Project Description
Interview with
JOSH SMITH
from
HALESTORM
(July 16, 2018)
Interviewer – Paul Tadday
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GRAMMY® Award-winning band Halestorm released their fourth studio album, Vicious, on July 27. Vicious, which was recorded earlier this year in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Rush), is available here now.
Vicious features the lead single, Uncomfortable (see below); the official video for which was directed by Evan Brace (Phantogram, Taking Back Sunday).
Widely acknowledged as one of the most vital and iconic bands in modern hard rock, Halestorm made a spectacular debut with their 2009 self-titled LP. This was followed by 2012’s The Strange Case Of… – which featured the GRAMMY® Award-winning single, Love Bites (So Do I) – and 2015’s Into The Wild Life.
One of the hardest working bands in rock or any other musical genre, Halestorm has spent much of its lifetime on the road, performing thousands of live shows since their inception. The band has also made their mark on the Australian live circuit, with tours in December 2015 and January 2017.
Amnplify’s Paul Tadday caught up with Josh Smith recently for a chat.
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Uncomfortable is the first single released from the Halestorm album, Vicious (released 27thJuly). It certainly demonstrates an edgier sound than Halestorm’s previous album. Is it indicative of what we can expect from the new album?
It certainly is. This is by far the hardest rocking album that we’ve released, and it was our plan to make it such.
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This is Halestorm’s fourth LP release. Have you found that the recording process is any different now to when you released the debut album? Is it easier given the amount of experience you have under the belt or does every album have its own challenges?
Haha, yes and no. We much more proficient working in the studio and getting the take we need, quickly. However, this album process was a different grind than our previous album. Our other albums were nearly ready when we went in to record them. The songs were demoed and approved before recording. This album started in the studio from its conception. We would lock ourselves in a room every day and write music until we had a list of worthy songs to choose from. We would demo those songs, re demo, alter and adjust parts, and usually demo it again. By the time the songs were recorded and finished they had already been recorded four times over.
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I spoke with Rachel Bolan (Skid Row) recently and learned that there have been some songwriting collaborations between Bolan, Lzzy and Joe. Have any of these gems made it onto Vicious?
No, they didn’t. They were for Skid Row.
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The Reanimate EP series of cover songs has been critically received by both fans and reviewers. Will there be a Reanimate 4.0?
Haha, it’s not planned…. But it’s probable. They’re fun to do. They’re a lot of work crammed in to a short amount of time. So, it’s a good quick turnaround, and it’s something new to give the fans while we gear up for the next LP.
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The band is well known for its heavy touring schedule. How do you manage to balance your personal life with life on the road?
Haha, I’m currently working on that as we are just starting this tour cycle. And it’s much different this time around. My wife is at home taking care of our one-year old boy while I’m out here. It’s hard, but thank goodness for FaceTime.
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What keeps you grounded?
Family. Off and on the road. Making the most out of time with all of them. And the desire to be better at what I do, every day.
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What’s been your most memorable gig to date?
We played Toyota Stadium in Chicago, and halfway through our set it started pouring. The stage manager was working in his office or something and didn’t realise that it had started raining. So we kept going and the fans stayed and kept rocking. Our gear was completely soaked through. The next day we went to a ServPro. We put all of our gear in a big room and opened everything up. They turned on the dehumidifiers and closed the doors… we came back 24 hours later and they had pulled gallons of water out of the room to dry everything out. It worked, and all of our gear still works today.
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What are your thoughts on the current state of the music industry? Is it as healthy as it’s always been, or do you find that the Internet and streaming services have made life tougher for recording artists to make a living out of music?
I think the industry hit bottom almost 10 years ago and everyone has been recollecting themselves since. There still is not a fair system in place, but it seems to be moving towards something that is honest, as painfully slow as that may be. It’s getting easier and easier for more people to make a living out of music.
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The past few years has really seen a resurgence in heavy music. Do you agree and what would you attribute that to?
I think music is like a swinging pendulum. It goes really far one way, but it never stays there. It always swings back to something ‘fresh’. Heavier music is the sound we need right now.
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Are there any plans to swing back down under and play for fans in Australia and New Zealand any time soon?
Yes… Soon! We hope to see you all next year!
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Check out the “Vicious” Album Review
HERE
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Connect with HALESTORM
@ ONEBIGLINK
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“VICIOUS”
OUT NOW
HERE
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