Hello Halo’s new single “Our Tomorrow Is You” is here! Now, the band is getting ready for their debut album Maybe This Can’t Wait, which is due our April 24.
In a press release, the band shared that the song is meant for dreamers, with their signature rock sound and lyrics that create a narrative, the new track is perfect for any rock music fan.
Read our Q&A with Hello Halo’s lead vocalist Paul Nathaniel below.
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Introduce yourself to our readers!
We’re Hello Halo—an NYC-based rock band. If you’ve never heard of us, don’t worry! We haven’t either.
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Describe your sound for someone who hasn’t heard it before.
Always a tough question. What musicians usually do to answer it is spout off well-known music projects that “may” help orient people in the general direction. But the best-case scenario of that is a person who agrees (kind of) but probably sees you as the lesser version of [insert acclaimed music legend]. Worst case, the comparison actually strikes a nerve and the next thing you know your inbox is flooded with hate mail.
What we can say is that we’re a rock band that invites influences and inspiration from any genre, culture or musical tradition. And we care a lot about the message we’re putting out. We write one song at a time, and we just try to write the best possible song we can each time—without worrying about precisely where or how it fits. We assume that because it’s the same people creating the songs that some continuity will naturally manifest.
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Before you go on stage, what should our readers know about you?
We’re nervous and excited each and every time. We expect a little chaos. We know we’re going to give all our energy to the show, and raw energy isn’t meant to be stable and predictable. So, we don’t believe in choreography for live rock. We don’t pre-plan our movements or what we’re going to say in between songs. We want to give audiences a real live experience. For us, that simply cannot be scripted, even though the music, of course, is well-rehearsed.
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Who are your musical inspirations?
How long do we have? Perhaps the best part of this band is that we all have completely different relationships with music but what we do have in common is that we don’t worry about the genre or style: good music is good music. We’re inspired by good music. Maybe that’s a megahit from Lady Gaga or Post Malone. Maybe it’s an indie rock song from a band whose name we didn’t catch playing a set at Rockwood Music Hall. Music is everywhere and so much of it is inspiring.
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What can you tell us about your new single, “Our Tomorrow Is You”?
We wrote “Our Tomorrow Is You” with intention. We wrote it to be the first song on the album and knew we wanted to create a song that energizes listeners while letting them know what we’re all about. And what are we about? We’re dedicated musicians who believe that the right song heard at the right time can make a difference in someone’s life. And perhaps many someone’s. And if you move many someone’s, maybe—just maybe—you nudge the world. Of course, we don’t know that we get to be the vehicle of the “right” song. But we will never stop trying to use music to transform people’s lives. You won’t hear us write songs about sex, drugs and the glory of rock and roll. We want our music to encourage people to engage in a conversation with their inner selves. In general, our songs are not about who you are; they are about who you can become.
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For our readers who may be newer to the music recording process, how did you record the single? Did the lyrics come before the music?
In this case, the music came first. But it’s different every time. The first time we heard the song with vocals, we knew we had a song worth finishing. So first, we nailed down the structure. We didn’t start off with a typical structure, but as we worked into it, the song naturally gravitated toward a traditional structure. In brief, it went: music, vocals, lyrics, magic sprinkles.
In regard to lyrics, the chorus lyrics came organically. Literally, the first words and melody that came to mind as I riffed on this song are what you’re hearing in the final version. I wish it was always so simple. Since I was satisfied with the chorus, I was able to write the rest of the song with the theme in mind. This is definitely one of those songs that wrote itself; I couldn’t give you instructions to reproduce the process. Sometimes finding the words is painstaking and effortful, sometimes everything neatly falls into place.
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Your debut album is around the corner, what can you share with our readers?
We hope with the utmost sincerity that it is inspirational and want our listeners to engage in an inner dialogue with their higher selves. We called the album Maybe This Can’t Wait, which is also the last song on the album, because we want our listeners to be open to self-discovery and imagine areas where they are stalling at their own detriment. Our whole band wants people to explore what they want from this thing called life with the hope that they can put aside self-limiting beliefs and say “yes” to their boldest visions.
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You’ve played at some of the most notable venues in New York, what can you tell us about your live performances?
One compliment we hear the most is how much fun we look like we are having up there. While being told we sound great is nice to hear, we want every performance to be an exchange of energy. Ours and the audience. Only together can we create unforgettable experiences. So, we live for it. But it’s nothing without you.
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How can our readers find you online?
We’re on all the modern staples: Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube. But if you want to keep up with us, Instagram is probably best.
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What’s next for you in 2020?
It’s no secret that the music business is not easy. We worked hard on the album but only time will tell if people respond to it. So, we’re going to continue to work hard and write music while playing as many shows as we can.
Listen to the band’s new single below!
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