HALESTORM‘s Lzzy Hale hosted the ninth annual She Rocks Awards, which was streamed live on January 22 on Believeinmusic.TV, Parade.com and AXS.TV.
During the She Rocks Awards “red carpet” portion of the event, Hale was asked by John Stapleton from M.A.C Cosmetics what she has learned about herself this last year while being in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. She responded (see video below): “I think I’ve learned a lot about myself both in a negative and positive and everywhere in the spectrum way this year. I think that both the good things about my life, the brilliant, happy parts that reflect my joy, but also the darker side of whatever comes with me, both of those things have been put under a magnifying glass this year, because you’re in this kind of time that’s ongoing — there’s no real plan.
“It’s probably been over 22 years since I’ve gone this long without a live show — meaning before the band started,” she continued. “‘Cause at least we had a bowling alley gig once a month [in the beginning] — I mean, I’ll take it. But overall, I think that, for me, I’ve been looking at it like it’s a gift, because I don’t have the distractions, I don’t have this mission, which is touring 250 dates a year. Then you go in and you make a record — everything’s deadline, everybody has a plan, there’s a future. So I’ve really had to look at myself and say, ‘Well, who am I without all of that?’ And I’ve realized some really amazing things about myself that I didn’t know that I was capable of during this time, and I’ve also realized a lot of things that I’m, like, ‘Oh, I’ve gotta change that.’ [Laughs] So it’s been a lot of self-discovery. [Laughs]”
Asked if there were any skills that she developed or acquired in the past year that she didn’t know she had, Lzzy said: “It’s actually been more on the technical side this year. It’s funny, ’cause I just had a call with my producer the other day that wraps all of this up in a nice little bow.
“For the past year and a half that we’ve been off the road and we haven’t been in the studio for a little bit, I’ve had probably about 10 or so collaborations this year that I’ve all had to do from home. So literally I learned how to produce my own vocals in a professional sense. I have an amazing vocal chain.
“It’s really funny, ’cause I had a conversation with my producer the other day. He’s, like, ‘Yeah, I really want you to take a stab at all of these vocal takes that we’ve been doing professionally in the studio, but do them at home, ’cause there’s a different personality that comes with that.’ So I’m, like, ‘Oh, interesting.’ Am I gonna be able to beat what we can do in the studio? Yes. So, that’s been fun.
“Also, I feel like just in general, as a songwriter, I’ve had to trust myself above everything else this year. There isn’t anybody giving me advice, there isn’t anybody there that I would unknowingly take as the be-all-end-all advisor — it’s had to be me this year. So it’s been nice to make those decisions, and be confident in what you’re creating and following and chasing — whatever gets you excited. So, yeah, it’s a lot of my truth this year. [Laughs]”
Last month, Lzzy confirmed to “The MetalSucks Podcast” that HALESTORM has begun recording the follow-up to 2018’s “Vicious” album.
In September, Lzzy told U.K.’s Rock Sound that she has been “writing some of the best songs” of her career during her coronavirus downtime. “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’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 (drums) 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.
