LZZY HALE: Being In HALESTORM Is 'So Much More Than A Career Choice'

Alex CrazyAce of "The Rush" show conducted an interview with HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale before the band's October 26 concert in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked what it takes to be successful in the music industry, Hale said: "The number one, actually, and it has nothing to do with talent or connections, is to literally outlast 'em all — do not stop. [Laughs] 'Cause that's been our method the entire time… Like, 'Okay, what's next? What's next?' Make sure that every single day you're doing something… We used to have a sign in our old practice room that we made that we had above the door… Like, 'What have you done for HALESTORM today?' [Laughs] 'Cause we thought it was a weird office thing. And so you just keep pummeling through. Now then, of course, the second is be good at what you do, so when you do get those opportunities to play in front of people that you kill it every night, because then that starts spiraling out and then you get more opportunities because you killed it that night, or you're consistently killing it. Also, do it because you love it. With all of us in the band, it's so much more than a career choice — we need to do this, and hence we like each other; that helps too. Find people that you actually can live two feet from each other for months at a time. [Laughs]"

Regarding the importance of being in a band with musicians that you get along with, Hale said: "Well, we were very lucky, because the core of the band has always been my brother [Arejay, drums] and I, so we've always had this kind of family mentality that bleeds through to the rest of the crew and the rest of the band and everything. So we always have thought about it, like, 'Okay, you don't break up the family, therefore you don't break up the band.' So you treat everything like, 'Oh, no, we're in this together.' This isn't, like, everyone ahs a separate agenda; we all have a common goal and we all work together. And plus, we have a lot of respect for each other in our different corners of HALESTORM. I can't play bass like Josh [Smith] — I could never do that — he can't sing like me, but when we work together, that's what it is. And none of us are virtuosos; nobody's, like, 'Oh, I have a degree at Berklee.' I can barely pick out 'Every Good Boy Does Fine' with the sheet music. But there's something that happens when we all come together, and that's what makes HALESTORM."

HALESTORM is still touring behind its 2015 third album, "Into The Wild Life", but the band is working on music for its next studio effort as well. Lzzy told Musik Universe that recent collaborations with pop violinist Lindsey Stirling and progressive act DREAM THEATER have sent her new songs in the opposite direction, explaining, "The more I spread myself out, the more I appreciate my roots, too. It has an opposite effect. The last couple of songs that the guys and I have been jamming on, I don't want to give too much away, but we've been writing the most aggressive music we've ever written… You have to chase after what gets you excited. Right now that's what we're doing."

"Into The Wild Life", which debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart last year, was criticized by some fans for veering too far into pop music territory.

The disc still featured rock hit singles like "Mayhem", "I Am The Fire" and the chart-topping "Amen".