HALESTORM's LZZY HALE: 'When We Get Too Used To Something, That's Kind Of When The Magic Goes Away'

In a new interview with Riff X's "Metal XS", HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger spoke about the band's decision to work with producer Dave Cobb on the band's latest studio album, "Everest", after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz. Lzzy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we get too used to something, that's kind of when the magic goes away. So we have to consciously be making ourselves uncomfortable and challenging ourselves in order to kick something subconsciously into gear. So, yeah, it was a conscious decision to throw away all of the rules that we had gotten used to."

Joe added: "Well, we had started with just asking Dave Cobb to do the record 'cause we were a big fan of his and he's done so many amazing records. And I was really happy he agreed to work with us. And we went in and we kind of found out how he worked. I'm, like, 'Oh, that'll be tough, honestly.' And it was — it was uncomfortable, and it was great. It was what exactly what we wanted."

Lzzy chimed in: ""Yeah, we learned a lot about ourselves. [Laughs] Maybe too much. [Laughs]"

Describing HALESTORM's songwriting process during the sessions with Cobb, Lzzy said: "It was fun because the freedom that we had in the studio with Dave Cobb was amazing because it wasn't just about, 'Okay, let's [follow the usual formula]: verse chorus, bridge verse chorus.' [It was], like, 'Let's take a left turn. Let's get strange. Let's do a riff here. Let's do a solo.' So we kind of let the music tell us what to do and not the other way around."

Addressing the fact that Cobb had previously produced a lot of country artists such as Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell, Lzzy said: "It's funny 'cause he's known for a lot of Americana and country, but when we got to know him, he's such a rock and metal fan. So I think he was kind of excited to actually work with a hard rock band."

Added Joe: "He's done RIVAL SONS and GRETA VAN FLEET and that new MIRADOR record, which is really good. And EUROPE — I know he's done some EUROPE albums. He's a rocker, and I'm just glad that he wanted to work with us, 'cause we had a lot of fun putting it together."

Last month, HALESTORM shared a new two-track bundle of singles, the retrospective ballad "How Will You Remember Me?" and the sultry tribute to bisexuality "Like A Woman Can". Recorded live from the road on the Pennsylvania-bred and Nashville-based quartet's recent "nEVEREST" tour, the songs are taken from "Everest", out on Atlantic Records. Lending orchestration to the tracks are tour buddies and Finnish symphonic metallers APOCALYPTICA.

Awarding "Everest" four stars, The Times declared, "There is fantastical appeal throughout." The Daily Star concurred, reminding fans about the band’'s upcoming tour with their four-star review, stating "headlining arenas in November, every track here is sure to get phones out en masse."

"Everest" came hot on the heels of HALESTORM's fiery European tour with metal icons IRON MAIDEN. The U.K.'s Metal Hammer said of opening night, "Before all that, it falls to HALESTORM to take on the famously unenviable task of warming up an IRON MAIDEN crowd — a task they ace pretty effortlessly, in fairness. Decades in and arena headliners themselves at this point, the Pennsylvania rockers also have the ace in the hole that is Lzzy Hale, whose screams, croons, cries and shrieks reaffirm her status as one of the best singers of her generation. Half of their support set is comprised of tracks from imminent album 'Everest', and you can understand why they're feeling confident about it: the new material sounds excellent."

After wrapping the IRON MAIDEN tour, the band had the honor of performing at BLACK SABBATH's "Back To The Beginning", Ozzy Osbourne's last show.

Fronted by Lzzy with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger and bassist Josh Smith, HALESTORM's music has earned multiple platinum and gold certifications from the RIAA, and the band has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows and topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including HEAVEN & HELL, Alice Cooper, Joan Jett and JUDAS PRIEST. Additionally, Lzzy was named the first female brand ambassador for Gibson and served as host of AXS TV's "A Year In Music".

"Love Bites (So Do I)", from HALESTORM's second album in 2012, won the Grammy Award that year for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance".

In 2019, HALESTORM was nominated for "Best Rock Performance" Grammy for the song "Uncomfortable".

Photo: Jimmy Fontaine