HALESTORM's LZZY HALE: 'I'm Writing Some Of The Best Songs I've Ever Written'

In a new interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale spoke about the band's plans for the follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're taking our time with it and we're writing a lot. We're doing our record with [producer] Dave Cobb, of all people, which is which is a new flavor for us. We kind of needed to shake it up.

"Just coming from a personal level, I'm in a really good place in my life," she explained. "I'm writing some of the best songs I've ever written, and this album, for me, and this is before I'm even discussing our collective M.O. as a band and what we want everything to sound like, but, for me, the songs that I'm writing… This is gonna be the HALESTORM album that kind of peels back the onion a little bit.

"I'm in a spot where I'm okay with giving myself permission to be open. And the fans have taught me a lot about that over the last album cycle, with 'Back From The Dead'. The difference between 'Back From The Dead' and this one being, 'Back From The Dead', that entire record, for me, was kind of a pep talk to be, like, 'Girl, you still got this. I don't know what's going on.' And it took, I think, the entire of that album cycle for me to actually settle into the point... It all kind of boiled down to this conversation I had with fans when we were in Europe. We were on a seven-week tour, so we always go through this messy middle; everybody does. You wanna know some folklore of being on a tour — four weeks is enough; seven weeks, everyone starts going a little crazy. 'Cause by the month mark, everyone's, like — we call it the messy middle; everyone's just kind of tired and there's no real end in sight. And we've all been living two feet from each other. Someone's being annoying. Someone's being a little bitch — it happens. And I was going through my own war in my head about whatever's coming next as this album cycle was kind of ending. 'I don't know where I'm at. I haven't written a new song in a while.' [I was] letting a lot of my disparaging thoughts get to me. And so here are our super fans, my ladies in shining armor — they call themselves the Lzzy Birds — in Europe. And it's a group of, like, 11 women, give or take, that just come to every show — every single show, every single meet-and-greet, front and center, without fail, they're there for the show. So during this messy middle, they started to ask me, like, 'Hey, are you doing okay? The show was great, but there's something behind your eyes that we can't see. And you don't have to tell us anything, but we're there for you' kind of thing. So I go through my normal bullshit in my brain. I'm, like, 'Oh, I'm just tired. It's tour. And I'm going through stuff.' And then the next day at the meet-and-greet, they all hand me these handwritten letters, and I'm paraphrasing for all of them, but each, in their own way, basically was saying, 'Hey, here's a list of reasons why we follow you. Here's what you've done for us. It's okay if you're not okay. And you don't have to be the savior. If you wanna cancel some shows, we will understand. Whatever you're going through, we're gonna be there for you no matter what, because you were there.' It really affected me. I was in the dressing room reading through all these, just crying my eyes out, and I immediately, the next day, because we had another show — it was, like, a three-in-a-row thing — next day, at the end of the show, I kind of held court with all of them next to the buses. And I'm just, like, 'I'm gonna tell you exactly what's going on in my life,' and this, and this and this, 'and I don't know what I'm doing. And I'm scared that I'm failing you,' and all of this, and I just let it out with them. And I realized something in that moment.

"I don't know if any of you people listening are front people or the spearhead of your operation. Sometimes it can feel really like you're an island and you're not even in the front seat of your life and you're just kind of white-knuckling it through," Lzzy added. "And what I realized is that instead of me being the strong person in that moment, I got more out of it as and more trust, more admiration, more connection with these fans of mine that have seen me through a lot of things than I could have just by keeping the veil up and being the strong person. I got more from it by opening myself up and being honest. And so I've taken all of those feelings and I am putting them now into this new music and working through them because they have allowed me to. My army that has been with me through every battle has given me permission to say, 'Hey, if you've gotta work through this' and 'we're gonna be with you no matter what,' that feeling of unconditional love from complete strangers — from strangers that didn't know you from before. And that was the connection. And then we're able to take that then past the handshake. I can put down the crown for a second and just be real with you guys. And then, what ended up happening after that is that then you have these conversations now, new conversations with the fans, not just about your touring or your vocal prowess or whatever, or whatever lyric, it's now about, 'Oh, so you're just as screwed up as I am, but you've also made it to the other side.' So it gives the bridge for hope. It makes it a little shorter. It gives it a little bit of gas to get through. Sorry, I'm blowing through analogies. But it affected me in a really positive way. And I'm very much looking forward to — the song that you guys helped me start, I am now ready to finish for you. And so it's gonna be this beautiful pass of the torch a little bit.

"Anyway, that's how it's kind of working out in my mind, but, again, best-laid plans… But we're excited for new music," Hale concluded. "And I'm sure there'll be some things that I'll end up sneaking in on this next tour because I can't wait to play new music for everybody. So for all of those that keep up with all the little tiny moments that go on in the set, keep your eyes and ears peeled, 'cause it could be a new song."

HALESTORM is working with Cobb after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

Cobb has shared in nine Grammy wins, including four for "Best Americana Album" and three for "Best Country Album". He's also been named "Producer Of The Year" by the Country Music Awards, the Americana Music Association (twice) and the Music Row Awards, and has been a Grammy nominee in the category.

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.

Last May, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on HALESTORM's latest album, the aforementioned "Back From The Dead".