Page 14 - Black Velvet Issue 84

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orking with producer Jay Joyce (Cage did four, maybe five, completely different rendi- around Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New
WThe Elephant) brought a whole new tions of the song. It really helped us understand Jersey, New York City, in a little conversion van,
insight to the way in which they created and why the song works, why it should work, and we were literally weekend warriors trying to gar-
recorded ‘Into The Wild Life’. “Our producer Jay what truly doesn’t work.” ner fans in our area. I think our first national tour
loves going out of left field and taking a song a Making ‘Into The Wild Life’ has not only was with a band called Ra and this other band
freaking right turn and just going somewhere strengthened the band’s bond but it has taught called Program The Dead whom we became re-
completely different then swinging back around them to communicate better with what a song ally good friends with; we are still friends with
to come back to where you were,” reveals Josh. needs, what it’s lacking and what they are doing them although they’re not a band anymore. We
“It happened with ‘Mayhem’, that was the first too much of. “It has been a wonderful experi- played our first show on that tour in a club called
song we recorded for the new album, it took a ence recording live and it has helped us step up The White House - it was a trailer in the middle
day and a half to record. We were going through our game and write the best album we’ve ever of a corn field in Michigan, it was like, ‘Wow, this
it and it’s sounding good, but in the middle of made,” he beams. is different.’ That entire tour was an eye opening
that we were sitting experience. It was a really rough tour and I think
there taking a break here is from there we realised that it’s a tour that makes
and Jay comes in; he’s Ta song or breaks you. You have to think, ‘How badly do
pacing, he picks up a on the album you want to do this? Is this truly your dream?’ If
guitar and he’s like, titled ‘What so, you have a long road ahead of you – which
‘What if we went to Sober Couldn’t we did and still do, I hope!” he says with a laugh.
something like this?’ He Say’. Although “That was roughing it,” he continues, “we had
starts playing some- Josh didn’t just bought this beat up RV; we had to work on
thing and we’re trying write the lyrics the engine every day to try to keep that thing to-
to pick up on what he’s and it’s not gether in order to make it to the next show. That
trying to communicate about him, we became our life, it became our obsession. I think
to us, it’s the part we wonder if he from that first show it was like, ‘Are you sure you
added that you hear finds it easy to want to do this, because this is what it’s going
now in the bridge, sort be open and to be like. This is not going to be a cake walk, it
of the first solo section. honest when it is a lot of hard work and you’re going to go with-
It’s a complete depar- comes to his out some meals and live off peanut butter and
ture from the song itself thoughts and jelly and McDonalds.’ None of us are really fast
and what the song orig- how he is feel- food eaters so fortunately that didn’t happen, but
inally was, but it totally ing. “Yeah, I’m yeah, that was quite the eye opening experi-
just makes the song a not a good liar. ence.”
thousand times better.” I don’t think
Josh tells us that any of us are recent offering from the new album is
after that recording really and this A‘Amen’, a song about taking ownership
every song was given the same treatment, album brings a lot more of that sort of honesty,” of everything you are. The supporting video
stripped and taken in a new direction. “Jay was he responds. “‘What Sober Couldn’t Say’…I shows the contrasting sides of life – the daily
always trying to take us out of the comfort zone think we’ve all been there; I think everyone has grind of the 9 to 5 job and the wild life. Before
of the typical structure of a song and add some- sort of been harbouring feelings that have come Josh went on to fulfil his dream of being a musi-
thing in differently, change something around. out at maybe not the best time, the best place, cian and performing, he had finished college
Being uncomfortable became a game, like, in the best state of mind. That’s certainly some- and was working at a contracting company
‘What else can we do? How far can we take this thing we can all relate to,” laughs Josh. owned by his father. His brothers still work there
before it’s too far?’ We literally did it with every Another track that captured our attention is and Josh is still in touch with his former co-work-
song as well as in between songs and it was ‘Dear Daughter’, a beautiful ballad featuring the ers, “It was hard labour,” Josh tells us, “industrial
something that we embraced.” lyrics “life throws you into the unknown, and you painting and construction, which I did as a sum-
Being in the studio with somebody who feel like you’re out there all alone.” Josh reveals mer job since I was in 7th grade.” It’s a job that,
tackles and perceives things in a more diverse that he has felt that way many times in his life. he says, he would probably still be doing had his
manner helped Josh view songs in a different One such time though was during his college dreams not become a reality.
light also. “I think all of us approach studio and years, “I attended college for two years and I just However, his hard working background is
anything musically as a learning experience. Jay never felt comfortable there. I was a double still instilled in him today. He tells us he needs
had a lot of input; he’s such a crazy guy,” Josh music major and the only time I felt comfort was to keep himself occupied and his body moving,
smiles, “the way he communicates; sometimes in playing music, which fortunately I was doing especially when out on the road. “On tour, out-
you just don’t get it. Maybe in a year from now all day every day, but I never really connected side of playing every day, I train, I exercise a lot.
I’ll look back and say, ‘Oh my god, I get it!’ There with anyone at college. I had friends and every- I really like weight lifting and gymnastics type
were times when it was like, ‘I don’t know what thing but I just did not feel comfortable there. stuff so I do a lot of that, it’s literally become
you are trying to say to me right now,’” laughs Until I met Halestorm I did not really feel too something I need to do. I get so restless; I need
Josh. “But, that in itself is a learning experience comfortable in my skin and in what I was seek- a physical outlet so I search for that pretty much
and something to pursue. It was truly a learning ing in life. I didn’t know what I was seeking in life. every day on tour. When I’m home my wife and
experience for all of us, he put us all through the I knew I liked to play music and I knew I was a I do yoga; she’s a yogi so I work out with her.
wringer and it was a lot of hard work, but totally hard worker, but finding them was truly… I feel Also, we just recently bought a little place so
worth it.” like I found family that I could tour with. Al- now when we go home it turns into house proj-
though, on tour some nights you can feel sort of ects, ‘What can I build today?’ or ‘What can I
n ‘Into The Wild Life’ Halestorm wanted alone, but we’ve been a family now for over a paint?’ The labour part is coming back a little bit
Oto bridge the gap between the studio decade and it’s been the best ten years of my now, ten to twelve years later, it’s a really fun av-
album and the live environment. For the first life.” enue, just to have projects to come home to,” he
time the quartet recorded the songs together - reveals, before adding, “I love dirt bikes too,
rather than individually - until they all got it right. he best-selling book ‘Into The Wild’, writ- that’s another hobby of mine. I see a motorcycle
We ask Josh whether this method has helped Tten by Jon Krakauer, tells the story of a in my future, but I have to be home to ride it so
sharpen their performance as a group and made young man who, after giving away his savings it’s probably going to be a while!”
them more disciplined as musicians. “Ab- to charity and abandoning most of his posses- With the tour just beginning, Halestorm will
solutely, it certainly has,” Josh answers, “I think sions, hitchhiked to Alaska and walked into the be away from home for at least the next year or
from our performance standpoint we had to get wilderness. He was ill-prepared for such a ven- two but it’s something they are accustomed to.
the song together in one take. On a good day it ture and paid the ultimate price for his journey; We dare you to step into the wild life with them
was maybe four takes and on a bad day we’d his body was found four months later. the next time they head your way, it’s an exhila-
say ‘We’ll come back tomorrow; we’ll try this Halestorm are hardened road warriors now, rating place to be!
again; we’ve got to rethink this thing,’” he but we ask Josh to recall what Halestorm’s first Visit www.halestormrocks.com for more
laughs. Songs were stripped down before being tour was like, were they prepared for a life on info.
built back up again and this process would be the road? “First time we went out on tour…” Words By Penny & Sam Gower
started over again if the song still didn’t feel right. Josh ponders as he casts his mind back. “For Live Josh Smith Photo By Sam Gower
Band Photo By Jake Giles Netter
“One song on the album - ‘I Like it Heavy’ - we quite some time we had been touring locally
HALESTORM