what critics think, we're going to put out a good rock album, and something we love to play.

Do you have any last words for this interview, for our readers and your fans?

Yeah, thank you so much for listening, for supporting our group and we feel so honoured to be here and to do this. And we couldn't do this if it wasn't for our fans and our listeners... and I have much respect for you. Soon we have another date in Paris, headlining this time (April 30th 2014, at Le Trabendo). It's gonna be awesome.

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