Lzzy Hale is too young to have been an actual 80s rock star, but she grew up dreaming of being one. When one of her favourite bands from that era, New Jersey hellraisers Skid Row, announced the departure of their latest singer, Erik Grönwall, for health reasons, she got the call to replace him, fronting the band for four spectacular shows. This is what it was like to temporarily land the gig of a lifetime.
Lzzy Hale, Skid Row frontwoman. It’s got a great ring to it. How did you end up singing with your childhood heroes?
“Oh my goodness. It was a true full circle moment for me. When I told my dad, he was saying things like, ‘Hey, do you remember when you were rocking out to Skid Row’s Slave To The Grind in 1996, blasting it in your room?’ Every night [onstage with Skid Row], I was living out my teenage fantasy. Growing up, all I really wanted was to be that rock dude on MTV, riffing out in an 80s music video. It was so wonderful to be able to step into that role.”
How did the guys first approach you with the idea?
“Well, I’ve known Rachel [Bolan, bassist] and Snake [guitarist Dave ‘Snake’ Sabo] for the better part of a decade. One day, Rachel and I are eating cake at a birthday party. Out of the blue, he just asks me, ‘Would you ever consider playing some shows with us?’ My dumb brain goes, ‘Halestorm and Skid Row, that’d be cool!’ Obviously, that’s not what he means.
He’s like, ‘No, dummy, I mean you fronting Skid Row!’ Not even a week later, he calls me up, and it’s actually happening. He asks, ‘Are you in?’ So I called my ‘adults’ in management and cleared my schedule immediately.”
How did you prepare for it?
“I was learning the songs like an Olympic sport. I’m singing on a trampoline, a stationary bike, working on my breath control. It was madness. But I was doing it because I wanted to be good for my friends. I can’t express how much I appreciate the trust they had in me. We didn’t even have proper rehearsal time, just one run-through together the day before the first show.”
When the first show came around, how did you feel?
“Before going out, I was nervous. Like, really nervous. But we got through it. By the second show, I just felt pure excitement. All I could think was, ‘This is amazing, I’m literally living out my teenage dreams right now!’”
What was a standout moment for you?
“On the third night, I’d started taking some liberties – holding notes a little longer, singing a little higher. When we got to Quicksand Jesus, I just kept dragging the song out. Snake played his usual guitar part, and I would imitate it with my voice – and he’d look panicked and play some more. After the show, he comes up like, ‘Lzzy, can I talk to you for a second?’ I immediately think I’m in trouble. But he gives me this huge hug. And he goes, ‘I have never gotten to improv with any of my singers.’ I will carry that with me forever.”
How did the fans react to the shows?
“When the shows were announced, it was like a dam broke loose. I was hearing from people back home that I hadn’t heard from in 15 years saying, ‘I’m bringing my daughter, I’m bringing my dad!’ There were two distinct groups that came to the shows: the Halestorm fans bringing their dads and the Skid Row diehards. Each night I would get such beautiful compliments from all kinds of people, even fans that had been seeing Skid Row since 1987.”
Do any particular compliments spring to mind?
“Well, Jon Bon Jovi knows who I am, apparently. He was doing a radio interview, and I was asked to submit a question. My name comes up, and Jon immediately goes, ‘Oh, Lzzy Hale, she’s incredible – she really needs to join Skid Row.’ I knew all his songs growing up – it was such a surreal moment for me.”
There’s no love lost between Skid Row and their original singer, Sebastian Bach. Have you heard anything from him?
“I did hear some feedback through a friend. Personally, I have no problem with Sebastian – I love him, y’know? It’s none of my business what went down with the band. But I was still nervous to hear what he thought of me. Apparently he was saying things to the effect of ‘I can’t stand those guys, but she’s great, she’s really cool.’ Isn’t that sweet?”
Did the experience change you at all?
“It’s been kind of life-changing for me. I’ve been in Halestorm since I was 13, then all of a sudden, I’m 40, but inside I’m still this 13-year-old girl living on a 20-acre farm with my parents. So, when everybody started noticing me, noticing my consistency, my passion, my commitment, it got a little scary.
For most of my 30s, I was going through quite a bit of imposter syndrome. It was like, ‘Is that really me?’ When I turned 40, it was like something shifted. I’ve been giving myself a lot more grace and permission to be flawed, and I’m learning to accept what people think of me. I’m trying to believe that, for whatever reason, there is something inside of me that is beautiful that only I’m able to share.
“Skid Row was the final push that I needed to knock some major insecurities. I got a multigenerational view of what I can bring to the table. It was also the first time I have performed without hiding behind an instrument, purely riding on my voice. When I got home after the shows, I walked back through my front door a totally different person. I’m forever grateful to those boys for asking me to tag along. I can’t wait to do it again.”
So you’d be up for a second round?
“We left it like, ‘I can’t marry you, but we can totally have an affair sometime.’ If the guys send up the bat signal in a time of crisis, I’ll be there.”
Are you keeping yourself on top of the Skid Row stuff just in case?
“Snake’s guitar tech is actually on tour with us right now - we’ve stolen him for now. When we went out to karaoke, he signed me up for all these Skid Row songs. We sent videos to the guys like, ‘Look, I still know the lyrics!!’”
