Once known as Hollow Heart, later changing it to just plain Hollow. This metalcore quartet has been hard at work, writing and recording for their first ever release, their debut full-length album titled "Home Is Not Where The Heart Is". Hollow will be bringing something new to the table for this modern era of metalcore with this release. Hence drummer Chris Richey discusses the band's namesake, debut album, and future ahead.
1. What role do you play in the band?
Chris: My name is Chris Richey and I play drums and drum accessories.
2. Why did you go from being called Hollow Heart, to Hollow? Was it because you all had a Hollow Heart?
Chris: While I believe our hearts are fairly solid, we wanted to distance ourselves from our album released under that name, and we believe the simpler name is much more mature.
3. What has influenced your sound and style?
Chris: We have a great number of influences on this record, it’s hard to pin all of them down, but we combined elements from prog, metal, rock, and emo to create our sound.
4.What are your songs about? (What specific themes do they cover?)
Chris: Our songs range a variety of topics, from personal issues, to politics, to concept-driven songs, such as “Anomaly.” Essentially, if it speaks to us, we will write about it.
5. Do you write your own songs? (Discuss the songwriting process in detail.)
Chris: Our songwriting process for this album began as a collection of ideas, some of which being actual songs, others being riffs loosely tied together that our producer, Chris Galvez, took and helped to rearrange and craft into full-fledged songs.
6. How do you describe your music to people?
Chris: I’d personally liken our music to that of Bring Me the Horizon, Architects, and Stray From the Path.
7. What image do you think your music conveys?
Chris: Just our album cover is a perfect representation of our music; a plague doctor with skulls scattered around his throne and a tattered American flag laying on his robes. Dark and gritty.
8. You will soon be releasing your new album "Home Is Not Where The Heart Is," what can you tell me a little bit about it?
Chris: It touches many parts of the spectrum, featuring brutal breakdowns, massive choruses, slow songs, electronic effects, and all kinds of riffs. So, if you’re a fan of any of those things, I can guarantee you’ll love this album.
9. What comes to mind when hearing that "Home Is Not Where The Heart Is," is your guys' first debut full-length album ever made?
Chris: Personally, I’m absolutely ecstatic. My only real experience before this was a local band that wrote about one song every six months. To go from that, to being in a band releasing a full album and preparing to tour is absolutely mind blowing.
11. What is your favorite song on the record and why?
Chris: My favorite song has to be “Disconnect.” Strangely enough, it was the last song we completed and at first it felt like a filler to me, but it’s grown on me immensely. It’s an insane amount of fun live and on recording.
12. What can the people expect from this album?
Chris: I feel like people should be expecting a unique, yet familiar take on metalcore that has enough influences to interest a wide variety of listeners. And I can fully expect a lot of people to have our choruses stuck in their head for a long time!
13. What was the writing and recording process like for this album?
Chris: From our first meeting about the album to receiving the final mixes, it took about a year. Took a few more months than we had hoped, but we feel the delays helped us make the best possible album.
14. Why do you think people should check out your new album once released?
Chris: I feel it has something for everyone. We have fast songs, slower, bouncy songs, and a few softer songs as well, so everyone will find something to enjoy.
15. How would you say you differ from other bands and artists on the scene?
Chris: I believe we have a different approach to the metalcore sound and a more honest approach to lyrics that really make us stand out from our peers.16. What do you want to achieve as a band?
Chris: I want to achieve my dream of being a touring musician for a living, playing to hundreds of people every night.
17. What does next year hold for you?
Chris: Touring, writing the next record, and touring. Probably a little more touring as well!
18. Describe Hollow in three words.
Chris: Honest. Raw. Aggressive.
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