It’s been almost three years since Halestorm released last album Back From The Dead, but the hard rockers have been anything but inactive in that time. As well as touring extensively, they’ve shared a collaborative single with metalcore heroes I Prevail and leant frontwoman Lzzy Hale to glam metal legends Skid Row for a summer.
2025 will continue to cram the Pennsylvanians’ schedule, with shows supporting Iron Maiden in Europe booked and, just as excitingly, a brand-new record on the way. For our latest issue – available to order now – Hammer sat down with Lzzy to see what to expect from album number six, and it involves everything from Americana to Motörhead…
Hi Lzzy. How’s progress on the new record going?
“We’re almost done. We’ve been writing while touring, so it’s been crazy. Dave Cobb is also producing it – he’s worked with so many of the great voices of Americana [including Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile and Jason Isbell], but he’s also a closet metalhead! So he’s had so much fun.”
What was it like all living together while working on the record?
“It’s felt like we’re a bunch of 15-year-olds living unsupervised – but we’ve also got all the snacks and all the music equipment you could ever dream of. And, to give credit to my guys, they have supported every weird idea, every harebrained scheme I’ve wanted to try out.”
How ‘weird’ have things gotten?
“Well, the entire recording process has been so weird and chaotic. One time, I was jamming on my baritone guitar, just walking around the house, and Dave swoops in and goes, ‘We need something like that! Run to the studio, right now!’ And the track has made it onto the record – it sounds very Motörhead. Everything has been absolute madness. You’ve got to be careful with what you’re doing, or someone’s gonna think it’s a good idea.”
Any tracks that particularly stand out?
“We pride ourselves on playing live – no click track, no miming. Dave inadvertently helped us take this concept into the studio! We wrote one track deliriously at 3am – it’s very crazy, very fast. The next morning, we showed it to Dave, and he said, ‘We have to put this on the album!’”
You recently fronted Skid Row for a handful of gigs – has that impacted this record?
“That experience made me less judgemental of myself. I’ve learned to accept the magic that I bring to the table, to not doubt myself. Halestorm have always been about coming to terms with the way you are – your weirdness, your darkness. This record is about unapologetically accepting that you are the sum of all of the parts.”
Halestorm’s next studio album is expected to come out this year. The new issue of Metal Hammer is available to order now.
