Having recently recorded their debut EP, To Suffocate Silence, Hereford-based five-piece hard rockers Seasons Hollow are showing everyone that they are here to stay. The band formed a year ago and if their first EP is anything to go by, they mean business!
Antihero Magazine chatted with Seasons Hollow frontman Joe Dawson about the Hereford UK band’s latest EP and plans for the future.
Mark Dean: What are your own personal musical origins – introduction to music, first bands, first memories of music being introduced to you?
Joe Dawson: I was first introduced to rock music when I was about 6 years old, when my dad put on the Def Leppard – Vault video. I remember copying Phil Collen when he was on the floor playing a solo, I was in my living room on my knees air guitaring when my dad walked in and just laughed at me. My first band was more of a social event between friends, but I moved on as I got the bug for writing and wanted to pursue it further.
Mark Dean: Seasons Hollow were already existing as a band when you joined, correct?
Joe Dawson: Seasons Hollow were around before I joined; however, the changes to the line-ups had already happened to the point that only Steve and Marc remained. We had a practice together and hit it off from the start. The rest is history.
Mark Dean: The EP has been released, but were these all new songs that you had direct input into? Where was it recorded? How was the band’s first recording experience and who produced the EP?
Joe Dawson: All the material that we have as Seasons Hollow is all material that we wrote together, we decided to scrap everything and start again; the style of the band now is unrecognizable to previous efforts. We recorded at KJM Studios in Hereford with the aid of Corin Myatt, the tracks were all self-produced by ourselves and Corin. We’re very pleased with the outcome, however, we’re hyper-critical and looking at how to better it all.
Mark Dean: Track by track, can you give me a brief break down of each track, lyrics/recording process?
Joe Dawson: “Last Confession” is a hard-hitting song from the start that is about having to live through life taking setbacks but remembering the support that’s around you at the same time. It’s about experiences making you who you are. “Broken” is more of a rock track about doing what you can to keep those around you happy and about enjoying your time with them. “I Was Blind” is another rock song about not being able to see that your losing something before it’s too late. “Song 7” is bit heavier and is about greed and selfishness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx1Rph6qsm0
Mark Dean: Why the dual vocal style on the final track? Is that something that the band will be keen to explore again in the future?
Joe Dawson: As a band and musicians we don’t believe that you need to pigeon hole yourselves, we have such a diverse range of influences that we will express through what we create. So far, the feedback we’ve had has been amazing and we can happily say that no one has compared us to the same band twice. We are who we are.
Mark Dean: The band is gigging regularly. I assume, therefore, that you have much more material than just that featured on the EP?
Joe Dawson: Yeah, we have been gigging a lot recently and have a lot more shows coming up too. When writing songs for our EP, we wrote seven and picked the strongest four with the aim of reworking the other three to potentially be used further down the line.
Mark Dean: What’s the live scene where you are based? Does Hereford offer the opportunities or do you have to go further afield?
Joe Dawson: The music scene in Hereford has grown a lot over the last few years, we love playing our hometown and will always do it, but we’ve always wanted to get our name out there and we can’t do that by just playing on our doorstep.
Mark Dean: How did the band hook up with Electrify Events PR in the UK? Will that partnership tie over to the US (High Road Publicity) with potential for opening the band to create opportunities in that market?
Joe Dawson: We were approached by Electrify Events shortly after they heard our EP, I was networking online when I came across someone that saw potential in us and sent our details to Natalie Conway, thinking she may be interested in working with us. We are confident that regardless of whether we are on High Road Publicity or Electrify Events, Nat will do the best she can for us as we know she has our best interests at heart 24/7.
Mark Dean: How has the link with a PR company helped/assisted the band’s career to date in terms of festivals and tours, etc.?
Joe Dawson: Since working with Natalie and Electrify Events, we’ve seen a quick step up in our career, for a new band to be getting the attention we are is amazing – reviews, radio plays, features and interviews. If it wasn’t for our PR we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Mark Dean: One thing I noticed when researching the band was that the band’s website was down. What’s the situation with that? Does the band have input into social media marketing?
Joe Dawson: The band are forever on social media spreading the name, spreading our music, hoping to attract new fans and giving those fans what they want from us. We’ve recently launched our website, it has all our upcoming dates, band bios, latest news and links to social media, we’re on every social media platform you could think of, all offering different things.
Mark Dean: Tell me about the Bloodstock competition that you have entered? Is it a case of submitting a demo? How does it operate and when are the heats?
Joe Dawson: We entered M2TM this year in Wolverhampton, we didn’t think we would be accepted as we doubted we were heavy enough, but we were approved and gave it a good shot. Sadly, we didn’t get through, but to be honest I’m happy we lost to who we did. I’d put money on them to win this year and I think they deserve it (Ashen Crown).
Mark Dean: Any update on the band’s debut album release? Do you have the songs written or studio time booked?
Joe Dawson: We have been busy at KJM Studios writing tracks with the aim to release our debut album later this year. We’re excited to show everyone what we’ve been doing and hope it gets the same response as our EP has. We’ve set dates to hit the studio and are looking forward to it.
Mark Dean: What does the immediate future hold for the band in terms of festivals, etc.?
Joe Dawson: The rest of this year is filled with show dates across the country, we’re set to return to the studio to record our debut album and release a few videos as well in the process. For those who are already fans, we have a lot coming your way, and for those who haven’t heard of us yet but want to know more, follow us on social media and keep up to date with everything that’s going on in Seasons Hollow.
UPCOMING SHOWS:
March 16th – M2M, Giffard Arms, Wolves
March 18th – Flappers, Birmingham
April 1st – Six Eight Kafe, Birmingham
April 8th – Booth Hall, Hereford
April 30th – Dragonffli (ffli fest), Pontypool
Follow Seasons Hollow:
https://twitter.com/seasonshollow/
https://www.facebook.com/SeasonsHollow/
http://www.seasonshollow.com/
