HALESTORM drummer Arejay Hale spoke to Meltdown of Detroit’s WRIF radio station about the status of the band’s follow-up to 2018’s “Vicious” album. He said (hear audio below): “I’m actually really excited. We took the entire 2020 off from being together — I wouldn’t say ‘off,’ because we’ve been writing individually and we’ve been writing virtually. Zoom has become such a big part of my life. I’m doing so many songwriting sessions over Zoom — a lot of co-writes, a lot of different things. So we’ve got a lot of music coming. We’re actually working in the studio right now. We’ve been kind of working in the studio on and off, just trying to play it very safe. Don’t worry — we’re all wearing masks, and we’re all being very cautious.”
Last September, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale confirmed to U.K.’s Rock Sound that she has been using her coronavirus downtime to compose material for the new HALESTORM LP. “I’ve been writing, honestly, some of the best songs I’ve ever written, because I’ve just had the time, and there isn’t any deadline and nobody’s breathing down my neck, saying, ‘Hey, where are those demos?’,” she said.
“I haven’t been home without a gig for this long in probably over 15 years, so that’s a strange thing. I think in one way, I have the time, but in another way, I’m seeking that high out, I’m seeking that joy that I find from playing out live every night. I’m not writing for any other reason — I’m not writing for a deadline, I’m not writing for a record, even though technically I am; we are technically working on a new HALESTORM record. But I’m writing from such a position of joy right now, literally just getting excited about some small piece of music. And I’m taking more risks now, because I have the space and the time and I’ve settled into something. And I’m not even quite sure what that is, and I feel like it’s gonna reveal itself maybe later, but right now, I’m in it, and it’s exciting.”
“Halestorm Reimagined”, a collection of reworked HALESTORM original songs as well as a cover of “I Will Always Love You”, the love ballad made famous by Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton, was made available in August.
Lzzy and her brother Arejay formed the band in 1998 while in middle school. Guitarist Joe Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by bassist Josh Smith in 2004.
In December 2018, HALESTORM was nominated for a “Best Rock Performance” Grammy Award for its song “Uncomfortable”.
In 2012, the band won its first Grammy in the category of “Best Hard Rock/ Metal Performance” for “Love Bites (So Do I)”. According to the Grammy web site, Lzzy became the first woman to earn a Grammy in the category.
