We chat to Hollow Stone about new music, and keeping it real

What can listeners expect from the new album? How does it compare to the previous punky sound from your first EP, Kill the Boy?

The new album is new territory for us, focusing on sounding very DIY and rugged, we’ve grown out of our pop-punk origins to write an album that’s deliberately diverse in terms of genre. We got tired of releasing singles and wanted to self-produce an album that can really be our own. The Hail Mary was really to give us the space to try new sounds and arrangements and see what worked. Because it's self-produced, it's a lot less polished and more old-school rock-and-roll than before. There's also much more variety compared to before: there’s a country song, a Bob Dylan-style song, a big orchestral ballad, and loads more.

How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard it before?

So far the description that’s worked best is “Imagine if Bruce Springsteen and Fleetwood Mac had a baby and then Jack Antonoff produced that baby’s album..." I’ve always loved how 70s/80s bands sounded like they could be in the room with you when you listen to them. We don’t do anything to a click or with backing tracks when we play live or write songs; we want everything to sound real and authentic, which means slips and mistakes, but that's just part of the fun.

The new album is called The Hail Mary – is there any reason for this title and how does it reflect on the songs included?

We went into the album knowing it was going to be a risk, hence the name. We’re well aware that the people who really enjoyed the punk beginnings aren’t going to be so excited about hearing a country-pop song like Georgia Pines, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make different music.

The idea behind it was “What if we just chucked everything we could do on an album and see what happened?” It really freed us up in terms of the type of sound we create. For example, one of my favourite songs on the album is Manhattan, which has a whole 30-piece orchestra playing on it – that simply wouldn’t have happened if we’d kept churning out pop-punk singles, because it would have stayed on the back burner forever.

Did starting recording during the lockdown affect your band sound or dynamic at all?

Well, Hollow Stone started about six months before the lockdowns, and we released Kill the Boy in that weird interim when you could go outside but had to be in a bubble. So we’ve always had to record our parts separately and then mix them together ourselves. Unlike most bands, for us the learning curve was coming out of lockdown. What’s been really interesting for us is getting back into the rehearsal room and just knocking ideas around, and playing gigs as a group. There’s a kind of chemistry that develops that you just can’t get in a group chat. 

How did you and the band first get into music? What made you want to pursue it? 

For me it’s the only thing I’ve ever known. My grandad bought me an acoustic guitar for my eighth birthday and I don’t think I’ve ever really put one down since. As a band we come from different backgrounds as well – Morton (bass guitar and backing vocals) has always loved musical theatre and you can really hear that in the amazing interwoven harmonies he can make. Listen to the end of The Man Who Saved The World and you’ll see what I mean, he just has an incredible ear for melody. Harry comes from a more pop-punk/hardcore background which is a big influence on his drumming. You can really hear that in the way he plays and how he always compliments certain vocal lines or guitar cues, and it makes us far more interesting to listen to. 

What is your creative process when making new music?

They normally tend to start with me (James) and an acoustic guitar and they then grow into something else. I tend to do the skeleton, the lyrics and chords and a few melodic elements, but Harry and Mort really bring the songs to life. A really good example of this is the first song on the album, The Quarter Life Crisis. What was originally just a guitar riff turned into a Kings Of Leon-style rock-and-roll song because of Harry’s drum beat and Morton’s ability to lift a chorus. I have no idea how they do it, but I’m just really glad they do. 

Which bands and artists did you listen to growing up and how would you say this has affected the music you make?

I was very lucky to have a mix of musical backgrounds around me: as a kid my mum introduced me to both Led Zeppelin and Aretha Franklin (she’s an eclectic woman) and my dad introduced me to Springsteen and Irish folk ballads. I think when you really listen to our songs, there’s always a mix of these different elements in there. Overall though, I just want a song to sound a bit gritty and to have a few bumps in, that’s what makes it sound real.

There seems to be some more Indie influences in your recent singles  – was this inspired by any particular artists?

We've absolutely become more of an indie band; a big turning point was listening to Take the Sadness out of Saturday Night by Bleachers. I just loved how raw and real it all sounded, when things can often feel a bit over-produced these days. For Georgia Pines I really liked old country songs like Waggon Wheel, and it helped that Morton happened to have a banjo we could use to really make it sound authentic. The most recent single, Casablanca, is inspired very heavily by Bleachers – I just really loved that big 80s cinematic sound. 

Where are you hoping to take Hollow Stone in the future?

After spending so long in the studio and recording, I can’t wait to get out there and play in front of people again. We’ve got the album launch show on the 17th August at The Angel which we’re all really looking forward to, and after that we’re playing at Billy Bootleggers supporting Kooey’s first headline gig on 28th September. 

If you could say one thing to your fans, what would it be?

A big thank you! It’s been a very long time coming and a lot of people have been very patient, but we really wouldn’t have an album at all without everyone’s support. I think the only thing you can really ask people to do is to give it a try. It’s a big departure from what people might have
expected from us, particularly the second half of the album, but I’m sure there will be something in there for everyone.

@hollowstone.music