HAIL!HORNET (Eng.)
– Hello, thanks for taking the time. What’s the band currently up to?
Well we’re in the process of trying to book a full usa tour
– First off, I hope you don’t mind to start making some history of HAIL!HORNET….
No real amazing story, just a bunch of friends getting together to make music. Vince was the instigator
– Why the name «Hail!Hornet»?
We had a bunch of names, but this one that t-roy came up with seemed to fit us the best. We all were attacked by hornets during a photo shoot, I added the ! Between the words.
– And what are the band’s main musical influences?
This is a better question for Vince, but I’d say we just try to make gross music because we all work really hard and it’s a good venting process.
– How could you describe the sound of the new album?
Tough. Vince is an amazing enginear.
– You have recently released your latest «Disperse the Curse», which I read you were 2 years in the making. Why did it take you that time?
Label issues and the fact that none of us live in the same city make it difficult to get things done quickly.
– This made us wait 4 years between each album; will this be the same for upcoming records?
There is no time table for Hail!Hornet, we do things organically.
– Own Vince Burke took production duties. How does this benefit the band?
Vince writes the music and records it, I feel lucky to be a part of his vision.
– For this album you signed with Relapse Records, which is a quite big label; is this something positive for the band? As I guess they may give you a good promotion.
Of Course, Relapse is great. I’ve been apart of the relapse label for 10 years and have released 10 albums from various bands on the label. It’s a partnership, but don’t be naive, if the band doesn’t work, the label won’t either.
– How was the songwriting for this «Disperse the Curse» like»?
Pretty much like the 1st record, Vince called me up and I went down and we wrote songs on the spot and recorded them on the spot.
– Its artwork was crafted by Brian Mercer; could you please shed some light on this? What does it represent, how did you work on it, etc.
Brian is a really really good friend of mine and has helped me in so many ways. He’s an amazing artist, so I just asked him if he could draw something, having full faith that he would get right at the heart of what the music feels like, and he did.
– You are all well-known artists into the American scene; does this make you feel more pressure or the opposite? As, somehow, being an «all-star» band tends to be a double-edged sword.
Well, I just do what I do. I’ve spent my entire adult life in touring bands and I’ve been playing in bands since I was 11 years old, so for the better part of 3 decades this is all I know. I’m just like the people but my records. I buy records, I sit around and study the lyrics and liner notes. I make, maybe 200 dollars a week if I’m lucky, I have a wife of 12 years and a 5 year old that depend on me to buy food, pay the mortgage and cook and clean, all the while I tour 6-8 months of the year, so my point is we’re all just people. Next time I’m in your town on tour, come say hello to me, I think any of your readers would find we have a lot in common.
– And talking about the scene in the US, what bands could you suggest from your country?
Wow, there are a ton of killer bands. Ofcourse I’m going to be biased based on friendships, but I would suggest, various genres of course, Iron And Wine (old university friend of mine), Black Tusk out of savanah Ga. Iron Tongue from Little Rock, Indian from Chicago, and WindHand from right here in good ol’ Richmond Virginia
– And finally, what are your near-future plans?
We’re working on a tour for the end of the year
– That’s all, thanks again. Now feel free to add some final words.
Thanks so much for the support and interest, Erik- Hail!Hornet
