Page 5 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 103

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Black Velvet: Which song on 'Vicious' en- but we tour a lot and unfortunately that's what it helps ourselves if we help each other.
courages fans to live their best lives? takes to make a living nowadays, so you have a
Arejay Hale: Gosh, in terms of following their choice. Are you going to stop or are you going BV: In ‘Killing Ourselves To Live’, Lzzy sings
dreams in life, I think 'Killing Ourselves To Live' to learn how to maintain being on the road? ‘We're going down with this ship’. Do you
is a really good example of that. It's basically We've gotten better at it and now we're pretty think that is the case for you with the band
about the amount of workload that goes into good where we can handle the workload, we can or could you live without Halestorm?
doing what you want to do. If you want to pursue still manage to be rested and loose and limber AH: Probably, yeah! (laughs) I mean, if I'm being
your art and make a career out of it, on the sur- and feeling good mentally too, and staying in a completely honest, absolutely. I just love making
face it looks all fine and great and amazing, be- good, positive place and part of that is the other music. I love writing, I love singing, I love creat-
cause people generally just see that one aspect of the touring which I mentioned. The ing, so if I was doing Halestorm or any other kind
moment where we are on stage which makes it music and also the camaraderie, the band and of of music I would be super stoked about it. But
all worth it, but it's the other 23 hours of work the crew, we're all very close as friends and I this is the path my art has led me to and I am
every day which go along with it. It's tough. If you think that really helps; having a really good team super stoked about it and thrilled about every-
took away the music, the show, the camaraderie, around you that you get on with because they thing that this band has given to me. Maybe it
everything that is cool about it and stripped it are going to be right there the whole time, so will lead to even crazier things in the future. The
back to basically what it is, you know, the travel, you’d better get along! growth we've had in the UK is something I'm so
very little sleep, you're not getting really good nu- proud of. It's actually more apparent to us here
trition, you're in a different time zone every day, BV: Do you think too many people kill them- because we are so far away from home and
a different city, a different airport, it can be really selves working in order to live and are work- when you are so far away from home you don't
exhausting and gruelling after a while, but that's ing so hard they don't enjoy their lives? really expect anyone to really know who we are,
what it takes and I think a lot of artists and a lot AH: I'll be honest, I really don't know at all what but we've been coming for a long time now. It's
of bands don't really realise it and then when it's like to live a normal life because I've been ten years now that we've been pursuing things
they experience it they are like ‘Oh, this is so doing this my whole life. But yeah, I do see dif- in the UK and Europe and every time we come
much work, is it worth it?’ So, that is why we say ferences culturally, like in our country (America) over here the rooms and the crowds get a little
if you really want to pursue your art and your cre- everyone works a long work week, I've many bit bigger. But it's been so gradual but because
ativity and make a career from it you really have friends who have regular jobs who are just trying it's such a long trip for us to get over here, it feels
to love it and make it your entire life and really to make ends meet, and in other countries you so much more apparent when we do. It sticks out
embrace everything that goes along with it. see people have longer lunch breaks, they work more in our mind. We'll be like, ‘Last time we
shorter hours, more time off, places like Australia were here we played this room and now it's this
BV: Do you think people need to be vicious and New Zealand, I think, it is like that. I've room’. We do tour more in the States, so it's
in order to live their best life? talked to a lot of people about this and there are been probably more slow and steady over there,
AH: Absolutely. I absolutely think you do. Being a lot of cultures where they take a lot of pride in but the music fans in the UK, they really love live
smart, being aware and knowing how to have a everyone living a nice life, working, but getting a music and they really love coming out to see live
good sense and knowledge of everything in- nice wage, and without having to work them- bands and so I feel the progression has been dif-
volved. You can be the best songwriter and have selves to death to achieve it, and I feel that a lot ferent. They are both great in their own way, but
the best songs but if you don't know how to get in our country is about work, work, hustle, hustle, yeah, every time we come over here we do
it out there then no-one is ever going to hear it. work, work and all just to make ends meet. So, I make a fairly significant jump to the next-sized
I think being vicious and being ruthless about think we do have a lot of room for improvement room and a lot of that is thanks to everyone over
your art but not being confrontational... Of on that in our country. We could do better with here who loves to come out and see live music.
course, you have to stand up for your art, but you our healthcare system, our employment system And, I think, in certain aspects, it's more than
also need to be able to compromise and how to and everything, I think there is room for improve- people do in the States, especially with rock
play the game, so to speak. And that does take ment everywhere, but I definitely know from first bands.
a lot of give and take and sometimes the hardest hand experience that we've some room to im-
thing about being an artist is to compromise and prove on that. BV: Lzzy sings ‘We might live forever’. How
accept help from outside sources. I always feel confident are you that Halestorm's music will
that the more success you have and the more BV: Does this also apply to how people actu- live forever?
your music is out there and the more it's growing, ally ‘enjoy’ their lives? Are people killing AH: Hmmm, will it live forever? I think we prob-
you do have more room to have creative free- themselves worrying about what they do and ably are at a point now where we have made
dom. But in the beginning, when no-one really how they are seen by others? enough of an impact that we can continue to do
knows who you are or cares about you, you do AH: I would say that does apply to a lot of peo- this now. I don't think any of us are in fear now
have to be more lenient, but at the same time ple. When you see people post on Instagram that it could all go ‘poof’ and tomorrow we'll have
you also have to stick up for what you believe in, you see them on vacation or living their best life to start working in McDonalds or whatever! I
you have to find that balance. So yeah, a little bit and sometimes it can make you feel ‘Oh, every- think that fear has pretty much long gone now,
of viciousness helps. It's good to have a little bit one is having such a good time and I'm strug- so I think, in that sense, if you are a fan of the
of teeth. You just don't have to use them all of gling,’ but I think people don't realise that a lot of music it probably will live forever. For us, it was
the time, just have them there and know when people probably do put a lot of effort in making it always about going slow and steady, it was
to use them. look like they are living this great life but you never about trying to get huge really quick. It was
don't know what is going on behind the scenes. always about trying to reach people one at a
BV: Has there ever been a time when you I can speak from my experience of being in a time, just by putting out really good, honest and
have felt being in Halestorm has been killing band, because a lot of people probably look at genuine stuff, and I think if you do put out really
you? Has it ever gotten too much? us and think ‘Oh, it's just a constant party. You genuine stuff, you will get a genuine reaction and
AH: Yeah, I mean we kind of had to learn and guys are just out there constantly having a party it affects people in a very personal way. So, I
adapt to live this kind of lifestyle. I think it proba- and having fun’ and we're like, ‘No, it's a lot of would have to argue that I think the music we put
bly really started hitting us between the second work. You put in a lot of effort and work to be out will live on as long as there are people who
and third albums when things were really starting able to do this,’ so I think it could be very similar do connect with it, and hopefully they do. And,
to pick up and we were really just kind of touring to that. of course, it makes us all proud, absolutely.
constantly, and in the middle of it you might not When you write songs you do it for yourself, self-
notice it, but then afterwards you'd get off a tour BV: Obviously, you share the stage with your ishly, and for things you are going through and
and you'd feel like you'd got run over by a 10- sister, Lzzy. Are there often times where you you never really expect anyone else to relate or
tonne truck so you learn and adapt how to sur- two feel like killing each other? latch onto it, but it happens and we hear people
vive out here. As a drummer, for me, it's very AH: Not really, I just think we both don't really tell us how our song ‘helped me through this time
physical, I have to be really conscious about my sweat the small stuff. Honestly, I don’t think we in my life’ and it blows our mind every time be-
health, I don't really drink at all. I don't really do have the mental energy anymore to fight each cause you really cannot believe it because to us
anything extreme. I try to get a lot of sleep, try to other because we are trying to maintain and it's almost like a public diary. But that's the power
exercise, try to stretch, all these things. I priori- keep this shit afloat like we have been doing for of music and what is so great about it, because
tise for those things cos I feel if you are in good 22 years now. We've been doing this for a long it does have a lot of great therapeutic qualities,
physical shape and good physical health it helps time and we haven't killed each other yet, so and, for me, songwriting helps me get through a
you mentally as well. But there were times when there is hope yet for us. When we were little kids lot of things in my life, so I'm glad the songs
we were young and wanting to party and wanting we would spat about little things, but now, we're which come out can help others with theirs."
to celebrate that we were out here doing all this, too old for that, let's just keep surviving. And it
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