A Q&A with Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm
Halestorm is a Grammy-winning, rock band from Red Lion, Pennsylvania, known for their powerful vocals and energetic performances. Founded in 1997, Halestorm has become a serious force of nature in the hard rock and metal genres. The band rose to fame with hits like Love Bites (So Do I) and I Miss the Misery. Halestorm is composed of lead singer, keyboardist and guitarist Elizabeth “Lzzy” Hale, percussionist Arejay Hale, lead guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith.
Today, the band continues to tour the world, selling out shows. On January 19, Lzzy and Joe will debut their low-key The Living Room Sessions tour at Vinyl Music Hall in downtown Pensacola at 8 pm. Tickets start at $39.50 and can be purchased online at vinylmusichall.com. Vinyl is located at 2 S. Palafox Street. in downtown Pensacola.
Follow @halestormrocks on Facebook and Instagram, or visit halestormrocks.com for show details, special announcements and more.
DTC: As you’ve been playing for over 25 years now, what changes have you seen or witnessed in the band?
Lzzy: It’s been a constant evolution. Let me take you through a bit of a basic timeline. My brother and I started the band in 1997, so it was just him and I as each other’s ride or die. Then in 2003, we became a real band when we met Joe, our guitarist, and Josh, our bass player. From there, it was the four of us against the world. Then we got signed with Atlantic, we started building our professional team and trying to navigate the new business.
Joe: We’re still trying to figure that part out!
Lzzy: Yeah, I mean he’s from Wisconsin, and I’m from Pennsylvania farmland— we knew nothing. But now, we are in this beautiful spot where we are going through this midlife as a band together. We really see, admire and trust each other—we always have—but now it’s deeper. We’re in a beautiful spot, and we just created what I think is the most amazing album that we’ve ever recorded. We’ve been speaking a lot about how we have made the impossible happen over the last 28 years as Halestorm. What else is impossible that we can make possible now?
Joe: Turns out you never run out of dreams.
DTC: When you play in Pensacola, it’ll be during your tour titled ‘The Living Room Sessions.’ Can you explain what fans can expect from this show compared to a typical Halestorm performance?
Joe: It’s just going to be Lzzy and me, and we’re bringing our acoustics and some pianos. We’re gonna play songs and tell stories—it’ll be just like hanging out. We’re just gonna be in the room with people and be present. We’ll play songs off the cuff, try to keep it loose and focus on music and having a good time.
Lzzy: First and foremost, Joe and I are doing this selfishly because we missed doing this [laughs]. When we had nothing but a couple of Halestorm gigs, we used to go out and do four-hour acoustic shows just to pay rent and make ends meet. What we wanted to do on this tour is [replicate the feeling of] just inviting all of our fans into our living room. Because that’s what we do with our friends here—we invite them over, listen to music and then we all pick up acoustics. I have my piano, we sing songs, we joke and we on stage or in life, it is still just the four of us against the world, and we’ve got this. You have to have respect for each other, a desire to heal and a desire to have tough conversations. We’ve had, probably the hardest conversations that we have ever had as a band while making this record; and I love that because they are willing to fight for me and I’m willing to fight for them. They celebrate my big wins, and I celebrate theirs. We do this together.
DTC: What has been your favorite moment in your career so far?
Joe: My favorite so far? It’s this record that we just made.
Lzzy: We had a really amazing conference call this morning with our team, and I think that this morning was my favorite moment. Beyond the Grammy, the accolades and all the amazing things that have happened for us, I think that this next step that we just took and this album that we just finished is one of my greatest achievements—on a personal level and a professional level. So, I think my favorite day is today. You’re witnessing it as it happens.
DTC: Are there any upcoming projects in the works for Halestorm?
Joe: Yes, we literally just finished tracking our new album maybe two days ago. There’s maybe, like, one more track meeting with a friend of ours, we’re just waiting on that. As Lizzy said earlier, it’s so good. I think it’s Halestorm coming into its own, finally. It’s just us 100 percent, and we are so excited. We’ve always kind of had the philosophy that if we’re not excited, how are our fans going to be excited?
Lzzy: Yea, for me personally, this album has been my becoming. I’m 41 and I’ve done a lot of things in my life. I’ve made a lot of mistakes. I till have a lot of issues, but I have used this beautiful record to get through a lot if these things, and there’s a lot of healing, darkness and brutal truth. Also, with the guys, I am seeing my little brother do things that no drummer can do, and he is finally being able to fly with that. My partner in crime here, Joe, his leads are absolutely incredible. We have “guitarmonies.” I’m not going to give anything away, but I’m so proud of this album and I think it is the best Halestorm album we’ve ever done. I truly believe this is the best album that we have ever created.