Halestorm Shine On In The Live Room EP

Halestorm aren’t shy about seizing a great opportunity and you can’t really blame them. Timing is a big part of the marketing aspect of a great band. The band released video clips on You Tube a little over a week ago of their performance entitled The Live Room Stream. I’m not sure if the very positive reaction to the clips convinced the band to release the songs for download or if it was all planned out in advance. Regardless, fans of the band are in for a big treat.

On the day of the opening of the Jagermeister tour headlined by Halestorm and including  In This Moment and Eve to Adam, the band released In The Live Room on iTunes. It’s a six song EP of their exclusive recording session live at Sear Sound Studios in New York City for The Live Room on The Warner Sound. It’s an exclusive series that showcases some of the most important artists around performing in legendary recording studios.

The EP includes “I Get Off”, the song that broke them nationally and “I Bet U Wish U Had Me Back”, the 80s flavored rocker; both from their self-titled debut album. There are three songs from their latest album The Strange Case Of….  including “Love Bites (So Do I)”, the tender ballad “In Your Room” and the explicit version of “Here’s To Us”, which packs more punch than the sanitized Glee version. One track that did not make it to You Tube is the cover of the Alicia Keys song “Empire State of Mind”. Fans of Halestorm know that the band loves taking a cover and making it their own and this one will not disappoint.

Overall, this is a nice surprise for the fans and it’s also a steal for five bucks from iTunes. The live songs offer a bit more emotion and power that sometimes gets sanitized while being mixed in the studio. Lzzy was named Revolver’s Hottest Chick in Hard Rock, but this live recording is just more proof that she’s more than just a pretty face. The grit and emotion in her vocals is powerful and her talent combined with her brother/drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith have solidified themselves as one of the strongest bands around; both on record and in concert.

Carnival of Madness Tour Rocks a Rain Soaked Charlotte, NC

The Carnival of Madness tour rolled into a very stormy Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, NC on August 8. A sudden thunderstorm shortly before the gates opened threatened the existence of the show as the sky lit up with an amazing display of lightning accompanied by ground shaking thunder and a downpour of rain. Yet, the show still went on as scheduled.

There was a minor adjustment to the show as New Medicine cancelled their appearance due to lead singer Jake Scherer recovering from an unexpected appendectomy. This meant that the show started an hour later and that would hopefully give some of the people scared away by the massive storm time to rethink their decision to stay home. Cavo was then bumped up to opening band status for the night. I will give them the proverbial “E” for effort, but it was just an ok performance. They sounded good and the crowd seemed to get into a few of their songs.

At this point, the few people in the lawn seats were actually moved in underneath the shelter area because of “concerns with the weather”, but I think the event just didn’t sell very well. The prior year’s event was held in a smaller venue and I have no idea why they moved it to such a bigger place this year. Maybe the planners were in hopes of drawing a larger crowd this year?

Up next was Halestorm and as always, they delivered the goods. Led by the beautiful Lzzy hale, this band is having a banner year. Their set leaned heavy on their newest album The Strange Case Of. The band was solid and tight and they worked the crowd over with one number right after another. Opening with “Love Bites (So Do I)” really hooked the crowd in immediately. “Freak Like Me” got a great response from the crowd as did “I Miss The Misery”. The only songs off of their self-titled debut album that were played were “It’s Not You” and “I Get Off”. Lzzy did a solo performance on piano for the emotional introspective song “Break In”, which was my personal favorite song performed by the band.

Chevelle was up next and introduced their newest, fourth member: a big black bull stood proud on the left side of the stage. The band sounded great and had the best light show of the evening. They cranked off such hits as “Hats Off to the Bull” and “Face to the Floor” and the crowd sang right along. Older songs such as “Send the Pain Below” and “The Red” received great crowd responses. Is it just me or does lead singer Pete Loeffler look like Jimmy Fallon’s lost brother?

Evanescence closed the show and lead singer Amy Lee received a huge pop from the crowd when she made her way to the stage. Amy looked and sounded great. She definitely has an awesome set of pipes on her. Amy is very animated on stage and moves all over it, but her band is another story. Now, don’t get me wrong, they sounded amazing and very tight. The problem was that there was no chemistry between Amy and the band. The guys just kind of stood there like they were bored. All the hits were on the setlist including “What You Want“, “Going Under“, “Bring Me to Life“ and “Call Me When You‘re Sober“.

Overall, it was a really good show and great at times. The venue was too big for this show and it should have been at the smaller amphitheater in town. I’m not sure how much of the bad turn-out had to do with the storm and how much with ticket sales. I have to give it to the bands though. They put on a great show and gave it their all their as if the venue was sold-out.

Carolina Rebellion 2012 Halestorm Interview

Halestorm seem to have the midas touch right now. Their second studio album The Strange Case Of came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. It’s their highest debut so far in their career and biggest first week sales also and they just hit #1 with their single “Love Bites (So Do I)”. The album has been receiving praise from both fans and critics alike. They were on board to play the 2^nd annual Carolina Rebellion on May 5 in Rockingham, North Carolina. We caught up with Lzzy and the guys backstage after their set and got to talk for a few minutes.

Music Is My Drug Of Choice: Hey guys, thanks for giving us a few minutes back here. It’s almost as crazy back here as it is out there! What a crazy couple of weeks it’s been for you guys. Let’s talk a little bit about your new baby that you created. The Strange Case Of had a huge first week, you all must have been ecstatic?

Halestorm: We weren’t really sure what to expect. We had a great time making it and we’re so proud of it, so no matter what it does, it’s awesome in our minds. It’s our first time with a second record, so we didn’t know what would happen. To hear the finished product is awesome adnto be out here now and playing it for everyone is pretty awesome. We’re having a blast playing the new songs for everyone.

MIMDOC: I wanted to ask you if you have any say so in what time you play? It seems that you always play very early in the day. The same thing goes with this year’s Rock on the range. You play a very early set and a lot of people look at it and wonder why you’re not playing later in the day. Is there a method to the madness?

Halestorm: It really depends on the overall lineup and what else we may have going on that day. We just show up and play. If there is a method, nobody’s told me yet! (laughs)

MIMDOC: Your set list today was very heavy with songs from the new album. How hard is it to pick a set list on a show like this? Do you guys argue over what to play?

Halestorm: (laughs) We’ve got it down pretty good depending on the time slot and how much time’s available. We’ve been primarily a live band for what seems like forever. That’s where we live and that’s what we love to do, so we pick a set list and then we watch it. We see how things rise and fall with the crowd and then we tweak it along the way to make it better.

MIMDOC: Can I ask you about “Break In”? It is by far my favorite song on the album and like nothing you have done up to this point. It’s a beautiful and powerful song that seems very authentic in its delivery. Are you drawing from personal experience on this one?

(Lzzy): There are the select few people in my life  that I have let literally break into my heart and helped me be ok with just letting it all hang out whether it be on stage as a love song to the  fans or whether it be my guys. They literally told me to write whatever I feel on this record and not feel like I had to represent anything or one of them. When they tell me that, then of course, the flood gates open. Yeah, it’s a very personal song for me. It’s basically about the people very close to my life and it’s us against the world and thanks for letting me be me.

MIMDOC: It’s a beautiful song and I commend you for opening up and being so honest about yourself. It’s a very powerful song.

(Lzzy): Aw, thank you so much. I appreciate that a lot.

MIMDOC: I am being given the cue too wrap it up, so I guess we have time for one more question. “Private Parts” with James Michael on the deluxe edition; it’s another powerful song. How did that one come about?

Halestorm: Well, first off we love to write together. So, I ended up going to Nashville and I spent like five days with the guy and every time that we would try to get something done, he would be like why don’t we go out for a beer? We would go out and come back and get ready to work and then he would ask us if we were hungry. So, when it came to be the very last day, we were flying out the next day and we were like maybe we should try and finish this song. I had the concept for the song for a while and I wanted to write a song called “Private Parts”, but it could be a song that a mother could love. You know what I mean? So, he had this amazing idea to make it a duet and at the end of the day I told him dude, you have to do this on my record.  We racked our brains as to who we could get to sing it and we all just knew it had to be James. There you have it!

MIMDOC: Awesome! It’s another one of the stand out tracks on the album. Well, it looks like we are being motioned to wrap it up. You guys are in high demand back here, so I thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Congrats again on all the success that’s coming to you because it’s truly deserved. If you are reading this and you haven’t picked up Halestorm’s new album The Strange Case Of, what the heck are you waiting on? Go get it and crank it loud!

Halestorm Teases With Hello, It's Mz. Hyde EP

Halestorm seemed to come out of nowhere in 2009 with their song ultra sexy song and video for “I Get Off”. Led by lead singer Lzzy Hale, who was a deadly combination of leather and lace, the band was called an overnight sensation by many. What many did not know was that the band had been together for a long time and paying their dues. They released an EP in 2005 entitled “One and Done” and became road warriors, playing just about anywhere and everywhere.

Their self-titled full length album spawned numerous hits including “I Get Off”, “Familiar Taste of Poison” and more. Here we are three years and hundreds of shows later and the pressure is on as all eyes are on these childhood friends from PA. Will they rise to the challenge or suffer the dreaded “sophomore slump”? Well, for now, we are getting a 4 song EP entitled Hello, It’s Mz. Hyde to serve as a teaser for what’s to come.

The EP is a digital download only, but that’s familiar ground for the band. They released a covers EP last year entitled ReAniMate: The CoVeRs eP as a digital download only. For anyone who is familiar with the band, they know that they have been infamous for doing killer cover songs for years now and that EP was no exception.

The first track and single, and maybe even song title of the year, is “Love Bites (So Do I)” and it shows off a bit of an aggressive edge for the band that brings to mind Skid Row’s “Slave To The Grind”. Lzzy vocals are diverse on here and effective to bringing true emotion to the lyrics. Joe Hottinger offers some tasty guitar work in this song. Lzzy’s brother Arejay also is a beast on the drums on this track

The band showed us on their last album that they definitely know how to create a catchy song that will get stuck in our heads. “Rock Show” is another example of one of those songs that you will immediately be singing the chorus after only one listen. This is one of those songs that all fans and music lovers can relate to. As Lzzy sings, ‘At the rock show, you’ll be right in the front row’, you just start rocking your head in agreement. Josh Smith also lays down a solid bassline that carries this song from beginning to end.

“Daughters of Darkness” is a great track with Halestorm doing what they do best. The chorus screams for audience participation and would fit in great at a live show. The last track, “Here’s To Us”, shifts gears and shows that Lzzy and the boys are no strangers to the old school power ballads from the eighties. The acoustic intro sets a great tone as the boys slowly join in on this track and establish a great melody. Lzzy’s reflective lyrics are sure to strike a chord with everyone who listens as I am sure we can all relate.

A mere four song teaser and I am so hungry for more. We have been served an appetizer and now we must wait until April for the main course. This EP is everything that we would expect from Halestorm, but they raised the bar. Anyone who has seen this band live knows that they are diverse and rich with talent. This EP taps into that a little more than their debut album did. Lzzy’s vocals are stronger than ever and even more convincing in her lyrical deliver. You actually feel what she is singing. Joe, Arejay and Josh sound tighter than ever and have really pushed themselves. Man, April needs to get here as soon as possible!

Halestorm Proves Overnight Sensations Can Take A Long Time

How many times have you heard the first single from a band and thought the band was an overnight sensation? Now, some bands do get lucky and break it big right out of the box. In the case of Pennsylvania’s Halestorm, this is the furthest thing from the truth. I was fortunate enough to see the band on their tour with Shinedown, Chevelle and Staind a while back and caught up with lead singer Lzzy Hale as the band was traveling on the road .

“Yeah, most people don’t realize how long we have been at this. We’ve been doing this for like 15 years now. I was 13 and my brother Arejay, who is our drummer, was 10 when we first started the band. We would play wherever they would let us,” said Lzzy.

Now, most girls that age are not thinking about being the next Lita Ford or Joan Jett. Most are having slumber parties and talking about boys. “You’re right, it was very hard finding young kids that shared our passion for music and succeeding at it. Most didn’t want a career in it or they lacked the drive or parental support that is needed,” replied Lzzy.

The band’s leadoff single from their debut self titled CD is entitled “I Get Off” and about the time I saw the band back in July, it had just begun to blowup. “Oh my god, it has just been amazing. We have the opening slot on the tour and a lot of people have not gotten to the arenas when we are playing our set. I have noticed though, that the crowds are getting a little bigger for our set. I can look out and see people with our t shirts on and they are singing our songs word for word. It’s a very humbling experience,” stated Lzzy.

“I also like the different reactions that “I Get Off” is having with guys and girls. It’s funny because the guys see it as a very sexy and naughty song. On the other hand, girls see it as a very powerful song for them. It’s like they are saying ‘I’m in control here and I am calling the shots”, so it’s pretty funny. I guess it’s great that a song can have different interpretations like that,” stated Lzzy.

So, who does Lzzy draw her influences from? “Well, it’s very flattering to me because I have been compared to some of the greats. I mean Joan Jett, Heart, Janis Joplin, it’s amazing. I have to say that some of the girls from my generation, no offense to any of them, but they just didn’t do it for me. They didn’t have enough power for me. In this gendra today, it shouldn’t be seen as a gimmick when a woman is in front of a band. It’s not a rock band fronted by a girl, it’s a girl fronting a rock band,” said Lzzy.
The band’s CD has a definite old school 80s metal feel to it. The catchy hooks on songs like “What Were You Thinking” and “Dirty Work” show elements of that. There’s even the 80s staple power ballads in songs such as “Bet You Wish U Had Me Back” and “Familiar Taste Of Poison”, on which the aqua net just radiates from your speakers!

The second single, as of the conducting of this interview, had yet to be determined. The CD is very deep in material and probably could go at least 4 singles deep if not further. That kind of feat is almost unheard of given the state of the music industry today. Just recently, the second single and video were chosen for the song “Love/Hate Heartbreak”.

So, does Lzzy have any guilty pleasures that may surprise her fans? “I actually am a pretty good seamstress. I like to make out stage outfits. I take different articles of clothing and try to see how many different outfits that I can make it into. So, yeah, I spend my free time sewing,” said Lzzy. My last question was my question for all bands/artists that I interview. If you were trapped on a desert island with only one store bought CD, what would you want there with you? “It would definitely have to be some Black Sabbath. I seem to be going through this re-appreciation of their music. It’s some powerful stuff,” stated Lzzy.

Check out their debut self titled CD and you will not be disappointed. It is a little retro 80s but still modern sounding. I told Lzzy in our interview that she had a great mix of sexuality and innocence. She can look at you and make you think she wants to jump your bones and then give you a look like she is going to rip your throat out. She is a multitalented front person and she and the boys are serious about their rock. They are still burning up the road and show no signs of letting up. Brave the storm and see what all the fuss is all about. You will not be disappointed!!!