Music Q&A:
The Hallows

What informs your music and songwriting?
Our songwriting draws on life experiences, relationships and the desire to paint pictures with words. Every song has a story and a big part of telling that story well is creating an atmosphere that really draws the listener in, allowing them to connect with the music. Instrumentally we share a love for dramatic and theatrical music and we try to bring an element of this to our songwriting – Hans Zimmer and Ludovico Einaudi are both influences and inspirations. Throw in a love for big riffs and heavy rock sensibilities and you have The Hallows.

How have you evolved as a band over the years?
The band has evolved a lot since the early days and we now really know who we are as a band and where we want our music to go moving forward.

What are you up to at the moment artistically?
We are working hard on material for our second album and are really excited about the heavier and more energetic direction that the new material is taking. That said, for us it always comes down to big hooks and choruses – this is something that will always be a big part of our writing approach and we can’t wait to share some of the new songs with you.

What’s on your rider?
Craft beer. Shout out to some of our favourite breweries (these happen to be fine northern establishments) – Magic Rock (Huddersfield), Cloudwater (Manchester) and Brewdog (Ellon, Scotland). Also, Barolo wine, biltong – Joe and Dave are dried meat fiends – and Thai food. We are all chilli addicts. However, when we are on tour we abide by the Brian Butterfield diet. Saturday’s are treat day, so on those occasions the rider would also include pork cylinders, hoisin crispy owl and chocolate bonbonbonbons.

Tell us your most embarrassing or surreal experience.
Sarah: Probably arriving at Glastonbury in my sparkly wellies to play a gig. The band I was in at the time was playing acoustic folk-pop yet somehow we had been booked for the dance tent. We were asked to go on straight after a DJ wearing a gimp mask and a submissive harness who had just played a set of hardcore techno. That was surreal and strangely magical in it’s own bondage-themed way.
Joe: I once ate a Wimpy half pound burger before a gig and didn’t realise how hot the stage lights would be (it was like being sat next to the sun). Halfway through the gig I felt quite ill and promptly threw up on my drum kit in the middle of a performance. I soldiered on and finished the song. However, hitting the drums whilst they were covered in vomit meant it sprayed up all over the place and I had to walk off the stage pebble-dashed in regurgitated burger. That was quite embarrassing, like a vile version of Roger Taylor after he played his water-covered drums. Or there is that time I supported the female pornographic rock band, Rockbitch. Now that was truly terrifying.
Dave: I had a surreal and very cool experience when I was waiting in line for the buffet at a wedding one time and I was approached and talked to by Peter Gabriel (he knew the groom and had been told by him that I was a musician and a fan). It was surreal in as much as you don’t usually get your heroes approaching you for a chat. Rather the other way round!

What song do you wish you’d written?
Collectively this would have to be Tribute by Tenacious D.

What’s your worst lyric?
Haha! If we pointed it out it would only heighten our songwriting shame. We will let the people make up their own minds on that one!