Lzzy Hale recalls her teachers being mad when she, her brother and her drummer started Halestorm back in 1997.
In a new interview for Heavy magazine, Hale discussed the reactions from adults when she started the band at age 13.
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“All of our teachers would have interventions. We started a rock band, and they would try to tell us, like, ‘Hey, that’s actually a stupid idea. You shouldn’t be putting all your eggs in one basket and you shouldn’t be obsessed with a band. You should be looking at going to college,’” she said.
“I went to a high school where you’re pretty much told the same thing. If you signed up to do music or drama, you’re always told by the teachers, ‘Hey, it’s good that you want to do this class, but it’s not a future,’” she continued. “We had quite a bit of defiance at that point because I don’t know, all of a sudden, everything came second.”
The story came after she reflected on the band’s crazy set at this year’s Download Festival.
Read more: Halestorm on rappers: “everyone wants to be a rock star”
“Apparently in the history of Download, we had the most attendance for our second-stage headlining spot and also I guess I was the first girl to headline that stage,” Hale said. “It’s pretty special to walk out on a stage like that.”
That moment was “emotional” for the band and helped them prove those teachers wrong.
“Hey this proves that yes we were crazy but we were not stupid and this was not a stupid idea,” Hale said her brother said about their success.
You can listen to the full interview down below.
Halestorm are currently on tour and will be for awhile. You can check out the full list of their upcoming dates below.
Dates:
With Alice Cooper
07/31 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory^
08/01 — Houston, TX @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman^
08/04 — Knoxville, TN @ Thompson-Voling Arena, University of Tennessee
08/04 — Nashville, TN @ The Opry House^
08/07 — Canandaigua, NY @ Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center: CMAC^
08/08 — Bethel, NY @ Bethel Woods Center for the Arts^
08/10 — Portland, ME @ Maine Savings Pavilion at Rock Row^
08/11 — Gilford, NH @ Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion^
08/13 — Bristow, VA @ Jiffy Lube Live^
08/15 — Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center^
08/16 — Camden, NJ @ BB&T Pavilion^
^ Alice Cooper, Motionless In White
Read more: Lzzy Hale explains how Alice Cooper CD inspired “owning [her] weirdness”
Fall Tour with Godsmack
09/20 — Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
09/21 — Madison, WI @ Alliant Energy Center
09/22 — Moline, IL @ TaxSlayer Center
09/24 — Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford Premiere Center
09/25 — Wichita, KS @ In-Trust Arena
09/27 — Cape Girardeau, MO @ Show Me Center
09/28 — Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life Festival*
09/29 — Alpharetta, GA @ Alpharetta Amphitheater
10/01 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Coral Sky Amphitheatre at the South Florida Fairgrounds
10/02 — Estero, FL @ Hertz Arena
10/04 — Pensacola, FL @ Pensacola Civic Center
10/05 — Southaven, MS @ Landers Center
10/06 — Rogers, AR @ Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
10/08 — Loveland, CO @ Budweiser Arena
10/09 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Usana Pavilion
10/11 — Sacramento, CA @ Discover Park*
10/12 — Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
10/13 — Ontario, CA @ Citizen’s Bank Arena
10/15 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
10/16 — Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Pavilion
10/18 — Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
More Halestorm news
Back in December, Bring Me The Horizon frontman Oli Sykes commented on the current state of rock music, stating that rappers were “almost the new rock ‘n’ roll.” Now, Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger are chiming in with their thoughts on being a “rock star.”
“Rappers are almost the new rock ‘n’ roll or punk or whatever,” Sykes previously said. “Rock’s gone soft, it’s gone miserable and boring, there’s not really much exciting about it.”
In an interview with Kaaos TV, Hale and Hottinger were asked their thoughts on Sykes’ comments.
“I don’t know,” Hale says. “I think personally, whether you’re a rap star, a pop star or a country star, everybody wants to be a rock star. It doesn’t mean you are. But…”
Read more: Lzzy Hale gives young Halestorm fan her guitar onstage in empowering moment
Hottinger chimes in, “It depends on your definition of a rock star, too. They definitely make more money. Rock is a little underground right now, which I love it. We’re down here simmering, and there’s some really cool music happening, and [there are] fans all over the world that stick with you forever, [whereas] these pop things happen and it’s vapid. A band goes up and it comes down real fast ’cause people just move on to the next thing.
It’s the only way we’ve ever known,” he continued. “We weren’t operating in a time like the ’80s and ’90s when rock was at the top of the charts and [was] the biggest thing happening. Now it’s… it has been — whatever. All the money is over there, and that’s fine. They can have it. We have a really cool thing going on here in rock and roll, and I like it.”
The Halestorm vocalist goes on to share how she believes people go to rock shows for the experience, rather than just to have something to do on a Saturday night.
Read more: Lzzy Hale says Halestorm is “all I’ve ever wanted to do in life”
“They’re not there to show off their cute outfits and take selfies; they’re there because it’s a part of their life,” she said. “And some of these kids primally need to be there to make themselves feel like they belong somewhere. And I think that that’s powerful. So we’re very proud of that.”
She adds, “Like I said, everybody wants to wear the leather jacket and be a rock star, but, really, the truth is that unless you’re underground with us, you’re probably not. [Laughs.]”
You can watch the full interview below.
What do you think of the throwback story about Halestorm? Sound off in the comments down below!
