Q&A: A Plethora of Influences and What’s Next for The Hails with their new EP 'Alive in Strange Ways'
THE FIRST SIP OF A CRISP CAN OF GINGER ALE is the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the triumphant chords and crescendo on the intro of The Hails’ new EP Alive in Strange Ways. It’s been over a year since their debut He Seems Upset, and within this year, they have honed in on their unique and clearly influenced sound.
Followed by an organic funk song, chord changes, fuzzy bass and an idyllic lilty breakdown complete with forest and bird samples, The Hails are experimenting with a more eclectic palette that borders more on the serene side. With influences like Frank Ocean, Broadcast and an interesting collection of pop artists, Alive in Strange Ways subverts the listeners’ expectations with a range of vastly different lyrics, chords and genres-- from one song to the next.
Read below to see how the South Florida band has come together over the last year and what’s next for them after the release of their new EP.
LUNA: The Hails started as a long distance relationship, so how has the dynamic changed, if at all over the course of the last year?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: We started in college, but even then, we weren’t all together. Maybe we have an aversion to each other-- just kidding. Distance complicates things a lot, so sometimes I’m surprised we can even finish songs.
ANDRE ESCOBAR: In addition to what Robbie mentioned, we’ve always been connected and in touch, but in contrast, physically there are few times that we’re all together. We’re hoping one day we’ll all be in the same city, but with four of five of us living in South Florida, Miami is the hub.
LUNA: What was your biggest inspiration for Alive in Strange Ways?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: For me, T. Rex and probably some Nick Hakim. The bulk of the collaborative writing took place in late 2020 and I think I only listened to Electric Warrior, Metal Guru, and Green Twins in that time period. A solid rotation of three albums.
FRANCO SOLARI: At the time, Billie’s debut album definitely had a lingering effect on me especially with the darker production and imagery that I think can be seen in songs like “Broken Vows.” Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” was on repeat for months as well.
DYLAN MCCUE: Musically, this project just feels like an amalgam of everything I find exciting about pop music old and new. It’s a bit all over the place stylistically which is pretty reflective of my listening habits over the last few years, but I think thematically all the songs focus on emotional ambiguity to some degree. Some of the standout musical influences for this project are Bjork, Fiona Apple and Broadcast. Those artists have a really interesting way of presenting pop ideas and sensibilities with a subversive, experimental twist.
LUNA: What are your favorite songs from the new EP and why?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: “Free Time.” It’s a sound I haven’t heard out of a lot of bands like us. When people talk about “the future of music,” I have a hard time picturing what that would be-- but “Free Time” is in that vein.
FRANCO SOLARI: I’ll have to echo Robbie with “Free Time” for right now. The way the ending section came together was so exciting as we kept experimenting, adding and trying new sounds which I think landed us in a pretty unique place that incorporates many of our influences. I’d say my favorite moment on the EP would be the last 40 seconds or so of that song alongside some parts of “Broken Vows (Reprise).”
ZACH LEVY: I’m gonna go with “Broken Vows.” I think it’s a very different take on our sound that hasn’t been showcased yet.
DYLAN MCCUE: “In the Strangest Way.” It was the first time that I felt I’d written lyrics that really captured what I was feeling at a certain time. I also think it’s musically our most adventurous and exciting song.
LUNA: There are clearly a lot of musical influences in your sound, but what three artists would you liken your sound to and why?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: Usually I just try to sing like Liam Gallagher, so I guess I have to put down Oasis. I’m feeling Britpop-y so Blur and The Stone Roses, too.
FRANCO SOLARI: Frank Ocean, Paul McCartney and Alejandro Sanz. I think they represent three major pillars of my musical journey growing up around latin music, discovering The Beatles in middle school and developing a bit of an unhealthy obsession at times-- until falling in love with R&B a bit later on where Frank took his spot on my musical Mt Rushmore.
DYLAN MCCUE: I’d like to think it’s some mixture of Radiohead, Frank Ocean, LCD soundsystem and a dash of Fleet Foxes. Each of us have pretty distinct personal influences but I think those three artists represent all the boxes we’re trying to check off musically.
LUNA: What do you hope your listeners feel when listening to your music?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: If they feel any emotion from a lyric, I think that speaks volumes. Lyrics can be applied to different situations in life and then can be interpreted many ways. I hope people find emotions inside our music.
FRANCO SOLARI: My favorite comment from people at our shows has always been “I usually don’t listen to this kind of music, but for some reason I really enjoyed that;” my hope would be to play a part in stretching people’s palettes just a little bit or letting them find enjoyment in something they wouldn’t have thought they would have through our music.
ANDRE ESCOBAR: I hope our listeners feel a connection; whether it be to us, to someone close to them, or a place or time. Our songs should be an experience of sonic transportation, and if we can provide the listeners just that, I’m happy.
DYLAN: To counter Robbie’s answer, I’m generally a lot more excited about music and melody than lyrics. I always love it when people point to a little piece of a song or melody that might otherwise fly under someone’s radar, it shows they’re really listening.
LUNA: What has been the most proactive way to connect with your audience, besides social media?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: It’s always shows, I believe. We just got back from our Blood Runs Cold tour with the Polar Boys where we hit five cities in Florida. The response from every crowd was better than I’d imagined. Shows are great.
LUNA: Do you have any plans to perform in other cities?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: Definitely. We’ll branch outside of Florida in 2022. I’d love to start making our way west across the country.
ZACH LEVY: Excited for next year’s possibilities of a tour. We also have Okechobee Fest in March of 2022 that we’re performing at.
LUNA: What are some professional and personal goals you all have for the near future?
ROBBIE KINGSLEY: I’d love to run the festival gauntlet and watch our name rise up the bills. That seems to be a good way to measure popularity or success or whatever you want to call it. Seeing your name next to beloved artists feels gratifying.
FRANCO SOLARI: Working with peers whose work I love; get us in a session with Amine or Dijon and I think we come out with some magic.
ANDRE ESCOBAR: We would love to play for our fans outside of Florida. Short term, East Coast then West. Eventually, I would love to meet our beloved international fans. We get so much love from them through streaming platforms and socials. I think getting to play for them would mean that we are big enough to do so.
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